Learning Lunch

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Cakes

Right, so I've made some cakes and taken them into work and everyone is asking for the recipe. So as I was making a cake tonight anyway I thought I'd go ahead and take photos while I cooked!

The cakes I took into work were coffee and walnut with a mocha buttercream filling and a lemon cake with a lemon buttercream filling. Tonight I made a mocha sponge which I'll be filling with tomorrow night with cream, strawberry and kiwi fruit slices (fresh). The recipe and method for all cakes is basically the same but I'll talk about the coffee and walnut and lemon cakes too.

Just as a note I used 8" (20cm) circular cake tin 2" (5cm) in depth.

Ingredients:

Mocha sponge

• 350g self raising flour


• 350g margarine

• 350g caster sugar

• 7 large eggs or 8-9small eggs

• 1 teaspoon of baking power

• 3-5 heaped teaspoons of cocoa powder


• 2 heaped teaspoons instant coffee

• 2-3 teaspoons of coffee flavouring

Lemon sponge

• as above but with out cocoa powder

• 3 unwaxed lemons for the rind and juice


• 2 teaspoons of lemon 'extract' not essence

Coffee & walnut sponge

• as mocha but without cocoa power


• 3-5 heaped teaspoons of instant coffee

• a large handful of shelled walnuts

• Coffee essence

Cream filling

• 1 tub of double cream
• caster sugar (optional)
• vanilla extract (optional)

Buttercream filling

• 75g of unsalted butter
• 175g icing sugar
• lemon extract / coffee essence

Equipment

• large mixing bowl
• 2 small bowls
• wooden spoon or electric food mixer/whisker
• pallatte knife
• sieve (medium to large)
  
• cake tins 8"
  
  

Method:

Note: before doing anything below, preheat your oven to gas mark 4, and grease the cake tins. I find it better to use grease proof paper as well to line the tins.

1. Separate the egg white from egg yolks into two bowls.
2. put the egg white into a mixing bowl
   
3. add the caster sugar
4. beat the egg whites and sugar until you get a thick white mix, like mouse in consistency (this is where a food mixer comes in handy)
   
5. now add the yolks and mix
6. followed by the margarine, better to dice this up first, easier to mix.
   
7. now sift in the flower (even if it says 'no need to sift')
8. add a teaspoon of baking powder (fairly heaped)
9. If you're using a food mixer it's better to stir in the flower else it'll blow everywhere
   
10. At this point you should have a fairly light consistency of sponge mix.
    
    
11. now is the time to add your preferred ingredient, coffee,
12. 
    
13. walnuts, cocoa, lemon etc...
14. Walnuts could do with a bit of crushing so wrap them in cling film or foil and smash them up with either hammer, rolling pin or anything else that works! :o)
15. Any rind or flavouring can go in now as well
16. After adding any additional ingredients such as the
17. 
    
18. above, give it another good mix.
    
    
19. spoon the mixture in to your two cake tins and slam them into the oven for about 30mins at gas mark 4. This cooking time will vary from oven to oven. Fan assisted ovens will cook quicker. However, you need to be careful not to have the temperature too high as the cakes will balloon and burn, leaving the inside soggy and wet! The best way to make sure your cake turns out nice, even and unburnt is to cook it nice and slow.

Buttercream

1. this can be a pain to get right and take a while too, especially if done by hand so better to leave the unsalted butter out of the fridge at least an hour or two before you make it.
2. dice up the butter and beat it in a mixing bowl to soften it up (takes a while by hand).
3. once the butter has softened start sifting in the icing sugar gradually mixing it all in.
4. add a little warm milk to help soften even more and add a little fluffiness to the texture. It's important to add the milk 4-6 drops at a time, too much and you'll need to top up again with icing sugar.

Standard cream: this is fairly simple, just whisk it at high speed and add any flavouring you wish. Sugar is optional if you like it sweet!















Happy Baking!!!