Quick mix, no mess or fuss cakes to make with the option of three different flavourings

3-in-1 Easy-Mix Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cup self-raising flour
• 2 cup sugar
• 4 egg
• 4 tbs custard powder
• 250 g butter

Chocolate flavour

• 1 cup milk
• 3 tbs cocoa powder

Orange flavour

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 orange rind finely grated

Vanilla flavour

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

• Equipment

  • 1 baking paper
  • 1 frying pan
  • 1 pastry brush

  • Method

    • STEP 1Preheat oven to 180C.
    • STEP 2Grease and line a 23 cm square pan or 2 x 20 cm round cake pans.
    • STEP 3Place cake ingredients plus flavourings of choice into a large bowl. Beat with an electric beater for 5 minutes or until smooth, scraping down the sides.
    • STEP 4Spoon batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 45 minutes or until cooked.
    • STEP 5Turn out onto wire rack to cool and then top with icing of choice.

    • Notes

      Choose the cake you want by adding your selected flavour ingredients.
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This barbecue chicken and baked potato recipe is from my aunty which we all love.

Baked Potato with BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 barbecued cooked chicken deboned cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 kgs potato
• 600 mls cream
• 2 carrot large peeled coarsely grated
• 1 onion peeled sliced
• 1 cup shallots fresh sliced
• 3 pinches ground pepper fresh
• 3 pinches salt
• 1 cup dried breadcrumbs

• Equipment

  • baking dish

  • Method

    • STEP 1Preheat oven to 170C (fan forced). Peel potatoes and cut into thin slices.
    • STEP 2Grease the baking dish with butter and dust all sides and bottom with bread-crumbs.
    • STEP 3Layer potatoes, then season with salt and black pepper, top with a layer of chicken meat sprinkle with a little carrot, cut shallots and onion. Repeat the process until you use all ingredients. The last layer must be potatoes.
    • STEP 4Pour the thickened cream over the potatoes, cover with aluminum foil and place in preheated oven, bake for about 1 hours. Remove foil and cook for a further 30 minutes uncovered or until golden brown and the cream has evaporated.
    • STEP 5Serve on it's own or with vegetable salad.

    • Notes

      This recipe is very tasty and not expensive. I use the largest holes on the grater to grate the carrots. I use a 30 cm x 27 cm baking dish.

This is a recipe I made up when I couldn't find the packet mix I used to use.

Apricot Curry Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 tsp KEEN'S curry powder
• 1 tbs apricot jam
• 1 packet French onion soup mix
• 1 tbs sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 onion large thinly sliced
• 1 can apricot juice
• 6 chicken thighs

• Equipment

  • slow cooker

  • Method

    • STEP 1Mix all the ingredients together in a slow cooker and then add chicken and mix through.
    • STEP 2Cook on low for about 6 hours.

    • Notes

      I use thighs, but you can use other pieces or breasts cut up, you could also add carrots or other veggies.
      You can use 1 - 2 teaspoons curry powder - depending on your own taste.
      I use 4 - 8 chicken thighs for this recipe.

It's easy to cook, just add all ingredients and bake away! And the best part is it pretty healthy

Paleo Chocolate Ganache Cake

It's easy to cook, just add all ingredients and bake away! And the best part is it pretty healthy. Just restrain yourself from eating most of the cake when it comes out of the oven!

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1/3 cup raw cacao powder
• 150 g butter
• 100 g raw dark chocolate
• 4 eggs separated

Ganache

• 100 g raw dark chocolate
• 1 cup coconut cream

• Equipment

  • 1 22cm round cake pan
  • 1 bowl
  • 1 heatproof bowl
  • 2 saucepan
  • 1 electric mixer

  • Method

    • STEP 1Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius. Line a 22cm cake pan with baking paper.
    • STEP 2Mix the raw cacao powder and hot water in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
    • STEP 3In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove from heat.
    • STEP 4In a large mixing bowl, combine the the melted chocolate with the coconut sugar, almond meal and egg yolks. Stir until well combined.
    • STEP 5Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites in to the chocolate mix carefully until just mixed through.
    • STEP 6Transfer the batter in to the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
    • STEP 7To make the ganache, combine the raw chocolate and coconut cream in a small saucepan on low heat, stirring until smooth.
    • STEP 8To serve, drizzle the cake with chocolate ganache and add shredded coconut or raspberries.

    • Notes

      You can swap butter with coconut oil.

Lemon Lava Cakes

Decadent lemon cakes with runny lemon centers and topped with meringue. Impressive dessert to serve guests

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup thickened cream
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 4 tsp baking powder

Lemon syrup filling

• 3 lemons juiced
• 75 g butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 egg yolks

Meringue topping

• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar

• Equipment

  • 1 6-hole muffin pan
  • 1 electric beaters

  • Method

    • STEP 1Preheat oven to 160C and line a 6 hole muffin tray with cafe style muffin wraps. Alternatively, use 6 x 1 cup ramekins, greased well.
    • STEP 2Cream sugar and eggs. Whisk in cream until sugar is dissolved and mixture is thick and smooth.
    • STEP 3Stir in sifted flour and baking powder.
    • STEP 4Evenly distribute mixture into tray and bake for 25-30 minutes.
    • STEP 5Remove from tray and allow to cool.
    • STEP 6Lemon syrup filling: Heat the lemon juice and butter in a pan until bubbling.
    • STEP 7Add the sugar and eggs, whisking vigorously to prevent eggs cooking quickly and becoming lumpy. Continue to whisk until mixture thickens slightly.
    • STEP 8Remove from heat when texture is glossy and slightly thickened.
    • STEP 9Cut a hole in the centre of each cake and scoop out some of the cake mixture, retaining a portion for the lid. Pour in the lemon mixture and replace the lid.
    • STEP 10Meringue: Use a dry mixing bowl and electric beaters to beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar a little at a time, waiting for the sugar to dissolve before adding more.
    • STEP 11Continue to beat until the mixture is glossy and holds a firm peak.
    • STEP 12Using a piping bag or a tablespoon, put the meringue onto the top of each cake.
    • STEP 13Brown with a kitchen blow torch or alternatively, place under the grill for a minute or two until golden.

Easy Apple Pecan Croissants

These easy homemade croissants are a great way to use up old apples without the full baking shenanigans of an apple pie. They are also an impressive 'warm suggestion' for your next morning tea.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tbs butter melted
• 1/2 green apple
• 1/3 cup pecans chopped
• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 1 tbs cinnamon sugar

• Method

  • STEP 1Preheat oven to 180˚C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  • STEP 2In a bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
  • STEP 3Cut the half apple into eight slices. Toss the apple slices in the melted butter.
  • STEP 4Lay one pastry sheet on the bench and cut it in half. Cut each of those halves diagonally in half again, so that you have four long triangles. Repeat with the second sheet.
  • STEP 5Place one slice of apple on the base edge of one of the triangles. Sprinkle with the brown sugar mix and top with chopped pecans. Repeat for the remaining triangles.
  • STEP 6Roll each triangle from the base end toward the point and place on the prepared baking tray. Repeat with the remaining pieces until you have eight croissants on your tray.
  • STEP 7Brush the tops of the croissants with the melted butter you used to toss the apples in. Sprinkle the croissants with cinnamon sugar.
  • STEP 8Bake for 12 - 18 minutes until puffed and golden. Cool on a wire rack.

  • Notes

    You could also fill these with Nutella or custard if you want a sweeter version.
    Make sure you keep your puff pastry cold while you're not working with it. If it gets too warm, it won't puff in the oven

Custard powder isn't a standard ingredient for a cake, but this one is yummy - give it a try.

Custard Cake

Ingredients

• 125 g margarine
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 3 tbs custard powder
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1 pinch salt

• Equipment

  • 1 loaf pan

  • Method

    • STEP 1Preheat oven to 180C and grease a loaf pan.
    • STEP 2Melt margarine, put in large bowl, add all other ingredients and beat for 3 minutes.
    • STEP 3Pour mixture into prepared pan.
    • STEP 4Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.