Autumn Birthday or Anniversary Cake recipe

Autumn Birthday or Anniversary Cake

4 oz. (1 cup) self-raising flour, sifted
1 level teaspoon baking powder, sifted
4 oz. (1/2 cup) easy-cream margarine
4 oz. (1/2 cup) castor (granulated) sugar
2 large eggs

Chocolate Glace Fudge Icing
1 oz. (2 T) margarine
3 tablespoons (3 3/4 T) water
2 oz. (2 squares) plain (bitter) chocolate
6 oz. (1 cup) icing (confectioners') sugar, sifted
2 oz. (1/2 cup) blanched and chopped almonds

White Glace Icing
4 level tablespoons (5 T) sifted icing (confectioners') sugar
Few drops warm water

Pre-heat oven to moderate (350°F, Gas Mark 4). Brush an 8 in. sandwich tin (cake pan) with melted margarine and line the base with greased greaseproof (waxed) paper.
Place all cake ingredients into a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until well mixed, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin (pan) and bake in the centre of the oven for 25-35 minutes or until well-risen, golden and firm. Leave in the tin (pan) for 5 minutes then turn out and cool on a wire (cake) rack. Place a leaf-shaped paper pattern on top of the cold cake and cut round to form a large leaf.

Chocolate Glace Fudge Icing: place the mar-garine, water and chocolate in a bowl standing over a saucepan of hot water. Leave until the chocolate has melted, stirring once or twice. Remove from heat, cool slightly, then beat in the sugar. Continue beating until the mixture is a coating consistency.

Pour over the cake and press the chopped almonds around the sides. Transfer to a cake board.

White Glace Icing: mix the sugar to a stiffish paste with warm water. With a writing tube and forcing bag, pipe lines on the cake to represent the veins of the leaf.

Chocolate Sandwich Cake recipe

Chocolate Sandwich Cake

5 oz. (1 1/4 cups) self-raising flour
1 oz. vanilla flavoured custard powder
(1/4 cup cornstarch + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1 oz. (1/4 cup) cocoa powder
6 oz. (3/4 cup) butter or margarine (or mixture), softened
6 oz. (3/4 cup) castor (granulated) sugar
3 standard eggs
2 tablespoons (2 1/2 T) milk

Pre-heat oven to moderate (350°F, Gas Mark 4). Brush two 8 in. sandwich tins (cake pans) with melted fat. Line bases with rounds of greased greaseproof (waxed) paper.
Sift the flour, custard powder (cornstarch) and cocoa together twice. Cream the butter or margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the whole eggs, one at a time, adding a dessertspoon (tablespoon) sifted dry ingredients with each. (If using cornstarch, beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract with the egg.) Fold in half the remaining flour mixture with a large metal spoon, stir in the milk then fold in the remaining flour.

Divide equally between the prepared tins (pans) and bake in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes or until well risen and firm. Leave in the tins (pans) for 5 minutes, then turn out on to a wire (cake) rack. When cold, sandwich together with chocolate butter cream.

Chocolate Butter Cream
3 oz. (1/2 cup) icing (confectioner's) sugar
1 level dessertspoon (1 T) cocoa powder
2 oz. (1/4 cup) butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence(extract)
1 dessertspoon (1 T) hot water

Sift the sugar and cocoa together, then cream with the butter till light in texture and pale in colour. Add the vanilla essence (extract) and water and beat in thoroughly.

Marshmallow Petal Birthday Cake recipe

Marshmallow Petal Birthday Cake

Make up Chocolate Sandwich Cake.
http://cakerecipebook.blogspot.com/2009/12/chocolate-sandwich-cake-recipe.html

When cold, cut each cake in half horizontally (4 slices).
Make up butter cream: cream 8 oz. (1 cup) butter with 1 lb. (just over 2 1/2 cups) sifted icing (con¬fectioners') sugar and 2 tablespoons (2 1/2 T) milk. Colour pale pink with red food colouring then sandwich layers of cake together generously with butter cream. Swirl remaining cream over top.

To make marshmallow petals: snip as many white marshmallows as required 6 times with scissors dipped into hot water (6 petals). Stand on top of cake then place a candle and holder in centre of each.

Silver Wedding Cake

Make exactly as Golden Wedding Cake, but colour the butter cream pale blue with food colouring. Decorate with silver ornaments.

Golden wedding cake : http://cakerecipebook.blogspot.com/2009/12/golden-wedding-cake-recipe.html

Valentine Cake Recipe

Valentine Cake

Make up Victoria Sandwich mixture
http://cakerecipebook.blogspot.com/2009/12/victoria-sandwich-cake.html

Bake in a greased and lined heart-shaped tin (pan) or 8 in. sandwich tin (cake pan) for 35-40 minutes in the centre of a moderate oven (350°F, Gas Mark 4).
Leave in the tin (pan) for 5 minutes then turn out on to a wire (cake) rack. Peel away paper. If the cake was baked in a heart-shaped tin (pan) cut in half horizontally. If baked in a sandwich tin (pan), cut into a heart-shape and then slice in half horizontally.

Sandwich the cake together with a little apricot jam (preserves).

Topping: beat 1/4 pint (5/8 cup) double cream (whipping cream) with 1 tablespoon (1 1/4 T) milk until thick, then stir in 2 tablespoons
(2 1/2 T) melted and sieved apricot jam (preserves). Spread thickly over the top of the cake.

Break up 3 oz. (3 squares) plain (semi-sweet) chocolate and put into a bowl over hot water. Leave until melted then stir in 1 1/2 oz. (1 cup) cornflakes. Leave until almost cold then pile on top of the cake. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes for chocolate to harden.

If possible, make and eat on the same day.

Victoria Sandwich Cake

Victoria Sandwich Cake
4 oz. (1 cup) self-raising flour
Dash of salt
4 oz. (1/2 cup) mixture margarine and butter, or other combination
4 oz. (1/2 cup) castor (granulated) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence (extract)
2 standard eggs

Pre-heat oven to moderate (350°F, Gas Mark 4). Brush two 7 in. round sandwich tins (cake pans) with melted fat. Line bases with rounds of greaseproof (waxed) paper and brush paper with more fat.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
Put the fat, sugar and vanilla essence into another bowl and cream until light and fluffy. Beat in the whole eggs, one at a time, adding a dessertspoon (tablespoon) sifted dry ingredients with each. Fold in remaining flour with a large metal spoon.

Divide mixture equally between the prepared tins (pans). Spread evenly with a knife then tap the tins (pans) gently to disperse air bubbles. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until well risen and golden. Remove from the oven and leave in tins (pans) for 5 minutes.

Turn out and cool on a wire rack.
When completely cold, sandwich together with jam (preserves) and sprinkle with a little sifted icing (confectioner's) sugar or castor (granulated) sugar

Cream-filled Victoria Sandwich
Make exactly as above. Fill with jam (preserves) plus whipped cream or butter cream.
To make a simple butter cream, beat 2 oz. (1/4 cup) butter until very soft. Gradually beat in 3-4oz. (1/2-5/8cup)sifted icing (confectioner's) sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. If liked, flavour to taste with vanilla.

Golden Wedding Cake recipe

Golden Wedding Cake
10 oz. (22 cups) self-raising flour
1/4 level teaspoon salt
8 oz. (1 cup) butter or margarine, softened 8 oz. (1 cup) castor (granulated) sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla essence (extract) 1 level teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
(optional)
4 standard eggs
3 tablespoons (3 3/4 T) milk

Golden Butter Cream
8 oz. (1 cup) butter
1 lb. (2 1/2 cups) icing (confectioners') sugar
3 teaspoons lemon juice
Yellow food colouring
Apricot jam (preserves)

Glace Icing
2 lb. (7 cups) icing (confectioners') sugar
Strained juice of 1 lemon
Warm water

Pre-heat oven to moderate (350°F, Gas Mark 4). Brush one 9 in., one 8 in. and one 7 in. round sandwich tin (cake pan) with melted margarine. Line the bases with rounds of greased, grease¬proof (waxed) paper.
Sift together the flour and salt.

Cream the butter or margarine with sugar, vanilla essence and lemon peel until light and fluffy. Beat in the whole eggs, one at a time, adding a tablespoon flour mixture with each. Using a large metal spoon, fold in the remaining flour mixture alternately with the milk.

Transfer to the prepared tins (pans) and bake in the centre and one shelf below centre of the oven for 15 minutes. Reverse the position of the cakes and continue to bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until well risen and golden. Leave in the tins (pans) for 5 minutes then turn out and cool on wire (cake) racks. Peel away the paper.

To make Butter Cream: beat the butter until soft then gradually beat in the sugar and lemon juice. Continue beating until light and fluffy. Heighten colour by beating in the colouring.
Split each cake in half horizontally and sandwich together with apricot jam (preserves) and a little butter cream. Stand the cakes one on top of the other (largest at the base) and hold in position with a little butter cream. Put on a large rack.

To make glace icing: sift the sugar into a large bowl and gradually mix to a smooth, semi-stiff icing with lemon juice and water. Pour over the top of the tiered cake and allow it to fall down the sides and find its own level; any thin patches should, however, be covered with icing by spreading it on with a knife (spatula).

When the icing has set firmly, carefully transfer the cake to a silver board and pipe lines of butter cream along the lower edge of the bottom cake and also where the tiers join. Decorate with yellow and gold ornaments, flowers, etc.

Christmas Cake made with corn oil

Christmas Cake made with corn oil

2 standard eggs
6 oz. (3/4 cup) soft brown sugar
¼ pint ( 5/8 cup) corn oil
10oz. (2 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 1/2 level teaspoons baking powder
Dash of salt
3 tablespoons sweet sherry or port
1 lb. 6 oz. (4 1/2 cups) mixed (chopped) dried fruit
4 oz. (just under 1 cup) mixed chopped peel
3 oz. (3/4 cup) blanched and chopped almonds
3 tablespoons (3 3/4) glace cherries, chopped

Almond Paste
12 oz. (1 1/2 cups) ground almonds
6 oz. (1 cup) icing (confectioners') sugar, sifted
1 standard egg, beaten
¼ level teaspoon each almond and vanilla essence (extract)
A little lemon juice

Royal Icing
1 1/2 lb. (4 cups) icing (confectioners') sugar, sifted
3 standard egg whites
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon glycerine

Pre-heat oven to cool (300cF, Gas Mark 2). Brush an 8 in. round or 7 in. square cake tin (pan) with melted fat. Line the base and sides with greaseproof (waxed) paper and brush with more fat.

Beat together the eggs, sugar and oil. Stir in flour sifted with the baking powder and salt. Add the sherry or port. Fold in the fruit, peel, almonds and cherries. Transfer to the prepared tin (pan) and level the top with a knife.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 2-3 hours or until a cocktail stick, inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tin (pan) for at least 15 minutes before turning out on to a wire (cake) rack.

When completely cold, wrap in foil and leave for at least a week to mature before covering with almond paste.

To make Almond Paste then use to cover the top

To make Almond Paste: place all the in-gredients in a bowl and mix well together to form a stiff paste; knead until smooth. Dust a work top with castor (granulated) sugar and roll out one-third of the paste to a round large enough to cover the top of the cake. Brush the cake with apricot jam (preserves) and cover with Almond Paste. Trim the edges. Roll out remaining two-thirds of Almond Paste into a long strip the length and width of the sides of the cake. Brush the sides with apricot jam (preserves) and cover with Almond Paste. Seal the join.
Allow Almond Paste to dry for at least 3-4 days before icing.