Let Them Eat Cake

We agree with a certain French queen, when it comes to our choice of the ultimate teatime treats. Mari-Louis Guy and Callie Maritz have just the recipes for a royal repast Chocolate cake (Makes 1)

Ingredients For The Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 1¾ cups cake flour
• ¾ cup cocoa
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup sunflower oil
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 cup boiling water

For TheChocolateButtercream Icing

• 25g butter
• cup cocoa, sifted
• ½ cups icing sugar, sifted
• cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

To Decorate - Fresh berries
Method For The Cake
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line three 15 cm round baking tins.
2 Mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla essence. Stir in the boiling water. The batter will be very runny.
3 Divide the batter equally between the 3 pans. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the centres of the cakes spring back when pressed lightly. Leave to cool completely before turning out.

For The Chocolate ButtercreamIcing

1 Cream the butter until pale.
2 Add cocoa and icing sugar and beat well. Stir in half the milk and all the vanilla essence.
If the mixture is too firm, add remaining milk.

To Assemble

Sandwich the layers with icing. Spread icing over the top layer. Decorate with berries.

Mini orange cakes (Makes 6–8)
IngredientsFor The Cakes

• 185g butter
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup milk
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tbsp orange juice
• ½ tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt

For The Orange Glacé Icing

• 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
• cup orange juice, no pulp

To Decorate

• 1 orange, sliced
• ¼ cup sugar
• Zest of 1 orange
• Mint leaves

Method For The Cakes
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease 6 to 8 ramekins or metal moulds.
2 Combine all of the cake ingredients. Beat for 6 to 8 minutes, until a stiff batter has formed.
3 Divide the batter evenly between the ramekins or moulds and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
4 Let cool before turning out and decorating.

For The Orange Glacé Icing
1 Stir the icing sugar and orange juice together. 2 Pour over the cakes.

To Decorate
1 To make caramelised orange slices, sprinkle sugar into a pan set over a moderate heat. Without stirring, allow sugar to melt. Add orange slices. Toss to coat with sugar syrup. Cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes a side or until they start to caramelise.
2 Decorate cakes with orange zest, caramelised orange slices and mint leaves.

Coconut Cupcakes (Makes 24)
Ingredients For The Cupcakes

• 375g butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1½ tsp vanilla essence
• ½ tsp almond essence
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup desiccated coconut

For The Meringue Icing

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt

To Decorate Coconut Shavings
Method For The Cupcakes
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two muffin pans with paper cases.
2 Cream the butter and sugar until light in consistency and pale in colour.
3 Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the essences.
4 In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
5 Alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, starting and ending with the dry. Mix well to combine. Fold in the desiccated coconut. The batter will be firm.
6 Divide the batter evenly between the paper cases. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before decorating.

For The Meringue Icing
1 With an electric mixer, combine the icing ingredients.
2 Transfer mixture to a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk for 3 to 5 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot.
3 Return to the mixer. Beat on low for 2 minutes, then on high for 5 minutes, until the mixture has formed stiff peaks.

To Decorate
1 Dollop meringue icing on to each cupcake
2 Decorate with coconut shavings.

TIP
Use a potato peeler to shave lengths of fresh coconut flesh. For a deeper flavour, put the shavings in a pan on moderate heat and toss until they start to brown.

Red Velvet Sandwiches (Makes 12)
Ingredients For The Cake

• 2½ cups flour
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp cocoa
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1½ cups sunflower oil
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 5 tsp red food colouring
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

For The Cream Cheese Icing

• 250g cream cheese
• 250g butter
• cups icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

To Assemble

• 1 tbsp smooth apricot jam
• ¼ cup poppy seeds
• ¼ cup hazelnuts, chopped

Method For The Cake
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line
2 medium loaf tins.
2 In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa and salt. In another mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, oil, vinegar, food colouring and vanilla essence.
3 Mix the flour mixture into the buttermilk mixture.
b Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

For The Cream Cheese Icing
1 Beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
2 Add the icing sugar and beat through. Add the vanilla essence and beat until just combined.
3 Allow the icing to rest for 20 minutes in the fridge before using.

To Assemble
1 Slice the cake loaves into thick slices and sandwich together with cream cheese icing.
2 Slightly heat the jam to make it easier to spread, then brush it over the tops of the sandwiches.
3 Roll the tops of the sandwiches in poppy seeds or chopped hazelnuts.