Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Grease and line a 40 x 30cm baking tin with baking paper. Set aside until needed.
Melt the butter and sugar together in a large saucepan over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Once cool, whisk in the eggs, buttermilk and rum, if using. Set aside.
Sift the cake flour, baking powder and spices together in a large bowl. Add the orange zest, wholewheat flour, toasted nuts, fruit-cake mix, mixed peel, marzipan, dried cranberries and cherries. Mix until well combined.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk mixture. Stir until just combined.
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking tin and bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool in the tin.
7 Remove the loaf from the tin and, using a serrated bread knife, cut the loaf into 50 strips, each measuring about 7cm . Arrange the rusks on baking trays and place them in the oven. Keeping the oven door ajar, set the temperature to 80˚C and leave the rusks to dry out, about 6 hours or overnight.
Store in an airtight container indefinitely.
By TheKateTin.com
Adapted from Originally created for Food & Home Entertaining Magazine
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Adapted from Originally created for Food & Home Entertaining Magazine
A Christmas showstopper; light eggnog sponge cakes layered with nutmeg buttercream and a white chocolate drip that makes these cakes look just like candles!
YES, IT’S CAKE!
Two weeks ago I posted these white chocolate candle cakes on my Instagram page and within hours it went viral! Which is not surprising because it was beautiful enough to grace the cover of the December issue of Food & Home Entertaining Magazine. It really is a beauty and I had so much fun making (and shooting) it – and I know you will too! Imagine putting this on the Christmas table as decor. Then, when it’s time for dessert, whip out the matches, light the candle cakes and watch your guests faces as you slice the candles for pudding! I do love a dessert that doubles as a centrepiece – check out this one or this one!
THE FLAVOURS
The sponge cake itself is super light – so take care when folding and sifting so you keep as much air as possible in it! The sponge is infused with cinnamon and other spices which are echoed in the nutmeg Swiss Meringue Buttercream. If you can, try get the whole nutmeg and grate it into the buttercream. The freshly grated nutmeg really makes it. Oh, and how could I forget the rum. There’s lots of rum! It’s Christmas, afterall. To make the ‘wax drip’ I simply melted my own baking white chocolate (did you know I launched my own range of chocolates?!) and piped it down the cake. Click HERE if you want to buy The Kate Tin White Baking Chocolate.
CAKE TINS
If you’re wondering what cake tins I used, I opted for a 15cm (my favourite size which you can get here) for the large candle and created 4 layers to make it nice and tall. For the smaller candles, I simply used tins! The larger tin was from some canned fruit I had lying around and the smaller tin was a bog standard tin of tomatoes. Tin cans make really great cake tins – just be sure to grease them thoroughly. So now you’ve saved the environment AND you get to eat cake. Boom!
Note: this recipe makes the 3 candles above – if you want to make just one candle, half the recipe below.
Dripping White Chocolate Candle Cake
2018-12-13 13:16:10
Serves 8
Dripping white chocolate “candle” cakes with eggnog sponge and nutmeg-rum buttercream icing
Print
0 calories
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
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Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
0g
Servings
8
Amount Per Serving
Calories0
Calories from Fat 0
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0g
0%
Saturated Fat 0g
0%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 0mg
0%
Total Carbohydrates 0g
0%
Dietary Fiber 0g
0%
Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A
0%
Vitamin C
0%
Calcium
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Iron
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* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
500g The Kate Tin White Baking Chocolate, melted, for dripping
3 x white birthday candles, wax trimmed off to reveal the wick, to decorate
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Grease and line 4 round cake tins (with a 15cm diameter and 5cm depth each), 1 x 900g tin can (with a diameter of 10cm) and 1 x 450g tin can (with a diameter of 7cm) with baking paper. Set aside until needed.
Place the whole eggs, egg yolks, vanilla essence and ½ of the white sugar in a glass/metal bowl.
Place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Stir constantly until the mixture reaches 48˚C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
Beat on high speed until the mixture thickens and reaches ribbon stage, about 1 minute. Set aside until needed.
In a separate bowl, combine the ground almonds, white bread flour and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
Place the 10 egg whites in the bowl of a hand-held/stand mixer. The bowl must be scrupulously clean and dry or the whites won’t reach full volume.
Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining ½ of the white sugar, beating continuously until incorporated well. Set aside.
Fold the almond mixture (from step 3) into the whipped whole-egg mixture (from step 2). Stir in the melted butter. Fold in the whipped egg whites.
Divide the batter among the prepared cake tins and tin cans, filling each cake tin and tin can ¾ of the way up to allow for rising during baking. Bake in the preheated oven until a skewer inserted into the centres of each of the cakes comes out clean, about 20 – 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and set aside to cool in the tins, about 5 minutes, before turning the cakes out on wire cooling racks to cool completely.
For the buttercream, place the 150g egg whites and castor sugar in a glass bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Using a whisk, gently stir the mixture until it reaches 60˚C on a sugar thermometer or until the mixture is hot to the touch. Be mindful not to aerate the mixture when stirring.
Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 10 – 15 minutes. While beating, add the unsalted butter one cube at a time, beating to incorporate each addition before adding the next. Add the rum and freshly grated nutmeg. Beat until incorporated well.
To assemble the cakes, start with the 4 largest sponges. Use a serrated bread knife to cut a very thin slice off the top of each cake to create a flat surface. Stack the cakes on top of one another, spreading a thick layer of the buttercream between each sponge. Use a spatula or palette knife to spread some of the buttercream over the outside of the cake. Set aside.
For the 2 smaller cakes, cut the sponges into 3 equal parts and cover with buttercream as mentioned in the previous step.
Place the melted chocolate (make sure it's not hot - room temperature is good) in a small piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle. Slowly pipe the chocolate down the sides of the cakes, creating a drip.
Wait 5 minutes for the chocolate to set before piping a second layer of drip onto each cake – to speed up this process, place the cakes in the freezer for a couple of minutes between piping a new layer of chocolate. The aim is to build up the drips until you’ve created a layered effect.
Carefully place each cake on a candlestick large enough to support its weight. Set aside.
Using a sharp knife, trim the wax off the birthday candles to reveal the wicks, leaving about 1cm of wax intact at the bottom of each candle.
Place 1 candle on top of each cake, pressing down until the 1cm of candlewax is pushed into the sponge. Light the wicks when ready to serve.
Notes
I used recycled jam tins for the smaller-sized cake moulds.
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Which is alarming because I swear it was Easter, like, yesterday! So if like me, you’re scrambling to decide what to make for Christmas dessert this year, I’ve rounded up my best Christmas dessert and baking recipes. From mince pies (which are gluten-free) to easy cheat’s almond croissants which are stuffed with fruit mince that will make the perfect Christmas morning treat, there’s also frozen desserts, edible gifts, no-bake desserts and even edible tree decorations! Click on the images below to take you to the recipes. What will you be making for Christmas dessert this year?
This Caramel Tiramisu Mousse Cake is made with layers of homemade ladyfingers soaked in espresso, a soft pillowy caramel mousse and finished with a shiny chocolate mirror glaze. A Christmas showstopper!
Whether you serve this Caramel Tiramisu Mousse Cake still a little frozen, semi-freddo style, or wait for it to turn into a soft, melt-in-the-mouth mousse, either way, it makes for a pretty impressive festive dessert. I’ve included a recipe for homemade ladyfinger biscuits purely because you can then make the layers round, but if you’d prefer taking a shortcut and using storebought, then go right ahead! I would then rather make it in a loaf tin than fight to make the finger biscuits fit. Use it, don’t use it.
The secret to getting the ultra smooth mirror glaze is to freeze the mousse cake. This not only makes it easier to unmould but means the glaze will cling to the frozen mousse and give a smooth finish. However, make sure your glaze is cool – 26 degrees celcius to be exact – otherwise it will melt the mousse and just slide off.
To make the finger biscuit layers, preheat the oven to 200˚C (180˚C fan-forced). Grease and line 3cm x 22cm cake tins (you can bake them one at a time if you only have one pan). Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form and gradually add the 75g castor sugar to form a meringue. Whip in the egg yolks, and fold in the cake flour and cornflour, taking care not to knock out the air. Add to a piping bag and pipe 3 concentric circles. Dust with a layer of icing sugar and bake, 8 – 10 minutes, until puffed and golden. Allow to cool before unmoulding.
Make the espresso syrup by dissolving the 30ml (2 tbsp) sugar in the hot espresso and allow to cool.
For the mascarpone mousse, beat the 3 large eggs with an electric mixer until pale and thick. The mixture should leave a trail. Soften the 3 gelatine sheets in water. Prepare a caramel by heating the white sugar in a frying pan until it turns golden and caramelised. Deglaze the caramel with the 50ml cold water and salt and boil until it reaches 121˚C (use a sugar thermometer). Add the gelatine to the hot caramel, then add it gradually into the egg yolks, while beating. Whip until the mixture is cool to the touch and thick, about 10 minutes. In the meantime, gradually add the fresh cream to the mascarpone, until thick and smooth. Fold this into the cooled egg mixture.
Assemble the cake by placing a finger biscuit layer into the bottom of a 22cm lined springform cake tin. Brush with the espresso syrup until soaked. Dust generously with cocoa powder. Pour over half of the mascarpone mousse. Dust with cocoa powder again. Repeat with the finger biscuit layer, syrup, cocoa and more mousse, finishing it off with the final biscuit layer and a thin layer of mousse. Freeze the cake until firm, about 4 hours.
For the mirror glaze, in a saucepan, combine the 125ml (½ cup) water, 250ml (1 cup) sugar, fresh cream and cocoa powder. Simmer, about 5 minutes, until mixture slightly thickens. Soften the 4 gelatine sheets in water and add to the hot glaze. Set over an ice bath and whisk until the glaze thickens and reaches about 26˚C, about 1 minute.
Unmould the frozen mousse cake, by using a hair dryer on a low hot setting to gently warm the pan and unmould easily. Set the cake on a small cake tin on top of a baking tray. Pour the glaze over, all at once, so it runs down the sides. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
To serve, decorate the cake with hazelnut chocolates, macarons and gold dust.
Notes
TIP To make gold paint to splatter the cake with, mix 15ml (1 tbsp) gold dust with 5ml (1 tsp) vodka or vanilla extract.
STORAGE The entire cake can be made 2 – 3 days before, freeze it and allow to defrost in the fridge before serving.
By TheKateTin.com
Adapted from Created for Food & Home Entertaining Magazine
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A buttery shortcrust pastry filled with homemade fruit mince and topped with a chewy coconut meringue – introducing the South African Mince Pie Hertzoggie!
SPONSORED
South African Christmas Desserts
Mince pie hertzoggies are the mince pies we should’ve had here in South Africa. At least that’s what I think! Every Christmas I take it as my duty to put a South African spin on some very European traditions that we’ve adopted. I’ve made this No-Bake Christmas Pudding which is actually a fridge cake in disguise, these Gingerbread Beach Huts which look like the colourful Muizenberg huts and this Milk Tart Eclair Trifle with Pinotage Jelly and Naartjie Caramel.
Christmas isn’t Christmas without a Christmas pudding, a gingerbread house, trifle or mince pies. But at least we can make it our own, right?!
Hertzoggies
If you don’t know what a hertzoggie is, it’s a local South African tart filled with jam (usually apricot) and finished with a chewy coconut meringue topping. They are sweet, buttery and incredibly moreish! So instead of the usual jam filling, I filled my mince pie hertzoggies with fruit mince. But not just any fruit mince.
Homemade Fruit Mince
I used Food Lover’s Market’s Luxury Festive Cake Mix as the base of my very own homemade fruit mince. It’s so easy to make you’ll wonder why you’ve been buying the horrid bottled stuff all along. If you’re not a fruit mince fan, then it’s only because you probably haven’t tasted the good stuff. It’s so easy to make and delicious – especially if you use a really excellent quality fruit cake mix. The Red Bucket has been around for 23 years for a reason. It is loaded with dried fruit and has nuts and chopped glazed fruit already in it so it’s packed with flavour and half the work has already been done. At R69.99 for 1kg it’s also really affordable.
If you’re more of a Christmas cake person, check out the indulgent Chocolate Mousse Fruit Cake I made for Food Lover’s Market last year that was a total hit!
Mince Pie Hertzoggies
2018-11-08 17:22:12
Yields 14
The South African jam tart topped with coconut meringue gets a festive Christmas spin and is filled with a homemade fruit mince.
Print
Prep Time
40 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 40 min
Prep Time
40 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 40 min
6530 calories
942 g
538 g
289 g
63 g
173 g
1815 g
3605 g
563 g
8 g
98 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
1815g
Yields
14
Amount Per Serving
Calories6530
Calories from Fat 2506
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 289g
445%
Saturated Fat 173g
866%
Trans Fat 8g
Polyunsaturated Fat 21g
Monounsaturated Fat 77g
Cholesterol 538mg
179%
Sodium 3605mg
150%
Total Carbohydrates 942g
314%
Dietary Fiber 35g
138%
Sugars 563g
Protein 63g
Vitamin A
139%
Vitamin C
84%
Calcium
51%
Iron
120%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
250g Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and grated
1/2 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
200g Food Lovers Market Luxury Fruit Cake Mix
2 tbsp (25g) mixed peel or chopped crystallized fruit
30g cherries
¼ cup (55g) pecan nuts, toasted
1 tbsp brandy
COCONUT MERINGUE TOPPING
4 egg whites
1 cup (230g) castor sugar
2 cups (155g) desiccated coconut
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees celsius with a large metal baking tray on the middle rack. Grease 2 x 12-hole muffin tins.
To make the fruit mince, heat the orange juice and brown sugar until dissolved.
Add all ingredients except the brandy and cook for 40 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the brandy and allow to cool.
To make the pastry, combine dry ingredients in a mixer and gradually add the butter until the shortbread comes together. Dust a surface with flour and roll the pastry out to 5mm thick.
Cut out rounds big enough to line your muffin tin.
Place a spoonful of the fruit mince into each pastry cup.
Whisk the egg whites until soft peak stage then beat in the castor sugar until thick and glossy. Fold in the coconut. Place in a piping bag and pipe meringue to cover the top of the fruit mince.
Bake in the preheated oven on top of the preheated baking tray for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool in the tin before removing and dusting with icing sugar.
Pile the hertzoggies high on a cake stand and decorate with spun sugar and sparklers.
Notes
Roll out the leftover pastry and cut out stars. Bake them and use to decorate your tower of mince pies.
It’s not Christmas without a gingerbread house, right?! Introducing the Funfetti Gingerbread House! Without really planning it, making a gingerbread house has become a bit of a tradition on this blog. I’ve done a Gingerbread Train, a Gingerbread house cake, and then we had the local ‘n lekker version of my Muizenberg Beach Huts last year! This year though, I was challenged to make a pretty pastel sprinkle-loaded Funfetti Gingerbread House of fun by the folks over at Stork. And yes, this was as fun to make as it looks!
This is no dark and spicy gingerbread, though. It’s light and crisp with just a hint of ginger. Using Stork Bake for the base means that the biscuits will stay fresher for longer – so you can actually eat the house! It’s not just a decoration, guys! Because the biscuit dough is loaded with funfetti, I kept the walls naked to show off the little bursts of colour. The trick to making a house that actually stands is to cut the gingerbread AFTER you’ve baked it, not before. If you cut the dough before, it will warp either during baking or when you move it onto the baking tray. Cutting it afterwards means you’ll have sharp, crisp lines that will make assembly so much easier!
Then, it’s all in the decorating! I used white chocolate drops to form the roof tiles, marshmallow strips and milky jelly tots to trim the walls – and how cute are those jelly heart windows? *faints* I’d definitely want to live in a house like this… Although, knowing me, I’d be homeless pretty soon with such delectable walls!
Feeling inspired to bake this Funfetti Gingerbread house? Or maybe you have your own festive recipe that’s a family favourite! Whip it up using Stork Bake and share a picture on the I Love Baking SA Facebook Page and you could WIN a Kenwood Mixer! Do it, go now!
Variety of sweets, lollies, candy canes, mini meringues and sprinkles
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C (or 160 degrees celcius if using a fan-forced oven). Download and print a gingerbread house template from the internet (whichever shape takes your fancy) and cut out the pieces. Cream the Stork Bake and sugar until very pale and fluffy – about 6-8 minutes. Add the flour, ginger, vanilla, salt, sprinkles, bicarbonate of soda and enough milk to form a soft dough. Roll the dough out on a floured surface or between two sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes if too soft. Place the entire large piece of gingerbread dough on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and, while still hot, cut out the gingerbread house templates using a sharp knife.* Set aside to cool.
To make the royal icing, whisk the egg white gently then add the icing sugar until a stiff paste forms. Add the lemon juice. The icing should be quite thick. Place the icing in a piping bag and snip off the tip.
To assemble, use the front side of the gingerbread so you can see the funfetti. Start by piping the gingerbread pieces to the bottom of your cake stand or serving board and then add the roof. Use the icing to pipe on the various decorations – roof tiles, doorway and ‘grass’.
*TIP If the gingerbread gets hard, simply pop it in the oven for a few minutes to soften up.
