I love baking and try to make time each weekend to get something baked and then frozen so I can pretend to be a good mummy by putting something homebaked into my son's lunch box.
But I am running out of inspiration... We usually rotate Nigella's flourless brownies (which is *bad* cos they contain almonds and the school has a no nuts policy); Nigella's 'proper' brownies (but they're a bit rich), cherry and almond slice (ditto nut issues), courgette cake, carrot cake, ginger cake, flapjacks and parkin.
So in an attempt to change our routine, please suggest your favourite cakes (preferably with a recipe!) and pep up our lunches (and expand our waistlines...!).
Both my girls and my ex are allergic to eggs - so I spent twenty-six years not being able to bake for them, then married someone who loves cake but is terribly vain so won't eat it. Argh! Anyway here are two of my favourites:
ReplyDeleteChocolate Slab Cake
(recipe from a Cadbury's Cocoa tin circa 1966 so all in ounces!)
Cream together 6oz baking marg and 6oz sugar. Beat in 3 eggs, one and a half tbsps water and a few drops almond essence (if your school doesn't have a no nuts policy. I'd have been expelled if mine had. Arf!) Fold in 4 and a half ounces self-raising flour and 1 and a half ounces ground rice. Turn into an 11" x 7" greased tin, and bake at Gas Mark 4, 150C for about 30 minutes. Cool on rack, and cover with thin layer of chocolate melted with tiny knob of butter (to make it cuttable). Cut into squares.
Orange Poppy Seed Cake
(Brilliant for packed lunches - no other kid will try to nick it because they're put off by the black bits... Can substitute lemon for orange.)
Rub 4oz baking marg into 8oz self raising flour. Mix in 4oz sugar, grated rind and juice of 1 large orange, 2 eggs and at least a tablespoon of black poppy seeds to make a lumpy speckly thick batter. Turn into a greased (and lined if you like) 7" round cake tin and bake at Gas Mark 4, 150C for about an hour.
Wow those are great recipes. I haven't had poppy seed cake for ages (and actually that reminds me of seed cake, might make some of that too!).
ReplyDeleteThank you :)