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Connor_EONNext
I learnt to bake from my mum and my Nanna, so use all the traditional old-fashioned ingredients and methods. I like baking pies using shortcrust pastry which I make from scratch using plain flour and half lard half butter for the shortening. I always put the pastry in the fridge for at least half an hour before rolling it out.
I still use my mums old Be-Ro Flour recipe book. My favourite cake recipe is their Milk Chocolate Cake one:
200g(7oz) self raising flour;
225g(8oz) caster sugar;
1/2 teaspoon salt;
25g(1oz) cocoa powder(sieved);
100g(4oz) margarine (I use Stork margarine);
2 medium free-range eggs;
5 tablespoons evaporated milk;
5 tablespoons cold water;
a few drops of vanilla essence(optional. I don't use it).
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180C (160C fan oven);
Grease or line (with a greaseproof cake tin liner), two 20.5 cm (8 inch) cake tins, but don't use loose bottomed tins without a liner;
Mix flour, sugar, salt and cocoa;
Rub in the margarine;
Beat the eggs and milk together;
Stir the egg/milk mixture and the water into the dry ingredients and beat/mix well;
Pour or spoon the mixture into the cake tins and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes. (I check mine with a cake tester every five minutes from about 25 minutes onwards, and once it cones out clear of any mixture. the cake is ready);
Allow to cool completely, and then sandwich the two halves with a layer of butter icing, and spread a layer of butter icing on the top of the cake.
Butter icing is easy to make, it's double the amount of icing sugar to butter and mix them together with a spoon, (I use a tablespoon), until the mixture is creamy and spreadable. You can add cocoa powder to the icing mix, but I prefer the plain butter icing. You can also make the cake mixture into about 8 or 9 muffins, but reduce the cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes. Here's a picture I found online of the cake where someone has used chocolate icing.
Have a lovely day everyone.🍰😃