A world with more cake - November

Following on from the success of the a world with more cake October auction which raised $65 for The Heart Lung Transplant Trust Victoria its time to auction off another cake. 

It is impossible not to be saddened and sickened by the situation that is happening to the 600+ people on Manus Island, yes people, not just words like"refugees"or "illegals" but people like you and me.

When I was a kid I believed that when people were in need Australia just picked up tools and came to the rescue, that's what being Australian meant. 

I dread to think how kids growing up now will remember aspects of current Australia.

This month the cake to be auctioned is my strawberry and black pepper cake with the proceeds going to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
The auction will close on the 11/11/17 

The Rules:

• Bid by making a comment with your maximum bid 
• Cake pickup/deliver is only melbourne based
• Cake will be baked after auction and exchange time has been arranged to ensure freshness
• Bids will be displayed in the comments below
• Payment is via paypal

Sadly this cake didn't have the same interest as the previous auction aka ZERO so as they say in the classics if you want something done do it yourself! $211.37 donated to ASRC.

Strawberry and black pepper cake

I created this cake for episode 12 of Refreshments Provided, our cake episode, we had three cakes!

With a few punnets of strawberries in the fridge I wanted an interesting flavour combo that was not only different but delicious. 

Initially trying balsamic vinegar which I found to acidic I opted for black pepper.

Thankfully Carly was quite impressed with this cake during the episode and I really like the combination of the sweet fruit and the warmth from the pepper.

Strawberry and black pepper cake
Ingredients

• 500g strawberries
• 2 tbsp cracked black pepper 
• 240g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs ( 4 from my girls delivers about 277g)
• 250ml milk
• 180g unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
• 400g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C
• Line a 23cm springform cake tin with baking paper
• Top and half the strawberries and add to a bowl
• Add 20g of caster sugar and 1tsp of black pepper to the strawberries
• Line the base of the cake tin with strawberries cut side up
• Roughly chop any remaining strawberries and add to the flour
• Add remaining sugar and eggs to large mixing bowl
• Beat with electric beaters till thick and fluffy about 5 minutes
• Add milk, cooled melted butter, flour, baking powder, vanilla and remaining black pepper
• Beat till combined
• Gently pour over the strawberries into the cake tin
• Bake at 180°C for 55-60 minutes
• Leave in the cake tin to cool for 10 minutes
• Gently remove from cake tin and cool on a wire rack, strawberry side up
• Lightly dust with icing sugar and serve

Providing refreshments rhubarb and ginger cake

We all know how much I love a project (just the one?) so for the past few months I've been having great fun on a new venture with my mate Carly Findlay.

Refreshments Provided is a podcast where Carly and I get to talk about pop culture, what we've been streaming or reading and what's been happening in our kitchens.

While the conversation always comes back to food we also tackle some of life's more meaty subjects as we try to make sense of it all or just accept that sometime we don't have a clue.

We have had the occasional guest ranging from "Candice" our first guest who asked us for directions to the toilet to theatre producer Kath Duncan and media personality Osher Günsberg.

Each episode as well as catching up on the goss we of course have a delicious refreshment provided....I wonder how long it will be till people discover this whole project is just an excuse for Carly and I to catch up and eat! 

I'd love to hear what you think of the show.

This cake is the cover art of the podcast and is a great combination of sweet, tart and sharp (possibly just like the podcast) 

Rhubarb and ginger cake
Ingredients

• 250g softened unsalted butter
• 225g golden caster sugar
• 250g self raising flour
• 1tsp ground ginger
• 1tsp baking powder
• 4 large eggs
• 100g glace/crystalised ginger roughly chopped  (plus extra to garnish)
• 250g stewed rhubarb*

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C
• This is an all in one mix
• Add all ingredients except the ginger and rhubarb to a large mixing bowl
• Beat together to combine for a couple of minutes
• Stir in rhubarb and ginger
• Add batter to lined cake tin
• Bake at 180°C for 55-60 minutes
• Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes
• Completely cool on a wire rack
• Cover with icing and extra ginger

Cream cheese icing

Ingredients

• 250g cream cheese (full fat)
• 200g icing sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

• Beat together till smooth and not grainy (can be 20 minutes so a stand mixer is a good friend)

*I stew a bunch of rhubarb cut into 5cm chunks with about 1tbs of sugar and juice of 1 lemon in a fry pan over medium heat for about 10 minutes. 

There will be some left over for breakfast with yogurt.

Carly isn't a fan of icing which just means I get her's!!!

Chow Down to Eurovision 2016 - Dami Im Answering The Call With Cake

Its a very special day in Stockholm with the first on stage rehearsal for Australia in Eurovision 2016. Dami Im has been sensational at the live performances I've seen, so I can't wait to see what she has in store the Eurovision stage. 

SBS and the #DamiArmy have been asking Australia to answer the call but you know when Julia Zemiro declares they are going to need more catering it's my cue to get on board.

The Chow Down to Eurovision has featured many dishes inspired by Eurovision songs but the only other dish created specifically for a single performer is the Conchita's Phoenix Linzer Torte and well we all know what happened to Conchita....#JustSaying

The security guards at EuroClub have told me how much they love the new Carpenters album, so let's hope that translates into votes!

This outfit is the "going to the ball puffy dress" version of the dress Dami wore in the tv commercial. 

With Eurovision rules you can only have 6 people on stage......how many if they are made of cake?

After 11 shops this was the only doll I found that wasn't blonde!

Should have gone to ebay as they had a great diversity of dolls.

The base of the cake is a dense chocolate cake and then there is a whole army, or should I say DamiArmy, of fondant!

Wishing Dami Im the best time in Eurovision 2016. We are all behind you!

For the ultimate in Eurovision party food, which contestant from this year would you most like to have as a cake?

Boxing Day, Birthdays and Leftovers...

Now if you believe social media and really who wouldn't believe such a credible source? Boxing Day is all about left overs!

Leftover cold meat on toast, leftover pavlova for breakfast, leftover wine when clearing the glasses from the table....too far?

Boxing Day isn't only about leftovers it's also about birthdays, well a birthday, mine!

People often comment that it must be awful to have a birthday so close to Christmas well in reality if it was the choice of that or not being born, I'm happy Jesus and I are neighbours.

I've never had a problem with the timing, I managed to avoid all bar 2 birthday parties as a kid (I've always been very social)

The biggest being a surprise party for my 18th and I'll try not to sound ungrateful but surprise parties are what you do to people you hate!

No good can come from a surprise party, the guest of honour has no input into venue, timing, guest list, food, or theme. 

Let's us travel back a few years....OK a few more...

I liked the idea of getting paid to walk so at 17 I'd deliver the junk mail around the neighborhood, crap money but at least I got some air. 

My 18th began as I arrived home from a delivery, sweaty, smelling and in a hideous yet appropriate walking outfit to be greeted by about 30 of my year 12 school "friends".

Sometimes wishing for death is not enough....

I learnt two important lessons that night 

1. Alcohol can be a saviour to get you through such situations 
2. Having West Coast Cooler as the only alcohol available is like throwing an ice cube on a fire

I thought this was going to be a lighthearted YAY birthdays post but I may have some issues I still need to work through......OK onto the food!

I've written about my ultimate birthday cake but this year I wanted to be totally on trend and challenged myself to do a leftovers cake!

While it is more a tart than a cake, it did have a candle, someone sang and I blow it out so it counts!

My Boxing Day Favourites Leftover Tart was a fly by the seat of your pants experimental tart so there isn't a recipe, but I'll talk you through what I did. 

Christmas is my Favourites time of the year and wouldn't be complete without chocolate money.

I'm sure you have one or 2 boxes in your house right now?

Leftover pastry from making mince tarts

Blind baked at 200°C for about 15 minutes 

The filled chocolates I chopped up and left the solid ones whole. 

I left the cherry ripe in even though I can't said it, I should have left it out...ewwww.

I added about 200ml of cream to the chocolate which would have been about 600g in total

I bake at 180°C for about 15-20 mins and then stirred to combine cream.

I had some leftover almonds and cashews from making the incredibly moreish spicy nuts from Annabel Crabb's Special Delivery that I was given for Christmas. 

They of course become praline.....salted naturally

Leftover cream, slices of a chocolate coin, wrapping paper, old streamers, candle and plaque and we are ready to get this party started.  

This is the an absolute die hard sweet tooth's dream, I get the feeling the diabetes won't be leftover but brand spanking new!

It's too sweet for me so next year i'm already planing to make my cake out of left over chicken nuggets....

Apart from the cherry ripe all the flavours and textures come together to create a tart that will have you bouncing till next Boxing day, you might even be on enough of a sugar high to enjoy a surprise party!*

*you won't because no good can ever come from a surprise party

Let's Get Technical - Great British Bake Off 2015 Cake Week

As we head into the fifth technical challenge of this year's Great British Bake Off I remember that I hadn't posted the challenge here for anyone who hasn't been following along on Twitter.

This year there is also the option of Facebook and Instagram and even a bit of periscope.

The challenge kicks off at 3pm AEST 

Week one was cake week and I managed to complete Mary Berry's Frosted Walnut Layer Cake with time to spare, though in hindsight that time could have gone into more cooling of the sponges and decoration.

Given that it's the Great British Bake Off I thought I should dress for the occasion, thankfully I did have this left over from a royal guard production of Dreamgirls.  

Ok a frosted walnut cake, sure why not? #lets_get_technical #GBBO #extraslice pic.twitter.com/OGNqpqJTLX

— dontboilthesauce (@dbtsauce) August 9, 2015

On your mark, get set, BAKE!!!!! #lets_get_technical #GBBO #extraslice pic.twitter.com/028g62qAAh

— dontboilthesauce (@dbtsauce) August 9, 2015

So that's the walnuts, fine, not mighty fine just fine #lets_get_technical #GBBO #extraslice pic.twitter.com/MFnSO7aq10

— dontboilthesauce (@dbtsauce) August 9, 2015

Cakes are in, now onto the caramel... #lets_get_technical #GBBO #extraslice pic.twitter.com/CVfahdS0T9

— dontboilthesauce (@dbtsauce) August 9, 2015

Cakes out now just to cool in time to stack! #lets_get_technical #GBBO #extraslice pic.twitter.com/yUg4Urs4Md

— dontboilthesauce (@dbtsauce) August 9, 2015

The fifty shades of caramel 

Ok stop taking photo's or it will be burnt! 

Walnuts done, I'm worried we have a bit of foot going on!! #lets_get_technical #GBBO #extraslice pic.twitter.com/NaBjkSx2VF

— dontboilthesauce (@dbtsauce) August 9, 2015

25 to go, come on icing! #lets_get_technical #GBBO #extraslice pic.twitter.com/23avplvRXy

— dontboilthesauce (@dbtsauce) August 9, 2015

Stacked and ready to get frosty! #lets_get_technical #GBBO #extraslice pic.twitter.com/jItv7OEYv5

— dontboilthesauce (@dbtsauce) August 9, 2015

So that's #lets_get_technical number one done & frosted with time to spare? What have I done wrong? #GBBO #extraslice pic.twitter.com/ja2QYhW9eE

— dontboilthesauce (@dbtsauce) August 9, 2015

Almost forgot my cut shot! #lets_get_technical #GBBO #extraslice pic.twitter.com/6trlVMZVL0

— dontboilthesauce (@dbtsauce) August 9, 2015

I must remember more time cooling = much prettier layers  

If you're a @BritishBakeOff fan and you don't follow @dbtsauce you're doing twitter wrong #lets_get_technical https://t.co/mVHAg3tJQp

— Lucy (@tea4lucy) August 9, 2015

It's lovely having fans, thanks Lucy!  

Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Belarus

Hello this is Minsk calling....all together now I Love Belarus! 

You all know how much I love Belarus in Eurovision ever since the amazing Angelica Agurbash! 

Dmitry Koldun was the first to work magic on the voters and see Belarus in a Eurovision Song Contest Final. 

Work Your Magic not only made it to the 2007 final but also did incredibly well placing 6th. 

I also Love Belarus for having a dish that is a vegetable made out of chocolate and cake. 

Pirozhnoe Kartoshka (potato pastries) make 40-50

Ingredients

• 500g vanilla cake*
• 200g dark chocolate
• 50g butter
• 300g sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tbsp. liqueur (white creme de cocoa)
• Pinch of salt
• Cocoa
• Slivered almonds to decorate

Method

• Put the cake in food processor and pulse to "cakecrumbs"
• In a double boiler melt the chocolate and butter
• Add the cake crumbs, melted chocolate, butter, condensed milk, liqueur and salt to a mixing bowl
• Bring all the ingredients together to form a moist dough
• Shape the dough into little potato shapes (mine are inspired by the kipfler)
• Place on a lined baking tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes
• Coat pastries in cocoa
• Decorate with slivered almond for the eye of the potatoes

These are ridiculously easy to make and will be the hit of any Eurovision party. I can see myself making a few batches in Vienna to keep the energy levels up or feed any passing artists that may want to have a chat. 

A variation I want to try is using the condensed milk after it had been boiled in the tin to make a caramel then add some more salted for that crowd favourite, salted caramel. 

Not the most appetising look...but give theme Time (I know what I did there)

That is one mighty tasty bag of potatoes! 

I made the cake as follows but shop-bought cake would do if you are happy for your friends and family to know you don't care about them enough to make from scratch..... (I'm kidding, don't send letters!)

Vanilla Cake

Ingredients

• 150g butter
• 150g sugar
• 150g self raising flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Method

• Beat all ingredient together into a smooth batter
• Pour into a greased 20 cm cake tin
• Bake at 180 for 35-40 mins 

It's been 11 years but Belarus will again send a duet again to Eurovision. Time will be performed by Uzari on vocals and Maimuna on violin.

The duo complement each other brilliantly, Uzari's vocal expansions are accentuated brilliantly by Maimuna's violin gymnastics.  

In this busy world of technology where an hour now seems like a minute the song rings true that Time is ticking away as loudly as thunder.

 In 2015 I again have a reason to sing I Love Belarus, I just hope there is Time to sing it twice!

Past Belarus Chow Down to Eurovision:

2014 Belarus Cheesecake of course!

2013 Love Me Tonight Draniki 

Let's Get Technical - Great British Bake Off Series 5 Cake Week

 

Firstly I should apologise for the title of this series because Let's Get Technical fits perfectly to ONJ's Let's Get Physical.....and will be stuck in your head for days.

 

Let me hear Mary Berry talk! (warned you)

 

The Great British Bake Off started again this week for a 5th series which means my obsession will be flamed for another 11 weeks.

 

Previously I've written about my love of the Bake Off in all it's international guises in these posts: My Own Private Bake Off, My Bake Off Birthday and 200 Odd Years And Still Pinching Bread.

The main reason for my enjoyment of Bake Off is that it is a show based on skill rather than personality, bitchy tactics, or relying on family tragedy to have a good enough back story so the audience can cry through and forget that you're actually a bit rubbish at cooking.

I have learnt so much just from listening to the judge's critics, the baker's explain their methods and seeing the successfully and sometimes not successful results.

Though the best way to learn is with practice so over the next few weeks I'm going to be baking the technical challenges that are in the show each week.

I of course have the massive advantage of seeing the show first, having the recipe, and not having a camera crew just waiting to see my every mistake. I will stick to the time limit that is allocated in the challenges and if you follow me on twitter @dbtsauce you will be able to follow the bake in real time. (Sunday afternoons)

I'll then photograph the result, good, bad or ugly, it will be honest but let's hope there's no major disaster...

The first challenge was Mary Berry's Classic Cherry Cake (recipe here)

I do love Mary Berry, but hate glace cherries though I soldiered on.

So with two hours on the clock all that was needed was for someone to yell:
On your mark, get set, BAKE! (ok I did it and I'm not ashamed either)

Oh Mary why?? ewwww I hate glace cherries, even just touching them.

I suspect I was a little heavy handed with greasing the tin which I think has made it darker.

 

It did just slide out of the tin though.....and almost onto the floor.

 

Those icing lines aren't even, Paul won't be happy!

It's all about your cherries being suspended....

 My nuts are quite large as I'd forgotten flaked almonds so flaked some whole almonds myself

 

 Well if I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it properly!

 

And amazingly my cake was ranked number one, ok it was the only one but work with me here.

 

The verdict is I'm quite happy with this as a first attempt at this cake. I think it's quite achievable in the time frame but would be so much better without those vile glace cherries!

 

So that's one technical challenge down, let's see what biscuit week brings??

 

Have you been baking this weekend? Have you tried Mary's Cherry Cake?

If you need more cake and well the answer to that is always yes,  Lucy at Supergolden Bakes is hosting My Great #GBBO BAKE ALONG