Making a cake from scratch

I grew up enjoying the remnant cake batter from the Electrolux mixer my mother used to make her popular sponge cake with. It was the regular 1-2-3-4 cake, 1 butter, 2 sugar, 3 flour, 4 eggs, which always resulted in a tender and light sponge cake, that was the cornerstone of sponge cake recipes, but not the easiest to make.

Commercial box cake mixes were not popular then and at home baking was the norm, today the tables have turned and cake mixes take precedent over made from scratch cakes. In face most of my students admit that cake made from a box mix is all they know as cake.

There is something to be said for a home-made cake. The experience begins with the baker who literally sees regular ingredients, (flour, butter, sugar, eggs) being transformed into sweet, thick, foamy or creamy mixtures, which are further transformed with the application of heat, into delectable, light, sweet and rich cakes as we know them.

Cakes need precision measuring, methodical mixing, accurate oven temperatures and attention to detail. Maybe this is what scares people off of making a cake from scratch. But, when all of those prerequisites are met, the outcome is nothing short of glorious. Fruits and spices further excite the flavour profile and frostings make the experience so very dreamy.

Happy baking!

Traditional marble cake

3 cups sifted cake flour

1 tbs baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup butter

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup milk

¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted

Pink food colouring

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease and flour two – nine inch cake pans.

Sift the flour three times and add the baking powder and salt, set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until light and creamy, about 10 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between additions. Add vanilla.

Reduce the mixer speed to medium low, or low and divide the flour into 4 portions and the milk into 3 portions.

Add the flour alternately with the milk, starting and ending with the flour

Mix just until incorporated after each addition.

Combine cocoa powder with 3 tbs warm water, mix well.

Remove one cup of batter and place in a small mixing bowl, add enough food colouring to colour the batter to your liking, mix gently.

Remove another cup of batter and mix gently with the cocoa powder mix.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cake pulls away from the side of the pan.

Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes in pans before turning out.

To make quick glaze: Combine 2 cups sifted icing sugar with 1-2 tbs hot water and stir well until a thick glaze is formed them spread onto cake.

Pineapple upside down cake

⅓ cup butter and 2 tbs butter

½ cup granulated sugar

1 eggs

1½ cups all-purpose flour

2½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

½ cup pineapple juice

2 14 oz tin pineapple rings, drained, save juice

¼ cup brown sugar

9 maraschino cherries

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease one nine inch square cake pan

Cream ⅓ cup butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy, add eggs one at a time beating well between additions.

Sift flour with baking powder and cinnamon.

Add to butter mixture alternately with juice and vanilla, making sure your last addition is with flour.

Melt 2 tbs, butter in cake tin add brown sugar and stir to melt, do not brown.

Remove from heat, arrange pineapple rings onto cake tin, place a cherry in each pineapple ring,

Pour on cake batter and bake for 35 minutes.

Remove and invert onto serving plate.

Serve warm with thick cream.

Serves 8

Trini sponge cake

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 tbs baking powder

½ tsp salt

8 ozs butter

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease and flour two – nine inch cake pans.

Sift the flour three times and add the baking powder and salt, set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until light and creamy, about 10 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between additions. Add vanilla.

Reduce the mixer speed to medium low, or low and divide the flour into 4 portions and the milk into 3 portions.

Add the flour alternately with the milk, starting and ending with the flour.

Mix just until incorporated after each addition.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake pulls away from the side of the pan.

Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes in pans before turning out.

To make quick glaze: Combine 2 cups sifted icing sugar with 1-2 tbs hot water and stir well until a thick glaze is formed them spread onto cake

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