Mother’s Day treats
ORANGE AND BLUEBERRY SYRUP CAKE
Serves 10 Prep + cook time 1½ hours • 125g butter, softened
• ½ cup (110g) castor sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1¾ cups (260g) self-raising flour
• ½ cup (125ml) yoghurt
• ½ cup (60ml) orange juice
• 1 cup (150g) frozen blueberries
• 1 tablespoon finely grated
orange rind
ORANGE SYRUP
• ¾ cup (165g) castor sugar
• ½ cup (125ml) orange juice
• ¼ cup (60ml) water
• 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan.
2. Grease a deep 20cm ring cake pan; line the base and sides with baking paper.
3. Beat the butter and sugar together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour and combined yoghurt and juice, in two batches. Stir in blueberries and rind until just combined.
4. Spread the mixture into the pan and bake for about 1 hour. Stand cake in pan for 5 minutes before turning, topside up, onto a wire rack over a tray.
5. Meanwhile, make the orange syrup. Pour the hot syrup over the hot cake.
ORANGE SYRUP
1. Stir the sugar, juice and water in a small saucepan over heat, without boiling, until the sugar dissolves.
2. Stir in the grated orange rind and simmer uncovered, and without stirring, for 5 minutes.
CITRUS BUTTER CAKE
Serves 12 Prep + cook time 1¾ hours • 250g butter, softened, chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
• 1½ cups (330g) castor sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1½ cups (225g) self-raising flour
• ½ cup (75g) plain flour
• ½ cup (125ml) orange juice
• ¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice
CANDIED CITRUS
• 1 cup (220g) castor sugar
• ½ cup (125ml) water
• 1 medium orange (240g), sliced thinly
• 1 medium lime (75g), sliced thinly
GLACÉ ICING
• 2 cups (320g) icing sugar
• ¼ cup (60ml) boiling water
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/ 140°C fan. Grease a deep 22cm round cake pan; line the base and sides with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl beat the butter, rind and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Fold in sifted flours and juices, in two batches. Spread the mixture in the pan.
3. Bake the cake for about 1¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand the cake in the pan for 10 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool.
4. Meanwhile, make the candied citrus. Stir the sugar and water in a large frying pan over low heat, without boiling, until the sugar dissolves. Add orange and lime slices and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, turning slices occasionally. Remove from heat and cool the slices on a wire rack.
5. To make the glacé icing. Sift icing sugar into a medium bowl; add the water, stir until smooth.
6. Drizzle the icing over the cold cake. Just before serving, top with candied citrus slices.
PASSION FRUIT MERINGUE CAKE
Serves 8 Prep + cook time 1 hour • 125g butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1¾ cup (385g) castor sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup (110g) self-raising flour
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• ¼ cup (80ml) milk
• 4 egg whites
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon castor sugar, extra
PASSION FRUIT CREAM
• 300ml thickened cream
• 250g mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons passion fruit pulp
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan. Grease two 22cm round springform pans. Line the base and sides with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter, vanilla extract and ¾ of a cup of the castor sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the combined sifted flours and milk, in two batches. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pans.
3. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until dissolved between additions, or until the mixture is thick and glossy. Spread the meringue over the cake
mixture in pans. In one pan, smooth the meringue; in the other pan, use the back of a spoon to peak the meringue, then sprinkle with extra sugar.
4. Bake cakes for 30 minutes or until cooked when tested. Cool in the pans.
5. Meanwhile, make the passion fruit cream.
6. Place the flat-meringue-topped cake on a platter; spread with passion fruit cream. Place the other cake, meringue-side up, on top. Serve topped with fresh passion fruit pulp, if you like.
LITTLE WHITE CHOCOLATE LAMINGTONS
Makes 32 Prep + cook time 1¼ hours • 250g butter, softened, chopped
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 11/3 cups (300g) castor sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup (150g) plain flour
• 2/3 cup (100g) self-raising flour
• 1 cup (120g) ground almonds
• 3 cups (210g) shredded coconut
WHITE CHOCOLATE ICING
• 1¾ cups (260g) white chocolate melts
• 1 cup (250ml) milk
• 5½ cups (880g) icing sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan. Grease a 20cm x 30cm slice pan; line the base and two opposite sides with a strip of baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter, almond extract, sugar and eggs with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in the sifted flours and ground almonds, in two batches. Spread the mixture into the pan and smooth the surface.
3. Bake the cake for 35 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched lightly in the centre. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. Cut the cake into 32 pieces and leave to cool.
4. Make the white chocolate icing. Stir the chocolate melts and milk in a small saucepan over low heat until smooth; transfer to a large bowl. Stir in sifted icing sugar until smooth.
5. Using a fork, dip the cake pieces one at a time into the icing until they’re completely coated; drain off excess icing and toss in coconut until well coated. Place the lamingtons on baking paper-lined wire racks; stand until icing is set.
MISSISSIPPI MUD CAKE
Serves 9 Prep + cook time: 1¾ hours This mud cake recipe comes from a long-gone Sydney restaurant of the 1980s called Jo-Jo’s. It’s a great recipe, not too muddy, just right – and possibly their most-requested dessert of all time. • 250g butter, chopped
• 150g dark chocolate, chopped coarsely
• 2 cups (440g) white sugar
• 1 cup (250ml) hot water
• 1/3 cup (80ml) whisky
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
• 1½ cups (225g) plain flour
• ¼ cup (35g) self-raising flour
• ¼ cup (25g) cocoa powder
• 2 eggs, beaten lightly
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, extra
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan. Grease a 23cm square cake pan; line the base and sides with baking paper.
2. Stir butter, chocolate, sugar, water, whisky and coffee in a medium saucepan over low heat until the mixture is smooth. Cool.
3. Stir sifted flours and cocoa into chocolate mixture, then egg. Pour the mixture into the pan.
4. Bake the cake for 1¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with moist crumbs attached. Leave to stand in the pan for 10 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool.
5. Serve dusted with extra cocoa; top with berries, if you like.