|
 Chocolate
Mud Cake
| 250 grams butter chopped |
150 grams dark chocolate chopped |
| 2 cups sugar |
1 cup hot water |
| 1/2 cup whiskey |
1 tablespoon dry instant coffee |
| 1 1/2 cups plain flour |
1/4 cup self raising flour |
| 1/4 cup cocoa |
2 eggs, lightly beaten |
| Grease a 23cm square
pan, line base with paper and grease. Combine butter, chocolate, sugar, water, whiskey and
coffee in a double saucepan or heatproof bowl, stir over hot water until chocolate is
melted and mixture is smooth. Cool to lukewarm. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Stir in
sifted flours and cocoa, then eggs. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in a moderately slow oven
for about 1 1/4 hours. Stand 10 minutes before turning on to a wire rack to cool. |
|
Fruit
Cake
|
| 1kg mixed dried fruit |
|
| 250g butter |
5 tablespoons cream sherry |
| 4 x 60g eggs |
250g brown sugar |
| 1 teaspoon vanilla |
1 teaspoon lemon essence |
| 1 tablespoon golden syrup |
1 tablespoon glycerin |
| 1 3/4 cups plain flour |
3/4cup self raising flour |
| 1 teaspoon
mixed spice |
1 teaspoon
nutmeg |
| 2 tablespoons cream sherry, extra |
1 teaspoon
salt |
| Cut fruit, add sherry and stand
overnight. |
| Cream butter and sugar, add eggs
one at a time, beat well. Add essences, golden syrup and glycerine. |
| Add sifted dry ingredients
alternately with fruit. Place mixture into an 20cm tin. |
| Bake for between 3 and 3 1/2
hours at 150C. |
| When cooked sprinkle with extra
sherry, leave in tin, wrap in several thicknesses of paper and leave 24 hours. |
|
Sponge
|
| 8 eggs no. 61 or 67 separated |
| 1 1/2
cups castor sugar |
| 2 tablespoons boiling water |
| Sift together
: 1 1/2
cups cornflour |
| 1
cup custard powder |
| 2 teaspoons cream of tartar |
| 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda |
| Beat egg whites until thick on high
speed. Add egg yolks and sugar and beat again until thick. Fold in dry ingredients. Fold
in boiling water. Put in greased and floured tins. Drop 3 times. Bake 180° C 4 x 8" tins 20-25min |
|
Buttercream Icing (Vienna Cream)
|
| 125g (40z) butter |
| 1
1/2 cups icing sugar |
| 2 tablespoons milk |
| Have butter and milk at room
temperature. Place butter in small bowl of electric mixer, beat until butter is as white
as possible, gradually adding about half the sifted icing sugar, beating constantly, add
milk gradually, then gradually beat in the remaining icing sugar. The mixture should be
smooth and easy to spread with a spatula. |
|
Chocolate Vienna Cream
|
| Make up the basic recipe as above
and add two tablespoons sifted cocoa to the icing sugar. |
|
Chocolate
Ganache Icing
|
| 125g
dark cooking chocolate |
| 40g
unsalted butter |
| 2 tablespoons cream |
| Combine chocolate and butter in
small container. Microwave on medium until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Add
cream and stir well. |
| Pour or spread with spatula over
cake. |
| For Piping:
Refrigerate
until just starting to set, stir until smooth. Transfer mixture to a piping bag and use
appropriate tube for piping |
|
Modelling Paste
|
| 2 teaspoons gum
traganth plus 2 teaspoons cmc (carboxy methyl cellulose) |
| Cold water 5 teaspoons |
Pure icing sugar 400 grams |
| Gelatine 2 teaspoons |
Liquid glucose 2 teaspoons |
| Cornflour 2 teaspoons |
Grated copha 2 teaspoons |
| 1 large egg white |
Cream of tartar 1 teaspoon |
| Turn oven to 100 C. |
| Sift icing sugar,
gums, cornflour, cream of tartar into a bowl. |
| When oven is at
temperature turn off and put bowl of sugar etc. in for at least 1/2 hour |
| Soak gelatine in
water. Warm glucose. Grate copha. Put egg whites in mixing bowl. Use "K" beater.
Stir gelatine over warm water to dissolve. Add copha and glucose. Stir until dissolved - a
clearish liquid. Mix liquids together. Put sugar in mixing bowl. Add liquids and egg
whites. Use "K" beater. Beat at low speed till blended. Beat at high speed. Seal
airtight and store in fridge. Do not use for at least 24 hours. |
|
Paste
For Plaques
|
| 6 teaspoons water |
| 1teaspoon gelatine |
| Dissolve
these-Don’t boil! Add soft icing sugar until it can’t be stirred then knead in
more by hand. Add an equal portion of soft icing. Knead well. Roll out and cut
plaques. Dry on foam turning daily. |
|
Gum Glue
|
| Dissolve 1/2
teaspoon of tylose powder in an 1/8 cup of water in a tiny jar. Leave overnight before
using. |
|
Royal Icing
|
| 1 egg white |
| 1 packet [500g]
pure
icing sugar - Cake Decorators pure is best. |
| glass or ceramic bowl
[with air tight lid if possible] |
| acetic acid {Food
grade} or strained lemon juice |
| Place egg white into a bowl, beat lightly with a
spatula. Add sieved icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Beat thoroughly after each
addition. When mixture is starting to thicken, add three drops of acetic acid or lemon
juice. Continue adding sieved icing sugar until the icing is of the consistency required. |
| Keep prepared royal icing in an airtight
container. Do not use plastic basins as small flakes of plastic can become
mixed in the
icing and block the piping tubes. |
| For lace pieces, extension work and embroidery the
icing will need to form soft peaks, whereas shell and star work require firm peak icing. |
| To test the icing consistency, lift the spatula
from the centre of the mixture - soft peaks will just curl over, while firm peaks will
stand upright when the spatula is pulled away. |
| When working with fine tubes, use soft peak icing. |
|
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