Make dad’s day: Let him eat cake
If you have a father whom you wish to celebrate this Sunday for Father’s Day, you’re supposed to head to a hardware store to find the perfect gift. At least, that’s what advertising tells us.
If hardware’s not his thing, you could head to a sports shop, or bookshop to buy the ghostwritten memoirs of a former sporting legend.
None of the fathers I know would welcome any of these things – especially not my father-in-law, who owns a hardware store – just like none of the mothers I know really want any of the hideous cliches offered up for Mother’s Day.
If in doubt about what to get your dad, I suggest making a cake.
Here are two easy options that should please most dads, except those who really do want a hedgetrimmer or set of golf clubs.
Cinnamon coffee cake with coffee cream icing Makes 1 large cake, serves 8-12 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 50-55 minutes
The major advantage of coffee cake is that the thought of coffee will deter most small children – just don’t let them near it in case they develop a taste for coffee-scented sugar at an early age.
❚ 1 1⁄2 cups caster sugar ❚ 2 eggs
❚ 3⁄4 cup rice bran oil
❚ Pinch of salt
❚ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
❚ 1 cup full-fat Greek yoghurt
❚ 2 generous tablespoons plunger grind or instant coffee dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
❚ 2 cups self-raising flour
For the coffee cream icing:
❚ 75g unsalted butter, softened but not melted ❚ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
❚ 1 1⁄2 teaspoons instant coffee or plunger grind coffee dissolved in 1 1⁄2 teaspoons boiling water
❚ 150g cream cheese at room temperature
❚ 1 1⁄2 cups icing sugar
Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, and grease and line a 24cm cake tin.
Put the sugar and eggs in a food processor (or a large bowl) and process or whisk together until well mixed and slightly fluffy. Add all the remaining ingredients and pulse (or stir) until smooth.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 50-55 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes then turn out of the tin and let cool completely on a rack.
To make the icing, put all the ingredients in the rinsed-out food processor and whiz until smooth. Alternatively, beat everything together in a bowl with a wooden spoon until creamy and fluffy.
Spread lavishly on the cold cake and dust with coffee grounds. Store in an airtight container in a cool place (not the fridge) for up to three days.
Spiced Cider Loaf Makes 1 loaf, serves 6-8 Preparation time: Cooking time: 40-50 minutes
You could use beer in this tender little loaf, but most dads I know would see that as a waste. One advantage of using cider is that if you open a 500ml bottle, the cook gets to drink the rest.
❚ 125g butter, soft but not melted
❚ 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
❚ 1 egg
❚ 225g plain flour (2 cups minus 3 tablespoons) ❚ 1 teaspoon baking soda
❚ 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
❚ 1 teaspoon ground ginger ❚ 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon ❚ 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves ❚ 1⁄2 cup crystallised ginger, finely chopped
❚ 1 cup cider, at room temperature
❚ 1 tablespoon icing sugar, to serve
Heat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a standardsize loaf tin.
Beat the butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy, then beat in the egg.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, spices and ginger. Fold about a third of these dry ingredients into the mixture, then add about a third of the cider. Repeat until all the ingredients are combined.
Scrape into the prepared tin and bake for about 40-50 minutes, until the loaf has risen and a skewer plunged into the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes to cool, then carefully turn out on to a rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Store in an airtight container for up to three days. This can also be served warm as a pudding (preferably with custard or whipped cream).