Q: I had a very easy recipe for an apple cake – using fresh apples and equal parts of flour/sugar/milk, some eggs etc. Basically just thrown everything together. Do you have a recipe that i could try out?

A: We Have this recipe that we do at Wickedfood Cooking School in our Kitchen Skills Class, from this basic recipe, by adding a few simple ingredients, flavoured cakes can be made. This mixture is also ideal for cup cakes – spray the cup cake containers, place in muffin pans and fill each cup cake container three quarters. For an apple cake try slicing the apple’s very thin and line the bottom of a greased cake tin with them and once the cake is cooked turn it out, Or try grating the apples and mix them into the batter.

 

Basic hot milk sponge cake recipe

This basic sponge cake is quick and easy to make, but remember to measure your ingredients accurately. Ingredients below are for a 20cm round cake.

BasicS4 2 cups (280g) cake flour
 Pinch salt
1T baking powder

4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup + 3T (250g) castor sugar
1t vanilla essence

1 cup milk
100g butter

1/2 cup jam (smooth apricot and strawberry jams are the best)
Icing sugar for dusting

  1. Heat the oven to 180°C (190°C). Grease 2 x 20cm x 4cm deep round cake tins and line the bases with wax paper.
  2. Combine the milk and butter in a saucepan and heat to melt the butter (do not boil).
  3. Place the eggs, sugar, vanilla essence into a bowl and beat very well until thick and pale.
  4. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into the egg mixture and fold in.
  5. Stir the milk mixture into the egg/flour mixture.
  6. Divide the mixture between the 2 tins and level out. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for ±25-30 minutes. Remember not to open the oven door for the first 20 minutes.
  7. To test if the cake is cooked, touch the centre of each cake lightly with your finger, if it leaves no impression and springs back, they are ready, if not leave for another 5 minutes and test again.
  8. Remove the cakes from the oven and leave them for 5 minutes in the pans to settle. Turn out onto a wire cooling rack and carefully peel off the wax paper. Leave the cakes to cool completely before adding fillings.
  9. Spread the jam over one layer and carefully place the other layer on top. Dust with icing sugar.

Makes 1 cake

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs Johannesburg cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). This team building venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.