Recipes - Cakes

(Most recently added recipes display first.)

Christmas Pudding – serves 6-8

Ingredients

  • 375 g mixed dried fruits
  • 3 tbs brandy
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 50 g butter, grated
  • 1 slice wholemeal bread, crumbed
  • 1 jumbo egg
  • 2 tbs apple juice
  • 2 tbsp skim milk

Serves 6 – 8

Preparation

  • Place the fruits and brandy in a microwave-safe bowl or jug, and stir. Cover, and cook on HIGH (100%) for 2 minutes.
  • Sift flour, cinnamon and nutmeg into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter, then stir through the breadcrumbs.
  • Add the egg, apple juice, and milk, stirring well.  Add the cooled fruits, and mix well.
  • Spoon the mixture back into the jug.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Elevate on a microwave roasting rack, and cook on LOW (30%) for 10-15 minutes.
  • Allow to stand for 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
  • Serve with creamy yoghurt.

VARIATION

Add 1 tbsp chopped pecan nuts

NB: SUITABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH DIABETES –

PER SERVE

  • kj: 830
  • kCal: 200
  • Carbohydrate: H
  • Fat: VL
  • Sodium: L
  • Fibre: H
  • Good source: iron, potassium, vitamin A

 

Orange & Almond Cake

Ingredients

  • 2 large oranges
  • 6 medium eggs
  • 250g/ground almonds
  • 250g. castor sugar
  • 1 teas. Baking powder
  • 1 tbs. grated orange rind
  • 1 tbl. Orange blossom water
  • Butter and flour for cake tin preparation

Serves 12

Preparation

  • Wash and boil the oranges with the peel on in a heavy based saucepan in 5cm/2” water with lid on for 2 hours or in a small pressure cooker for 30 minutes.
  • When cooked, cool oranges.
  • Preheat Oven to 190 degrees.
  • Halve oranges, cut in 1/4s and remove pips. Place fruit in blender and whizz.
  • Beat eggs separately in a large bowl; add oranges with all other ingredients.
  • Mix thoroughly.
  • Lightly butter and flour cake tin. Pour cake mixtures into tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour.
  • Test with cake skewer and if the mixture is still a bit too moist continue baking for an extra 10 minutes or so.
  • Cool cake completely before inverting from the container onto a serving platter

Tasty Tip – This cake is beautiful on its own but if you want to give it a special presentation, try this idea. When the cake is cool pour over the top a simple lemon glaze allowing it to drip down the sides and top with toasted almond slivers.

Lemon Glaze – 2 cups castor sugar; 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice. In a saucepan, heat ingredients until the mixture become thickened. Pour on to cake immediately.

Healthy Hint – Serve this delicious cake with a big dollop of honey yoghurt.

Tropical Fruit Cake

Ingredients

  • 2 cups self-raising flour
  • 1 teasp baking powder
  • 1, 225g can pineapple pieces including liquid
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
  • 1/3 cup orange juice
  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ cup caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
  • Garnish, slices fresh mango

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees
  • Sift flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl.
  • Combine pineapple, bananas and orange juice
  • Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
  • Add eggs one at a time beating well.
  • Add flour alternately with fruit mixture, blending well.
  • Stir through nuts then pour batter into a greased metal cake ring.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out cleanly
  • Allow cake cool, invert onto a serving plate and garnish with sliced mango.
  • Serve with yoghurt.

Christmas Wreath

Ingredients

  • 12 x 5cm profiteroles
  • 2 x 200g tubs crème fraiche at room temperature
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk
  • 5 tablespoons Blackwood Lane natural healthy Fruit mince
  • ½ x 200g block Plaistowe dark cooking chocolate
  • 2 punnets medium strawberries, rinsed
  • ½ honeydew melon
  • ½ x100g packet hazelnuts, roasted, skin removed and chopped or
  • 2-3 tablespoons ground hazelnut meal

Serves 6 – 12

Preparation

Step 1
Cut the profiteroles in half and set aside. Mix the crème fraiche and milk together in a bowl until smooth. Gently stir through fruit mince. Generously fill the each profiterole bases and return tops.

Step 2
Place the filled profiteroles in a circular configuration around the edge of a 28-30cm wide flat plate so they are touching each other. Place the chocolate in a zip lock bag and microwave on Medium High (70-80%) for 1 minute or until melted. Snip the end of the bag and drizzle over the profiteroles. Scatter over choice of hazelnuts. Refrigerate for 5 minutes or until the chocolate is set.

Step 3
Cut strawberries in half. Remove the seeds from the melon half. Either dice or scoop into balls using a melon baller. Combine the fruits and fill the centre of the wreath just before serving.

Festive Fruit Tart

Ingredients

  • 200g dried fruit medley
  • 1 cup brandy
  • 200 g butter softened
  • 200 g caster sugar
  • ¼ c plain or gluten free flour
  • 200g almond meal
  • 4 whole eggs
  • yoghurt to serve

Serves 6 – 8

Preparation

  • Place fruit medley and brandy in a 1 litre Pyrex jug, cover and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes to infuse the fruit with liquor.
  • Uncover and set aside to cool.
  • Cream butter and sugar.
  • Add flour, almond meal and eggs combining well.
  • Refrigerate mix for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 170c.
  • Grease a 24 cm round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
  • Spread brandied fruit over the base of container and then pour tart mix into the tin and spread evenly.
  • Bake for 30 minutes then check to see if skewer comes out cleanly from the centre.