PARTY CAKES

BUTTERSCOTCH CAKE 

• 250g butter 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed 
• 2 eggs, separated 
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup 
• 1 cup self-raising flour 
• ½ cup plain flour 
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon 
• ½ / 2 cup milk 

CARAMEL ICING 

• 60g butter 
• ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed 
• 3/4 cup icing sugar 
• ½ cup milk

Cream butter, vanilla, and sugar until light and fluffy, beat in egg yolks and golden syrup and beat until well combined. Fold in sifted flour and cinnamon alternately with milk. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, and fold gently into the mixture. Spread the mixture into a greased deep 20cm ( 8in ) round cake tin which has a base lined with greased greaseproof paper. Bake in a moderate oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool. When the cake is cold, top with Caramel Icing. Caramel Icing: Melt butter in a saucepan, add sugar, and stir over medium heat for 3 minutes, gradually add milk, and stir until sauce boils; remove from heat, leave to become cold Gradually add sifted icing sugar, and beat until thick, and spreadable.

HIGH-RISE BUTTER CAKE

• 3/4 cup sugar 
• ½ cup water 
• 125g butter 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 3 eggs, separated 
• 1½ cups self-raising flour

Combine sugar and water in the pan, stir over heat without boiling until sugar is dissolved, bring to a boil, remove from heat, and cool syrup to room temperature. Beat butter, vanilla, and egg yolks together until light and creamy. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually pour in syrup in a thin stream, con continue beating until all the syrup is mixed in. Transfer the mixture to a larger basin. Stir in sifted flour all at once. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, fold half the egg whites through the mixture, then fold the remaining egg whites gently through the mixture. Spread into well - a greased deep 20cm round cake tin, and bake in a mod moderate oven for 40 minutes. Stand a few minutes before turning on a wire rack to cool.

VARIATIONS 

Caramel: Substitute brown sugar for white; pack sugar firmly into the cup. 

Wholemeal: Substitute half the white self-raising flour for wholemeal self-raising flour ( return husks from sifter to mixture ). If desired, raw sugar can be substituted for white sugar; it will take a little longer to dissolve. 

Sultana, Cherry, or Date: Stir in 125g chopped fruit before the flour is added, chop any added fruit the same size as a sultana. 

Coconut: Add ½ cup coconut to the hot syrup, and cool as above. 

Lemon, Orange: Omit vanilla and add 2 teaspoons grated rind to butter and egg yolk mixture. Squeeze juice from fruit, measure and, if necessary, add more water to make up the amount of liquid specified above. 

Coffee: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of instant coffee powder in the water before adding sugar.

Chocolate: Blend 2 tablespoons of sifted cocoa with the hot syrup.

Apple: Spread two-thirds of the cake mixture into the tin, top evenly with half a 425g can of dessert apple, and spread with the remaining cake mixture. Apple cakes will take 5 to 10 minutes longer to cook than other variations, due to the moistness of the apple. 

Glace Icing: Sift 1½ cups icing sugar into the basin, add 1 teaspoon of soft or melted butter, and blend to a smooth paste with 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid. Use orange or lemon juice, milk, or water to correspond with the flavor of the cake. Stir over hot water until of spreading consistency and spread evenly over cold cake. 

Chocolate Icing: Add 2 tablespoons of sifted cocoa to icing sugar. 

Coffee icing: Dissolve 1 to 2 teaspoons of instant coffee powder in liquid to be added to icing. This cake mixture can be cooked in any of the following-sized tins; 

cooking times depend on the size of the tin. 

Loaf tins: 40 to 50 minutes. 

Lamington tin ( base measures 16cm x 26cm ): 30 minutes. 

2 Bar tins ( base measures 7cm x 25cm ): 30 minutes. 

Baba or ring tin ( 20cm ): 35 to 40 minutes. 

Patty pans: 10 to 15 minutes.

COCONUT ORANGE CAKE 

• ½ cup coconut 
• ½ / 2 cups milk 
• 125g butter 
• 1 cup castor sugar 
• 1 tablespoon grated orange rind 
• 2 eggs 
• 1½ cups self-raising flour 
• ½ cup milk, extra 

ORANGE ICING 

• 1½ cups icing sugar 
• 1 teaspoon soft butter 
• 1½ tablespoons orange juice, approx 

Combine coconut and milk in a bowl, and stand for 1 hour. Cream butter, sugar, and orange rind until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in sifted flour, coconut mixture, and extra milk alternately ( mixture will appear curdled at this stage ): pour into greased loaf tin ( base measures 11cm x 18cm ) with base lined with greaseproof paper. Bake in a moderate oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Stand for 5 minutes, and turn onto the wire rack. Top with Orange Icing, and cool. Orange Icing: Sift icing sugar into a bowl, add butter and enough orange juice to mix to a smooth paste.

APPLE CINNAMON CAKE 

• 4 green apples 
• 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed 
• 1 cup water 
• 125g butter 
• ½ cup castor sugar 
• 2 eggs 
• 2 cups self-raising flour 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• ½ cup milk 

Peel, core, and quarter apples cut into 1cm slices. Put apples, brown sugar, and water in the pan, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until apples are just tender ( about 7 minutes ). Drain apples, and reserve syrup. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Fold in sifted flour and cinnamon alternately with milk. Spread half the cake mixture evenly over the base of the greased 23cm springform tin, and top with half the apple. Spread the remaining cake mixture evenly over the apple layer. Arrange the remaining apples decoratively over top. Bake in a moderate oven 50 minutes to 1 hour. Boil reserved syrup rapidly until reduced to about half. Brush the top of the cake with hot syrup. Serve cold as a cake or warm as a dessert with cream or custard. 

Also Read: EVERYDAY FRUIT CAKES