One of my colleagues who has been with the business for over 10 years is taking sabbatical tomorrow and travelling to Spain and Morocco and having some 'me' time. So I created this colourful cake for her to celebrate her last day! No doubt it will be filled with an extended lunch and cake and not much else! ;)

I'd LOVE to cut into this one to show you - it's orange sponge, chocoolate sponge, almond meringue, jaffa mousse, more meringue and sponge and topped with strawberries, blueberries, grapes, pistachios and rose petals!

Speaking of which... yes! It looks like the Black Star Watermelon Cake but it's not! I'm going to make that one soon though! Watch this space!

4 birthday celebration event!

We rather like it, do you? Sort of garden meets bouquet meets butterflies meets sunflowers meets fresh grass. And it was a really summery cake with mangoes and strawberries, nectarines and kiwi and lashings of whipped cream between a triple layer of sponge.

We're back and we're in business! After a short trip to London (all part of an educational on Gingerbread and Gingerbread people, houses, trees, etc), we're ready for another year here! :-)

And new month, new week, new order.

Taking advantage of summer and the season's fruits, was asked to make a Mango Mousse cake for 2 birthdays.

Three layers of sponge, 3 layers of mousse and topped with freshly sliced mangoes and chilled until set. Doesn't take as long as one might expect although mango slices are fiddly and slippery and temperamental!

Looking forward to orders to come in the following months!

Yield 1 x 10-inch round

Ingredients:
5 eggs
1 C flour
1 C icing sugar
2 T cornflour
1 t baking powder
1 t vanilla
1 t coffee essence
2 T instant coffee, dissolved
pinch of salt

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line cake tin with baking paper.
2. Sift flours, baking powder and salt at least 3 times.
3. Beat eggs and sugar until very thick and increase in volume, about 5-10 minutes.
4. Add vanilla, coffee and coffee essence and beat until combined.
5. Gently fold in sifted flours so as not to let air escapte.
6. Pour mixture into tin and bake 30-40 minutes until skewer comes out clean.
7. Cool in tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Cut into 3-4 layers.

Filling:
600 mL thickened cream
1 t coffee essence
1-2 t instant coffee, dissolved
1/4 C icing sugar

Method
1. Beat sugar and cream until whipped.
2. Beat in coffee essence and instant coffee until combined.
3. Spread over layers and decorate.

Yield 1 x 10-inch round

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 C icing sugar
3/4 C flour
3 T cocoa
2 T cornflour
1 t baking powder
1 t vanila
pinch of salt

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line cake tin with baking paper.
2. Sift flours, baking powder and icing sugar at least 3 times.
3. Beat eggs on high speed until very thick (stiff ripples in bowl) and increased in volume (at least 5 minutes). Beat in vanilla.
4. Gently sift in dry ingredients and combine.
5. Pour mixture into cake tin.
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Filling:
600mL thickened cream
1/4 C icing sugar
1 C maraschino cherries (or canned cherries), juices reserved
2 T lime juice
2 T sugar

Method
1. To make the syrup, combined sugar, lime and cherry juice in a small saucepan and simmer until thick. Remove from heat.
2. Put aside some cherries for garnish and chop remaining cherries.
3. Beat cream and icing sugar until whipped.
4. Assemble cake by brushing bottom layer with syrup followed by a layer of whipped cream and chopped cherries. Repeat on remaining layers.
5. Dress cake with remaining cream and garnish.

Yield 1 x 10-inch

Ingredients:

3/4 C flour
3 T cornflour
3 t baking powder
1/2 C icing sugar
1/4 C oil
1/4 C water
2 T orange juice
4 eggs, separated
zest of 1 orange
pinch of salt

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line a 10-inch tin with baking paper.
2. Sift flour, cornflour, icing sugar, baking powder and salt at least 3 times until light and airy.
3. Combine oil, water, juice and yolks in a clean bowl. Slowly sift in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
5. Gently fold egg whites into yolk mixture until just combined.
6. Pour mixture into prepared cake tin and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cake should be done when it springs back lightly when touched.
7. Allow to cook in tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
8. When cooled completely, cut into 3 layers.

Filling:
600 mL thickened
1/2 C ground almonds
1/4 C icing sugar

Method
1. Whip cream and sugar.
2. Fold in almonds.
3. Spread on layers to sandwich cake together.
4. Dress cake as desired.*

*A dark chocolate ganache topping compliments the orange flavours perfectly.

Yield 1 x 9-inch round

Ingredients
1/3 C flour
1/3 C S.R. flour
2 T cornflour
3/4 C sugar
6 eggs, room temperature, separated
1/2 t cream of tartar
2 T butter, melted

Method

1. Grease cake tin and line base with baking paper. Sift flours at least three times. Preheat oven to 170 degrees.
2. Beat egg yolks and 1/2 C sugar until thick and glossy. Gently blend in butter to mix thoroughly.
3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites whilst gradually adding remaining 1/2 C sugar and cream of tartar until peaks form.
4. Gradually sift flour mixture over egg yolk mixture until combined well.
5. Gently fold in egg whites into egg yolk mixture until incorporated thoroughly.
6. Pour the batter into cake tin and bake for 30-40 minutes. Cake should spring back lightly when touched.
7. Let cool in open with door ajar for 15 minutes before cooling completely and cut into 2 or 3 layers.

Consider baking this cake in two separate tins.