Search This Blog

Sunday 4 October 2015

Pack & Go Cake

A friend invited me to go on holiday with her. There was only one minor snag. We would be going over the week of her birthday. The only reason this is a snag, is because I am a baker and I am convinced that absolutely everyone needs to have a cake on their birthdays. I ran through the options in my head, decided I knew which cake she would like best and started adapting the recipe so that it could be made in a 'foreign' kitchen with (possibly) the minimum of conveniences. It would be the first time I went to this specific place and I did not know what awaited me in terms of the kitchen.  So let me explain. This blog was started before I went away and finished after I came back. The cake I chose to bake was a chocolate ganache cake.


The recipe comes from the Sabie Valley Coffee Platation.



Let's look at the ingredients first:
The Cake
500 g cake flour (2 cups)
400 g sugar (2 cups)
1/8 teaspoon salt (pinch)
5 ml bicarbonate of soda
125 g butter/margarine (I prefer butter for its taste)
250 ml water
125 ml oil
50 g cocoa powder (100 ml)
2 large eggs
125 ml buttermilk (I prefer Amasi when using butter instead of margarine)

The Icing
75 g butter
30 ml sifted cocoa powder (50 ml)
45 ml buttermilk/Amasi
5 ml vanilla essence
200 g icing sugar (400 ml)

The Prep for going away
The first and most logical step was to mix all the dry ingredients for the cake. I mixed 2 cups of wheat flour, 2 cups of sugar, a pinch of salt, 5 ml bicarbonate of soda and 100 ml cocoa powder in a bowl. I did not bother with sifting, since it wasn't going to be used immediately.






I transferred this dry mixture to a plastic bag, squeezed out the air and bound it tightly at the top with a knot.


I mixed the dry ingredients for the icing in the same way. I measured 400 ml icing sugar and added 50 ml cocoa powder.


This mixture was transferred to a second plastic bag with the air pushed out and tightly knotted.


I marked the bags 'Cake Mix' and 'Icing Mix' respectively.


The Cake
Truth is that I baked the cake when on vacation, but neglected to take photos of the blog. The result is that I had to bake another when I arrived home. You will therefore see no difference in kitchens. I followed the same steps though. Empty the bag with the dry ingredients for the cake mix in a large bowl.


Mix the water, butter and oil and heat it.


Add this mixture to the dry ingredients once it has cooled slightly.


Whisk the buttermilk/Amasi (I prefer the latter as it breaks the sweetness a little) and eggs.


Add this to the mix and beat well.


Spray a pan with a non-stick coating.


Pour the cake mix in the pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes.


The Icing
Mix the Buttermilk/Amasi, vanilla essence and melted butter in a bowl.


Empty the dry ingredients in a large bowl and add the wet ingredients. Mix well.


The icing should have a smooth consistency when done.


Take the cake out of the oven when done.


Pour the icing over the hot cake and spread it evenly.


I added some cherries and walnuts as this second cake would serve as pudding for my mom's birthday dinner.The cake is brilliant served hot or at room temperature.


For more crafty ideas and great products, visit APrettyTalent.com.
Remember to keep nurturing your TALENT for making PRETTY things.
You can subscribe to this blog and receive regular updates by email by simply registering your email address at the top of the current blog.

No comments:

Post a Comment