Ingredients
Method
1.The basic butter cake can be cooked in a variety of cake pans. We have included a list of alternatives with approximate cooking times. All pans need to be greased, the base lined with paper, then the paper greased (baking paper does not require greasing). All the cakes are cooked in a moderate oven. Patty cakes are an exception, if you prefer them “peaked”, increase the temperature to moderately hot.
2.Cream butter, essence and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in eggs one at a time, beat until combined. Stir in half the sifted flour and half the milk, then stir in remaining flour and milk. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
3.Variations: Apple Cake; Spread ⅔ of the cake mixture into the prepared pan, spread evenly with ½ cup well-drained canned or stewed apple. Spread evenly with remaining cake mixture, bake as directed above. Stand 10 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool. Spread cold cake with passionfruit icing.
4.To make passionfruit icing; sift 1 cup of icing sugar in heatproof bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon butter and enough passionfruit pulp to mix to a stiff paste (1 or 2 passionfruit). Stir constantly over hot water until icing is spreadable.
5.Orange and Date Cake; add 1 tablespoon grated orange rind to the butter when creaming the mixture. Stir ¾ cup finely chopped dates into the creamed mixture before the flour and milk are added. Spread into prepared pan, bake as directed. Stand 5 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool. Top cold cake with orange cream cheese frosting.
6.Orange Cream Cheese Frosting; beat 90g packaged cream cheese in small bowl with electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 2 teaspoons grated orange rind, then ½ cup sifted icing sugar, then about 2 teaspoons orange juice; enough to make frosting spreadable.
7.Butterfly cakes; it is best to cook patty cakes used for butterfly cakes in a moderate oven to keep them as flat-topped as possible. When the cakes are cold, cut out a circle from the top, cutting down to a depth of about 2cm. Place a small amount of jam in the cavity, top with whipped cream then the “wings” made from the halved circles of cake. Dust with sifted icing sugar, decorate with strawberries.
CAKE PANS AND COOKING TIMES 20cm baba pan 40 minutes 20cm ring pan 40 minutes 14cm x 21cm loaf pan 1 hour 2 x 8cm x 26cm bar pans 35 minutes deep 20cm round cake pan 50 minutes 24 patty pans 15 minutes
Note
