Gorgeous Cakes

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Vintage Rose Kitchen: Strawberry Muffins

strawberry muffins served with ice cream and fresh strawberries

a great variation on the usual muffin with raisins and such fruit - using fresh fruit really does make a difference, and I find it's a perfect muffin to use as a dessert, as above. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup cake flour

½ cup digestive bran (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 cups sliced or quartered strawberries
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup cooking oil
Approx 125mls water (determine consistency - add more if digestive bran added)


The How to :



Preheat oven to 180degrees (or 350F)
Beat eggs, sugar and oil together
Add remaining dry ingredients and mix well
Add strawberries and fold into the mixture
Bake in muffin pans for approx 25 minutes
Allow to cool and serve with butter, cream or for a great dessert with fresh strawberries and ice cream!


Enjoy!!

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Vintage Rose Kitchen: A Celebration with Chocolate Cupcakes

It was my darling niece, Jennifer's, ninth birthday this past week, so in honour we held a family celebration for her on Sunday.  Although she's only nine, she is quite "grown up' for her age, and I thought to do something a little more glamorous, albeit fun.      She adores chocolate cake, and being a girly girl, likes pink, so that part was easy.  

So instead of baking a normal "cake" I decided to take a chocolate cupcake recipe, "dress" the cupcakes up and place them on a cake stand ...    here are some pics of the end result and of the table setting.

frosted and decorated cupcakes - I added fresh flowers to add colour

So all you need is a chocolate cake or cupcake recipe, bake as per instructions (the recipe I used made 16 cupcakes).   You ice/ frost the cupcakes with your favorite frosting recipe, add sprinkles or other appropriate decorations, add candles.  

I added flowers as it was part of the theme and somehow it always looks good - just ensure you use flowers that are not poisonous, if you decide to do the same.   

And voila! you have a celebration!

the table setting in vibrant pink and toning shades - gorgeous candles and fresh flowers

Jennifer - the "young lady" of honour!! 

Happy birthday my sweetheart, may you have many more!

Pictures: Gena D Images

Vintage Rose Kitchen: Zucchini Cake (bread/ loaf or even muffins)

zucchini loaf and muffins

A while back I saw a recipe for a Zucchini (baby marrow or courgette) loaf and was fascinated - after all we do not normally relate vegetables (with exception of the carrot) to cakes, sweet loaves or muffins.    Well I tried it and loved it. 

I've since modified the recipe slightly (as I always do) making it less sweet and adding more zucchini and other ingredients.   We have now tried it in various forms from the loaf, to muffins to a gorgeous cake  (see pics below) which I made for a gathering yesterday ..... it's simply wonderful and reminiscent of the wondorous carrot cake...

.

a slice of zucchini cake ....

Ingedients:

3 eggs

1 cup cooking oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups grated zucchini

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 cups walnuts/ pecans (optional)

3 cups self raising flour

1 tsp salt

3 tsps cinnamon

zest of a lemon

Okay and how to make it up ....

1.  Beat eggs, oil and sugar together until well creamed

2. Stir in zucchini

3. Add flour, salt, and cinnamon

4. Finally stir in nuts and lemon zest.  Do not over mix.

5. Pour batter into a substantial loaf or cake tin until 3/4 full

6. Bake at 160 degrees (325 F) for approx 60 minutes

7. If you are making muffins, bake for approx 30 minutes

NB. this amount of batter make a very large loaf or cake!

after pouring the "wicked' cream and yoghurt "icing" - yummy .....

We decided to "ice" (frost) the cake and here is the recipe:

150mls cream, whipped

4 heaped tbls icing sugar

3 tbls plain yoghurt

zest of a lemon

Mix all ingredients well and refrigerate.

When cake is cold, pour generously over the cake, allowing the icing to pour down the sides.

Note:   You will need to refrigerate any leftover cake, due to the dairy in the "icing".

 Picture Credits :  Gena D Images

Delicious Pineapple Cake

This "pineapple cake recipe" has been around our home for a good many years. It's been served as dessert after a number of lunches or dinners, it's served as a birthday cake, a party cake, a celebration cake ... you name it, it's been there. I've chosen to publish it, really because it's so versatile and quick and easy to make, and it's good served hot or cold, in summer or in winter - enough qualities to warrant it being "published".

Ingredients:
2 Eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup self raising flour
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup milk (or soya milk)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 x 440g tin pineapple pieces, drained

1. Mix eggs, oil and sugar together and cream well.
2. Add flour, milk, baking powder and salt. Mix well, but don't overbeat.
3. Drain pineapple pieces and add to cake mixture. (reserve juice if you'd like to add to the sauce or in place of the cream)
4. Mix and pour into a greased flat glass (ovenproof) dish (it must be suitable to serve from) - should fill no more that 2/3 to allow for expansion.
5. Bake at 180 C for approx 30 minutes (or until skewer comes out clean).

Sauce:
1/2 cup cream
1/2 sup sugar
pinch salt

1. As the cake nears the end of baking, prepare the sauce, as it is best poured over the hot cake to enable the sauce to soak into it.
2. Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to the boil. Remove from heat immediately i.e. do not overboil.
3. Pour sauce over the cake as soon as it's removed from oven - no need to cool.

Alternatively: You can use the pineapple syrup and 3 tbl butter and 1/4 cup sugar for the sauce OR just simply pour the warmed pineapple juice/ syrup over the cake.

Cut into squares and serve hot or cold with custard, ice-cream, cream, fruit salad .....

Quantity: approx 6-8 servings (more if being served with fruit salad and/or ice cream).

Ring the changes with :

• 1/3 cup of dessicated coconut added to pineapple cake mixture.
• (canned) apple pie pieces or canned pear halves (in this instance I lay the fruit on the bottom of a greased glass dish and pour the batter over it. Bake and sauce in the same way as above).
• add 1/3 cup raisins to batter when making the apple or pear version
  
  Note: amendments made 29.10.09

Chocolate Chip Cookies

A few weeks ago the Choc chip cookie urban legend was doing it's rounds (see my write up about it on Thinking Aloud. It appears that this recipe (or a version of it anyway) has been around for a long time and was last touted as the Nieman Marcus Choc Chip Cookie. In South Africa it has been "rebranded" as the Woolworths cookie. Be that as it may, I understand that this recipe makes outstanding chocolate chip cookies, I'm calling it :

The Chocolatiest Choc Chip Cookie Recipe

1 cup (250mls) softened - not melted - butter
340g chocolate chips
2 cups (500mls) cake flour
1 cup (250mls) brown sugar
1 tsp (5ml) bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 (250mls) cup white sugar
250g grated chocolate
2 1/2 cups blended oatmeal
2 eggs
1 tsp (5mls) baking powder
1 tsp (5mls) vanilla
1 1/2 cups (375mls) chopped nuts (optional)

1. Measure oatmeal, and blend until fine.
2. Cream the butter and both sugars.
3. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
4. Add chocolate chips, grated chocolate and nuts. Mix together well.
5. Roll mixture into balls and place 5cms apart on a baking tray. Quantity makes approx 56 choc chip cookies,
6. Bake for 10mins at 180C. Cool and Enjoy!

Let me know your thoughts on this recipe.

Picture from Chocolate rewards