Author: Janke

I’m really convinced that you won’t buy them ever again. She’s so modest and overlooked, but once you bite through the dark chocolate coating, coconut cookie and then caramel filling, you’ll regret only meeting her now!

INGREDIENTS

COOKIES (40-50 SANDWICH COOKIES)
750ml cake flour
60ml cacao powder
7,5ml baking powder
2,5ml salt
375g butter, softened
350ml castor sugar
4 large eggs
10ml vanilla essence
500ml desiccated coconut, lightly toasted (Tip 1)
200g dark chocolate, melted (for dipping)
 
CARAMEL FILLING
250ml castor sugar
250ml cream
125ml milk
15ml butter
5ml salt
10ml vanilla essence
250ml icing sugar

METHOD

COOKIES
1. Prepare two large baking trays with non-stick spray; do not line with baking paper.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, cacao, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, castor sugar, eggs and vanilla with an electric mixer until creamy.
4. Sift the dry ingredients over the butter mixture and whisk until just combined.
5. Add the coconut to the mixture and combine.
6. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
7. Using the palms of your hands, form small balls of cookie dough and place them onto your prepared baking trays. Gently press them down with a fork (Tip 2).
8. As one tray is filled with cookie dough, bake them for 10-15 minutes in the middle of the oven until golden brown (Tip 3). While baking, continue with the second tray.
9. Transfer the baked cookies to a cooling rack to cool down.
 
CARAMEL FILLING (Tip 4)
1. Place a small/medium pot on the stovetop and heat the sugar over medium heat until light brown (Tip 5).
2. Slightly heat the milk and cream in the microwave and then add it to the sugar (Tip 6). Stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved into the liquid (5-10 minutes).
3. Allow the mixture to boil over medium heat until reduced and thickened. When stirred, the mixture should come loose from the bottom of the pot (10-15minutes).
4. Remove the caramel from the heat and add the butter, salt and vanilla essence. Stir until well combined. Allow the mixture to cool down a bit before adding the icing sugar (15-20 minutes).
5. Add the icing sugar and stir until well combined and smooth (Tip 7).
6. Pipe/spread the filling between two cookies to form a sandwich.
7. Dip the completed cookies in the melted chocolate and allow to dry before storing them in an airtight container (Tip 8).

TIPS
1. I only toasted half of the coconut in a pan over the stove to enhance the nutty flavour. You can either leave it as it is or toast everything.
2. Leave enough room between the cookies, because they do expand quite a bit when baked. For this reason, you can also roll them smaller than your instinct tells you to. I dipped my fork into a bit of cacao to prevent the fork from sticking to the cookies.
3. The cookies will firm up as they cool down so be careful to not overbake them.
4. Draw a magazine closer for this process. Caramel takes time, but I promise you that you won’t regret the effort!
5. The sugar literally needs to melt. Don’t stir; only move the pot around now and then to prevent the sugar from burning. Once melted, the sugar will start to caramelize and turn light brown.
6. Due to the difference in temperature, the sugar will most probably firm up; do not worry about it, it will melt again.
7. When the filling is cooled down but still too runny to use between the cookies, add some more icing sugar until you achieve the desired consistency.
8. I used an empty egg carton to place the dipped cookies in, this way the chocolate won’t stick to the surface it dries on.

The perfect cake to accompany a tea party! She’s subtle, soft and sweet but not to be underestimated. Once you get to know her, you won’t let go!

INGREDIENTS

CAKE (1 LAYERED CAKE; 12-14 SERVINGS)
750ml cake flour
20ml baking powder
5ml salt
375ml sugar
250g butter, softened
5 large eggs
250ml milk
10ml vanilla essence

CUSTARD
500ml milk
4-5 rooibos tea bags
125ml castor sugar
80ml custard powder
2,5ml salt
180g butter, softened
10ml vanilla essence
5ml rosewater (optional)
125ml desiccated coconut, lightly toasted

METHOD

CAKE
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. Prepare two round cake tins (21-23cm) with baking paper and non-stick spray.
3. In a large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients.
4. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add all the wet ingredients.
5. Use an electric mixer to thoroughly combine and cream the cake batter (5-6 minutes).
6. Divide the batter between the pans and spread evenly (Tip 1).
7. Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes in the middle of the oven. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before demoulding onto cooling racks (Tip 2).

CUSTARD (Tip 3)
1. In a medium pot, bring the milk and tea bags to boiling point. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
2. After the resting period, press the liquid out of the teabags and remove them from the milk. Reheat the flavoured milk to boiling point.
3. In a medium glass bowl, mix the sugar, custard powder and salt.
4. Add the hot milk to the sugar mixture and hand whisk until smooth and lump free.
5. Strain the liquid through a sieve when returning the liquid to the pot. Using a hand whisk, continue whisking until thickened over medium-low heat (3-5 minutes).
6. Pour the thickened custard into a glass bowl to cool down and cover with plastic wrap (Tip 4).
7. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy (± 5 minutes).
8. Add the vanilla and rosewater as well as the cooled custard. Whisk until smooth and creamy (3-5 minutes).

ASSEMBLING
1. Cut the cooled cakes in two, using a serrated knife (bread knife).
2. Place the first cake on your cake board and top with a quarter of the custard, followed by a sprinkling of coconut (Tip 5).
3. Continue with all the layers and end off with custard (Tip 6).

TIPS
1. To ensure evenly baked cakes, divide the batter by weight into the cake tins.
2. Allow the cakes to cool face down on the cooling racks. This way you don’t have to cut away too much of the cake dome before layering the cakes.
3. The custard is the most time-consuming step; therefore, I used a super simple cake to balance the effort out. Carefully read the steps and your attention to detail will be rewarded.
4. Place the plastic wrap directly onto the custard to prevent any oxygen from forming a “skin” on top of the custard.
5. To ensure even layering, you can divide the custard by weight. I used a piping bag to evenly cover each cake layer.
6. Don’t top the cake with rooibos tea leaves like I did, it’s not very palatable! Any fresh flowers, honey or even more coconut will do the trick.

What a lady! I know she appears a bit snobbish, but she really is straight forward and uncomplicated. What you see is what you get, and she would love to meet you!

INGREDIENTS

1 LARGE LAYERED CAKE (30-35 CUPCAKES)

CAKE
250ml canola/sunflower oil
700ml castor sugar
10ml vanilla essence
2 bottles red food colouring (30-40ml each)
5 large eggs
700ml buttermilk/Amazi
700g cake flour
20ml baking powder
5ml salt
10ml bicarbonate of soda
60ml cacao powder
10ml vinegar

CREAM CHEESE ICING (Tip 3)
300g butter, room temperature
500g icing sugar, sifted
230-250g cream cheese
10ml vanilla essence
pinch of salt
10ml rosewater (optional)

METHOD

CAKE
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Prepare two round cake tins (23-25cm) with baking paper and non-stick spray.
3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, whisk together the oil, castor sugar, vanilla and food colouring (Tip 1).
4. Add the eggs one by one and whisk until well combined.
5. Add the buttermilk/amazi and mix well.
6. Sift all the dry ingredients over the large bowl and mix until just combined.
7. Lastly, add the vinegar to the batter and mix.
8. Divide the batter between the prepared cake tins and bake in the middle of the oven for 30-40 minutes (Tip 2).
9. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before loosening the sides and demoulding onto cooling racks.
10. Once the cakes are completely cooled, you can assemble and serve immediately or store in an airtight container (Tip 4).

CREAM CHEESE ICING
1. In a medium bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer until light, fluffy and pale. This is the most important and time-consuming step.
2. Add the icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until well combined and creamy.
3. Add the cream cheese, vanilla essence, salt and rosewater. Mix until just combined.

TIPS
1. The red food colouring might seem a bit too much, but the cake will lose a lot of its colour once baked.
2. Whenever you test a cake with a cake testing pin or toothpick, it shouldn’t necessarily come out without a single moist crumb. You don’t want to see liquid on the pin either, but the cakes will continue to “bake” for the first few minutes after you took it out of the oven. Therefore, the secret to moist cakes is to master this fine line of baking time.
3. You can easily halve the icing recipe and not decorate the sides of the cake.
4. Don’t refrigerate the cake as it will dry out quicker. An airtight container at room temperature is the best way to go.

For all the nutty chocolate lovers! She’s so confident and mature and doesn’t pretend to be anything she’s not. Don’t be fooled by the decorations; she will be satisfied with a simple dusting of icing sugar/cacao.

INGREDIENTS

1 SINGLE LAYER CAKE (8-10 servings)

CAKE
250g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
100g butter
100g almonds, finely chopped
10ml instant coffee/shot espresso
10ml vanilla essence
5ml salt
6 large eggs, separated
80ml castor sugar

MOCHA CREAM (OPTIONAL)
5ml instant coffee
5ml hot water
5ml vanilla essence
250ml cream
45ml icing sugar
15ml cacao
pinch of salt

METHOD

CAKE
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Prepare a round springform cake tin (20-23cm) with non-stick spray and a dusting of cacao.
3. In a medium glass bowl, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave. Melt in bursts of 20 seconds and stir to ensure that the mixture is just melted and does not burn.
4. Add the almonds, coffee, vanilla and salt to the melted chocolate. Set aside.
5. In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, whisk together the egg yolks and castor sugar until light and creamy.
6. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg yolk mixture and stir until just combined.
7. In a medium glass bowl, with an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until medium peaks form (Tip 1). Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.
9. In a large oven tray, pour some boiling water and place the cake tin into the oven tray (Tip 2).
10. Bake the cake (within the oven tray) for 25-30 minutes in the middle of the oven.
11. The cake will still be a bit wet when tested with a cake tester/toothpick. Do not overbake, the cake will set once cooled.
12. Remove the cake from the oven and remove the cake tin from the oven tray and allow to cool inside the cake tin before demoulding onto a cake board.
13. Store the cooled cake in an airtight container. Only prepare the mocha cream (optional) before serving the cake.

MOCHA CREAM
1. In a small mug, dissolve the coffee in the hot water and add the vanilla.
2. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form (2-3 minutes).
3. Add the coffee mixture to the cream and sift the icing sugar, cacao and salt over the cream as well.
4. Whisk everything together until medium peaks form (another 1-2 minutes). Serve the cream on top of the cake or on the side (Tip 3). Be careful to not overwhip the cream.

TIPS
1. Medium peaks are between soft and stiff peaks. Therefore, the egg whites will hold it’s shape when the whisk is lifted from the bowl but the peaks won’t stand up straight (as stiff peaks do), it will fold over.
2. Due to the high quantity of eggs in the cake, the water bath helps the cake to bake more evenly. The amount of water you add depends on the size of the oven tray. Either way, fill the oven tray with water until the water covers half of the outside of the cake tin.
3. I played around with Pavlova components on top of the cake, but the canvas is yours to decorate!

Don’t be overwhelmed, you already know her! She’s a simple peppermint crisp tart filling (strengthened with a bit of gelatine) layered between coconut cake (representing the tennis biscuits). Basically, she’s an old friend with a new dress!

INGREDIENTS

1 LARGE CAKE (12-14 SERVINGS)
CAKE
125g butter, room temperature
300g castor sugar
350g cake flour
15ml baking powder
2,5ml salt
40g desiccated coconut
5ml vanilla essence
3 large eggs
350ml coconut milk
FILLING
15ml gelatine powder
50ml water
2 tins caramel treat (360g each)
5ml salt
10ml vanilla essence
500ml cream
150g peppermint crisp chocolate, roughly chopped
DECORATION
1 tin caramel treat
5ml salt

METHOD

CAKE
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Prepare two round cake tins (21-23cm) with baking paper and non-stick spray. Set aside.
3. Roast the coconut in the oven or in a pan on the stove until light brown. Keep a close eye to not burn the coconut.
4. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, whisk the butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt over the bowl with the butter mixture. Add the coconut and mix until just combined.
6. In a jug, whisk together the vanilla, eggs and coconut milk. Slowly add this liquid to the batter mixture, while whisking. Mix until just combined.
7. Divide the batter into the prepared cake tins. Due to the consistency of the batter, you need to evenly spread it out.
8. Bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester/wooden pick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake.
9. Allow the cakes to rest for 10 minutes before loosening the sides and demoulding onto cooling racks (see Tip 1).
FILLING
1. In a small microwavable bowl, add the water and sprinkle the gelatine over the water. Allow the gelatine to soak (±5 minutes).
2. While waiting for the gelatine; in a large bowl, with a hand whisk, mix one tin of caramel treat together with the salt and vanilla to create a smoother texture. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, whisk the cream until stiff peaks form. Be careful to not over whip the cream as it will become dry and buttery. Set aside.
NB: Before you add the gelatine, prepare all the elements that you’ll need to assemble the cake, otherwise the gelatine will start setting before the cake is completed. 
4. Microwave the gelatine in short bursts until just melted. Keep a close eye while doing this (15-30 seconds).
5. Add the melted gelatine to the caramel mixture. Mix well.
6. Gently fold the whipped cream into the caramel mixture as well.
ASSEMBLE
1. Using a bread knife, cut the cooled cakes in half to create 4 cake layers.
2. In a clean springform cake tin, place the first layer of cake inside (see Tip 3 and 4).
3. In a bowl, whisk the remaining tin of caramel treat to achieve a more spreadable caramel.
4. Spread a third of the caramel treat on the first cake layer. Top the cake with a third of the filling and a third of the peppermint crisp chocolate (see Tip 2).
5. Add the second layer of cake and repeat the layering with the caramel, filling and chocolate.
6. Add the third layer of cake and do the same.
7. End with the fourth cake layer, not adding any caramel, filling or chocolate on top.
8. Gently cover the top of the cake with plastic wrap.
9. Refrigerate the cake for 3-4 hours or until set. I would recommend allowing the cake to rest overnight to set completely and allow the flavours to fully develop.
10. To unmould the cake, gently loosen the sides with a warm butter/palette knife.
11. Decorate the cake with the tin of caramel treat, whisked together with the salt for a salted caramel topping.

TIPS
1. When demoulding the cakes, allow them to cool “face down” to help achieve more level cakes. If the dome of the cake is still too high, level the top with a bread knife.
2. To ensure even layering, you can divide the caramel and filling by weight, before assembling.
3. While assembling the cake, cover the outside of the cake tin with tinfoil to support the cake layers that are higher than the sides of the cake tin.
4. It will be difficult to get the completed cake out of a regular cake tin, therefore a springform cake tin is recommended for assembling the cake. If you don’t have the correct size springform cake tin, assemble the cake on your preferred platform (plate/cake stand/wooden platter) and create a “mould” out of tinfoil to support the structure of the cake, until the gelatine is set.
5. Be creative and top the cake with all your favourite chocolates or fresh flowers and herbs.

She’s definitely underrated! She allows our seasonal citrus to steal the show, whilst hitting that sweet and sour spot perfectly. Definitely a classic, without being too old school; especially with her new meringue blouse!

INGREDIENTS

1 LARGE PIE

CRUST
125g butter, room temperature
50g castor sugar
1 egg
175g cake flour
2.5ml baking powder
Pinch of salt

FILLING
6 large egg yolks
4-5 lemons, juice and zest (200-250ml)
2 cans condensed milk (385g each)
2.5ml salt

SWISS MERINGUE
6 large egg whites
350g castor sugar
5ml vanilla essence
Pinch of salt

METHOD

CRUST
1. Prepare a springform cake tin with non-stick spray.
2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and mix until well combined.
4. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a seperate bowl.
5. Add the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time, to the butter mixture until well combined.
6. Spread the mixture onto the base and sides of the prepared cake tin and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

FILLING
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, whisk the egg yolks and lemon zest until creamy and pale.
3. Add the condensed milk and whisk until thickened.
4. Add the lemon juice in two additions and mix until well combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin with the cooled crust.
6. Bake the pie in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes.
7. NB: Turn the oven off and leave the pie to set further in the oven, with the oven door closed for 30-45 minutes.

CLARIFICATION ON STEP 7: Traditional recipes would require the meringue to bake with the filling. You would then leave the completed pie to cool down in the oven, as in step 7. Although, this results into a very flat, dry meringue. Therefore, I separate the baking time of the filling and the meringue to create a high, fluffy, marshmallow-like meringue! If you don’t mind the traditional way, you are more than welcome to add the meringue on top of the filling before baking.
Due to the high amount of eggs in the filling, you can’t simply bake the filling for a longer period to skip the cooling and setting time in the oven.

SWISS MERINGUE
This simply means that you “cook” the egg whites before whisking it. This will increase the volume and glossiness of the meringue. Using this technique, you don’t need to bake the meringue at all, seeing that the egg whites are already cooked. If you prefer some colour, you can quickly blowtorch or grill the meringue in a very hot oven.
1. Remove the pie from the oven, after the cooling period.
2. Heat the oven to 220°C.
3. Fill a small pot with a bit of boiling water to create a double boiler.
4. Add the egg whites and castor sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer.
5. Add the bowl on top of the small pot with simmering water, not touching the water.
6. With a hand whisk, slowly whisk the egg mixture until all the sugar has dissolved (± 5min). Test this by rubbing some of the mixture between your thumb and index finger to feel for any sugar granules. Also scrape the sides of the bowl down to remove any sugar sticking to the sides.
7. Transfer the bowl to your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until the meringue is thick and glossy, about 10 minutes.
8. Add the vanilla and salt and whisk for another minute.
9. Spoon the meringue over the pie and blowtorch for a golden-brown colour, or grill under the hot oven for 2-3 minutes, keeping a close eye to not burn the meringue.
10. Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool down at room temperature, before demoulding the pie (1-2 hours).

TIPS
1. If you don't have a springform cake tin or you want to halve the recipe, you can use a regular pie dish.
2. If you prefer a cookie crust, you are more than welcome to do so. I just find it quite crumbly to eat and a bit sweet.
3. I strongly recommend the lemon zest; it adds another citrus flavour to the pie.
4. Once the pie is completed and cooled, store it in an airtight container to prevent moisture from upsetting the meringue. 
5. If you are uncomfortable to make the Swiss Meringue, you can make a regular meringue.
You can either bake the regular meringue with the pie and leave it in the oven to cool, or you could use the exact same method from the recipe above, with a few adjustments:

REGULAR MERINGUE
1. Heat the oven to 180°C.
2. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.
3. Add the castor sugar, one tablespoon at a time until well combined.
4. Add the vanilla and salt. Mix well.
5. Gently spread the meringue over the baked pie until evenly covered.
6. Bake the meringue in the hot oven for 15-20 minutes, keeping a close eye to not burn the meringue.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down before removing from the cake tin.

Perfect for this winter weather! She literally tastes like home and leave you feeling nostalgic about moments shared with loved ones. It’s not only your grandmother’s kitchen that can bring everyone to a standstill; you are more than capable to create these special moments too!

INGREDIENTS

1 LARGE LOAF; 12 MOSBOLLETJIES

BREAD
500g cake flour
10g instant yeast (1 packet)
100ml sugar
10ml salt
15ml aniseeds
100g butter
125ml milk
80ml water
100ml white grape juice
1 egg

EGG WASH
1 egg 
pinch of salt

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.
2. In a microwave bowl, heat the milk and butter until melted.
3. Add the water and grape juice to the milk mixture to bring the liquid to room temperature (lukewarm).
4. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients.
5. Whisk the egg and add to the mixture.
6. Knead the mixture until light and elastic (15-20min). You can do this with your capable hands or with an electric mixer, using the dough hook attachment.
7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, wrap the bowl in a blanket/towel and allow to triple in size in a warm place (60-90min).
8. Prepare a large bread tin with non-stick spray. Spray generously!
9. Gently knead the dough down. Using your hands, form individual buns and place them in the prepared bread tin.
10. Whisk one egg with a bit of salt and brush the mixture over the mosbolletjies.
11. Cover the bread tin with plastic wrap and a blanket/towel and allow to triple in size in a warm place (60-90min).
12. Heat the oven to 180°C.
13. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the bread for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Be careful to not overbake.
14. Gently loosen the sides with a butter knife and demould onto a cooling rack.
15. Melt 3 tablespoons of apricot jam/honey to brush over the top of the baked bread.
16. Allow the bread to rest for 10 minutes before breaking it into portions.

TIPS
1. Make sure that the liquid isn’t too hot before adding it to the dry ingredients, as this could kill the yeast.
2. If you can't find white grape juice, you can substitute it with water, although the juice enhances the "mos" taste. 
2. Mosbolletjies are known for their fine texture that melts in your mouth. Therefore, you need to put the effort into the kneading of the dough to ensure sufficient gluten development. When you gently press your finger into the dough, it should jump back.
3. Everyone kneads differently. I prefer kneading on a table top, sprinkled with flour, instead of kneading inside the bowl.
4. Don’t take shortcuts on the proving of the dough, as this is crucial to get the correct texture.
5. As soon as the bread is out of the oven and cooled, cover it with plastic wrap or place it into a plastic bag to keep the mosbolletjies fresh and moist.

I feel bad for only introducing her now. She’s one of those go-to bakes where you know that even non-chocolate lovers will be in love! One word to describe this cake? MOIST. Hands down the recipe I’ve been most asked to share; you’re welcome!

INGREDIENTS

1 LARGE LAYERED CAKE
CAKE
500ml cake flour
500ml cacao
625ml castor sugar
5ml salt
12,5ml bicarbonate of soda
12,5ml baking powder
5-6 large eggs
360g buttermilk/Amazi
160g butter, melted
15ml instant coffee
15ml vanilla essence
360ml hot water
 
CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE ICING
200g butter, room temperature
400g icing sugar, sifted
30ml cacao, sifted
5ml instant coffee
5ml vanilla essence
230g cream cheese
Pinch of salt

METHOD

CAKE
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Prepare two round cake tins (21-23cm) with baking paper and non-stick spray. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and butter. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients.
5. In another bowl/jug, dissolve the coffee and vanilla in the hot water. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix everything until just combined.
6. The cake batter will be quite runny. Divide the batter between the two prepared cake tins.
7. Bake the cakes in the middle of the oven for 40-45 minutes.
8. Allow the cakes to rest for 10 minutes before loosening the sides and demoulding onto cooling racks.
9. Once the cakes are completely cooled, challenge yourself to cut each cake in half to create 4 cake layers in total.
 
CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE ICING
1. In a medium bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer until light, fluffy and pale. This is the most time consuming step.
2. Add the icing sugar and cacao, one tablespoon at a time, until well combined and creamy.
3. Dissolve the coffee in a few drops of warm water. Add to the icing mixture.
4. Add the vanilla essence, cream cheese and salt. Mix until just combined.

TIPS
1. To add a salted caramel twist to the cake, mix 5ml of salt into a tin of your favourite caramel treat. Spread this mixture in between one or two cake layers, not on top of the cake.
2. I know that cream cheese is expensive. Feel free to make buttercream icing instead. All you need to do is leave out the cream cheese and add less icing sugar; only use 300g of icing sugar.
3. The cakes are quite heavy so make sure that the consistency of the icing isn’t too soft or runny, as this will result into the icing oozing out the sides of the cake.
4. Don’t refrigerate the icing before frosting the cake, except if the icing is too runny and you need the butter to firm up.

If you just thought about a G&T, you’re not the only one. I believe it’s quite obvious where my inspiration for this cake came from. Although this duo of flavours are confident, their appearance are subtle in this vibrant cake. She tastes like an autumn sunset.

INGREDIENTS

1 LARGE LAYERED CAKE/24-30 CUPCAKES

CAKE
2 medium grapefruits
20ml fresh rosemary, finely chopped
500ml sugar
6 large eggs
250ml oil (sunflower/canola)
250ml sour cream/plain yogurt
10ml vanilla essence
750ml cake flour
5ml baking powder
5ml bicarbonate of soda
5ml salt

CREAM CHEESE ICING
200g butter, room temperature
400g icing sugar, sifted
230g cream cheese
5ml vanilla essence
Pinch of salt

METHOD

CAKE
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Prepare two round cake tins (21-23cm) with baking paper and non-stick spray. Set aside.
3. Zest the grapefruits and chop the rosemary.
4. Put the sugar into a medium bowl. Rub the zest and rosemary into the sugar until evenly distributed and fragrant.
5. Add the eggs and oil to the sugar. Use an electric mixer to whisk until light, fluffy and pale in colour.
6. While whisking the above mixture, prepare the grapefruits: 
Cut the tops and bottoms off, then cut the skin and white flesh away from the outside of the fruit. Over a bowl, carefully cut the wedges of fruit out of the membrane, allowing the fruit and juices to fall into the bowl. Break the fruit up into smaller pieces. Set aside.
7. Add the sour cream/yogurt and vanilla to the whipped egg mixture. Mix until just combined.
8. Sift the dry ingredients over the egg mixture and combine. 
9. Add the grapefruit segments and juices to the mixture. Gently mix.
10. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tins. 
11. Bake for 50-60 minutes in the middle of the oven.
12. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before demoulding onto cooling racks.

CREAM CHEESE ICING
1. In a medium bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer until light, fluffy and pale. This is the most time consuming step.
2. Add the icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until well combined and creamy.
3. Add the vanilla essence and cream cheese. Mix until just combined.

TIPS
1. If you don't have fresh rosemary, you can use HALF THE AMOUNT of dried rosemary as well.
2. To ensure even layered cakes, weigh the amount of batter you pour into each cake tin. 
3. Please, do not try to take shortcuts on baking time and temperature. This cake has a wet batter and needs to bake at a lower temperature for a longer period. 
4. For the icing, I played around with a bit of food colouring, but topping the cake with fresh grapefruit and rosemary will provide enough colour to produce a showstopper!

She’s perfect to introduce to your family over a Sunday lunch! Believe me, everyone around the table will be quiet as soon as dessert is served. The definition of quality over quantity!

INGREDIENTS

4-5 Portions

125g butter
125g dark chocolate
60g castor sugar
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
5ml vanilla essence
5ml instant coffee/shot espresso
Pinch of salt
15ml cake flour

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Brush the inside of 4-5 ramekins with melted butter, then dust with flour and cocoa powder. 
3. Place the ramekins in an oven tray and set aside.
4. Melt the butter and chocolate over a Bain Marie until just melted.
5. Stir in the castor sugar.
6. Whisk the eggs together with the vanilla and coffee.
7. Temper the eggs with a bit of the warm chocolate. Stir and add the egg mixture to the rest of the chocolate mixture. 
8. Fold in the pinch of salt and the cake flour. 
9. Fill the ramekins 3/4 of the way up and bake in the middle of the oven, for 12-14 minutes.
10. Allow the baked fondants to rest for 10 minutes. Gently loosen the sides with a butter knife and demould onto your dessert plates.

TIPS
1. If you don't have any ramekins, you can use a muffin tray.
2. You can melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave as well. Prevent overheating or burning the chocolate by stirring it every 15 seconds until just melted.
3. Ovens slightly vary in temperature, therefore in baking time as well. As soon as the fondants start to form a dome (push up) and it slightly sets on the outside, it's ready. Be careful to not overbake; it will set more while resting. 
4. This dessert is also known as a self-saucing pudding, therefore it can be served on its own. Although, a small scoop of vanilla/mint ice cream or fresh berries will elevate this dessert!