Ginger Lemon Cake

Preheat oven to 160 C and grease and line two 8in sponge tins. Put into a large bowl, 4oz soft margarine, 4oz caster sugar, 2 eggs, 4oz golden syrup, 8oz self raising flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoon ground ginger and 2 tablespoons of milk.

Beat the mixture well, put into the tins and even out the tops. Bake for about 25 minutes until well risen and springy to touch. Leave in tins for 5 minutes and then turn out onto rack to cool.

To make the filling, beat 2oz softened butter until creamy, sift in 6oz icing sugar and add 2 tablespoons lemon curd (lemon cheese) and 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Beat well. Spread over one of the cooled sponges and sandwich together.

For the icing , sift 6oz icing sugar into a bowl, beat in the finely grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add enough warm water ( 3/4 teaspoons) to make a smooth icing. Spread over cake and leave to set.

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Strawberry Cheesecake

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 c. fine graham cracker crumbs
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. melted butter
3/4 c. cinnamon

Mix well, press firmly on bottom and sides of a 9" buttered pan.

Cream Cheese Filling

1 lb. Philadelphia cream cheese, at room temperature
2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk, well beaten
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. lemon juice

Cream cheese until soft. Beat in sugar, flour; then eggs. Beat well after each addition. Add salt, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat again, pour into crust, bake in slow oven, 250 degrees, 1 hour. Cool.

Strawberry Glaze:

1 pkg. frozen strawberries 3/4 c. sugar 3 tbsp. cornstarch 1 tsp. butter Pinch of salt Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Cook until clear and thick. Cool slightly and spread on cooled cheesecake. Decorate edge with whipped cream when ready to serve.

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Rich Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredients

4 egg whites
½ cup (110 g) sugar
5 oz (140 g) hazelnuts, finely ground
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
9 oz (250 g) dark semi or bittersweet chocolate (60-70%)
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup (70 g) sugar
¼ cup + 1 cup (0.6 + 2.4 dl) whipping cream

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).
2. Line a 9 inch (23 cm) cake tin with grease proof or other non-stick paper and grease the tin.
3. Whisk the eggs whites until stiff and in peaks by using an electric mixer, gradually add the sugar and whisk well each time sugar has been added.
4. Mix with finely ground hazelnuts and cocoa powder.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool the cake.
7. Melt finely chopped dark chocolate over hot water.
8. Beat the egg yolks with 2 oz sugar until white.
9. Heat ¼ cup whipping cream to the boiling point, and whisk in beaten egg yolks.
10. Fold in melted chocolate. The mixture will immediately thicken. Cool to approx. 100 deg F / 38 deg C.
11. Whisk 1 cup of whipping cream. Fold with the egg and chocolate mixture, one tablespoon at a time until the filling becomes soft, then the remaining part of the cream.
12. Transfer to the cake tin, and place in the refrigerator for several hours.

If served cold the filling appears more like chocolate truffle than mousse. If you prefer a more sweet flavor of the filling you can use semisweet chocolate (40-45%) instead of the recommended type.

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Plum Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Plums
• 1½ Cup Maida Flour
• 4 Eggs
• ¾ Cup Butter
• ¾ Cup White Sugar
• 1 Tsp Lemon Zest
½ Tsp Baking Powder

Method:

• Beat the egg whites in a bowl.
• Cream the butter with sugar in a large bowl.
• Add lemon zest to eggs.
• Stir together 1-cup flour and baking powder.
• Fold in this flour mixture into the creamed mixture.
• Add and stir the egg whites.
• Grease a ten-inch tube pan.
• Arrange the batter uniformly into the prepared pan.
• Arrange the sliced plums attractively over the batter with skin-side down.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bake it for 40 minutes.

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Festive Christmas Cake

Ingredients

• 450g glace cherries
• 225g mixed peel
• 300g sultanas
• 150g currants
• 175g pitted dates, chopped
• 125g blanched almonds, chopped
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 2 cups plain flour, extra
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 250g butter
• 2 1/2 cups soft dark brown sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup treacle or golden syrup
• 3/4 cup apple juice

Preparation method

1. Combine cherries, mixed peel, sultanas, currants, dates and almonds in a large bowl. Add brandy, toss and stand overnight. Stir flour into soaked fruit.
2. Preheat oven to 140 C. Grease a 20cm round cake pan and line with two layers baking paper. Mix together extra flour, bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt in a small bowl.
3. Beat butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Gradually beat in brown sugar and eggs. Mix together treacle and apple juice. Beat into butter mixture alternately with flour mixture. Fold in floured fruit. Spread mixture into prepared cake pan.
4. Bake for 3 to 3½ hours, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan then remove and wrap in baking paper and then foil. Store in a cool place.

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German Christmas Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups (170g) plain flour
• 
  
• 1 cup (125g) wholemeal flour
• 
  
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
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• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 
  
• 250g butter, softened
• 
  
• 2 cups (310g) packed brown sugar
• 
  
• 3 eggs
• 
  
• 2/3 cup (220g) honey, room temperature
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• 1/4 cup (65ml) orange liqueur
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• 250g sour cream
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• 1/2 cup (125ml) orange juice
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• 1 cup (155g) raisins
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• 1 cup (125g) blanched slivered almonds

Preparation method

1. Mix together the flours, baking powder, and spices.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, then the honey, orange liqueur, sour cream, and orange juice. Beat the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, and then stir in the raisins and almonds. Pour the batter into a greased and floured ring tin.
3. Bake cake at 180 degrees C for 80 minutes, or until it tests done with toothpick. Transfer to a rack to cool.

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Christmas Cherry and Fruit Cake

• Serves: 8
• Yield: 1 loaf cake
• Ready in: 2 hours 30 mins (Prep 30 mins., Cooking 2 hrs)
  

Ingredients

• 200g white sugar
• 250g butter
• 2 eggs
• 125 ml orange juice
• 250g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 375g sultanas
• 250g halved glace cherries

Preparation method

1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees C. Grease and line a 22x13cm loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add beaten eggs and orange juice and mix well.
3. Sift flour and baking powder. Reserve 1/3 cup of flour mixture and toss with raisins and cherries (this will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake).
4. Add flour mixture to batter and blend. Add floured raisins and cherries to dough and mix until just combined.
5. Pour batter into prepared loaf tin. Bake in pre-heated oven for 2½ hours.
6. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap or foil and store in a sealed tin for a couple of days before serving.

Additional Info:

You can freeze this cake. It’s best if you can wait several days before eatings to allow the flavours to develop.

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