Celebrate Cake Day on 26 November 2021 with four fabulous recipes from Capsicum Culinary Studio alumni.
Cakes are arguably one of the most delicious baked goods that humans have ever made to eat, and the vast number of recipes and types of cake available continue to amaze. Not to mention the surfeit of hugely popular TV series such as Great British Bake Off, Buddy Valastro’s Cake Boss and Cake Wars..
It is obvious that the cake is more than deserving of its own commemoration – Cake Day, which is observed every year on 26 November each year.
The first cakes – called plakous, were made in Ancient Greece and consisted of flour mixed with eggs, milk, nuts, and honey. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the word cake back to the 13th century and was derived from the Viking word kaka.
Whether chocolate or carrot, cheesecake or red velvet, pretty much everyone enjoys a slice of cake – so we asked four Capsicum Culinary Studio alumni – all of whom are making waves in the baking world – to share their favourite cake recipe.
Khashifah Ismail’s Decadent Chocolate Cake
Durban campus alumnus Khashifah Ismail runs her own cake making company, Pastry by Hatice (Instagram: @pastry_by_hatice). She caters for all occasions.
Ingredients
250g soft margarine
1½ cups castor sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp baking powder
4 tbs cocoa powder
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla essence
400g dark chocolate, chopped
400ml whipping cream
2 tbs butter
Method
Pre-heat oven to 180°C and place a rack in the centre. Line two 20cm x 20cm square pans with baking paper. Place the margarine and sugar in a bowl and using a hand-held beater with a paddle attachment, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat between each egg. Add the vanilla essence and mix until all ingredients are well combined.
In a large bowl, sieve together the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing in slowly until well combined and lump-free. Pour half the batter into each cake tin (I always weigh the batter to get the exact amount into each pan) and bake for 35 minutes. Insert a cake skewer into the middle and if it comes out clean, the cakes are done. Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes then remove from their tins.
Next make sugar syrup by heating half a cup sugar and half a cup water until the sugar dissolves. When cool, use a pastry brush to apply the syrup to both cakes as this will keep them moist and allow the chocolate ganache to stick to the cake more effectively. For the chocolate ganache, heat the cream until just before it starts to boil then remove from the heat and pour it over the broken-up chocolate stirring all the while so the chocolate melts.
Add the butter and mix well so the ganache is shiny. Leave to cool overnight.
To assemble: Cut the cakes in half so you have 4 layers. Whip the ganache to a piping consistency, place into piping bag and apply it until it covers the entire cake. Set in the fridge until firm then slice, serve and eat!
Jaen-Mari Breytenbach’s Carrot Cake
Jaen-Mari Breytenbach graduated from Capsicum Culinary Studio in 2015 and was in the SA Olympic Culinary Team that competed in Germany in 2020. (jaenmaribreytenbach@mail.com)
Ingredients
400g cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
295ml vegetable oil
200g sugar
200g brown sugar
1tsp vanilla essence
4 eggs
300g carrots, peeled & grated (save the peels for garnish)
125g pecan nuts, chopped
65g raisins
65g pineapple, grated
65g zucchini, grated
Zest of 2 lemons
130g dried cranberries
Method
Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease two 23cm round cake pans and line the bottom with baking paper then grease the top of the paper. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, both sugars and vanilla essence. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Using a large rubber spatula, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, gently stirring until they disappear and the batter is smooth. Stir in the carrots, nuts and raisins.
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake until the tops of the cake layers are springy when touched and when a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean (35 to 45 minutes). Cool cakes in pans for 15 minutes then turn out onto cooling racks, peel off parchment paper and cool completely
Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
113g salted butter, softened
226g cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla essence
¼ teaspoon salt
500g powdered sugar
½ cup lemon zest
Method
Combine butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can use an electric hand mixer) and beat until creamy, well-combined and lump-free. Add vanilla essence and salt and stir well to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined. Use to ice completely cooled cake.
Cinnamon Tuille
Ingredients
100g egg whites
100g icing sugar
50g corn flour
100g butter, melted
150g flour
½ tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp cinnamon
Method
Preheat oven to 180℃. Add egg whites to a large bowl and whisk a little before adding the sugar and whisking until frothy. Stir in the flour, corn flour and vanilla essence and then add the melted butter. Add cinnamon and mix to a smooth batter. Spoon onto two lined baking trays and spread thinly using an offset spatula and bake for 7 to 8 minutes until the tuiles are just turning golden around the edges. Remove the baking trays from the oven and let cool completely. Break tuille into chards.
For the carrot peels – deep fry them in hot oil and remove when golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels then use for garnish on the cake along with the tuile as well as extra nuts and dried fruit if desired.
Hendrik Pretorius’ Chocolate Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Chocolate Frosting
Pretoria campus alumni Hendrik Pretorius heads up the pastry section at Simpli Café in Lisbon, Portugal and is working on his first cookbook, The Sweet Side of Life.
Ingredients
6 eggs, separated
250g all-purpose flour
350g sugar
120ml vegetable oil
240ml hot water
50g cocoa powder
20ml baking powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
Sugar Syrup
96ml water
100g sugar
Orange Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
350g cream cheese
375g icing sugar
125g soft butter
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbs orange juice
50g cocoa powder
zest of 1 orange
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease two 16cm round cake pans and line the bottom with baking paper then grease the top of the paper and the sides of the pans. Set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then mix in the cocoa powder, add the hot water and allow to cool.
In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, oil, sugar, vanilla and cocoa mixture. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Whip egg whites till stiff and fold lightly into the batter. Pour evenly into the two cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Remove the cakes from the cake pans when they are completely cooled down. Trim the top part of the cakes with a serrated knife so both cakes are flat on top. Use a pastry brush to brush about one half of the sugar syrup* over the top of the cake. Spoon one third of the frosting* on top of the cake and with an offset spatula spread it evenly to the edges. Place the other layer cake on top and repeat the process but using the remainder of the frosting. Garnish with Chantilly cream and orange slices.
* For the sugar syrup, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
** For the frosting, mix the butter, cream cheese and cocoa until smooth. Add the icing sugar followed by the orange juice and orange zest and mix further, then lastly add the vanilla essence and whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before use.
Ferdinand October’s Chocolate Caramel Cake
An alumni from Capsicum Culinary Studio’s Cape Town campus, Ferdinand October runs Simply Pastries. (Find him on Facebook or 0837276966).
Cake Ingredients
100g cocoa powder
330ml boiling water
270g cake flour
10g baking powder
3g bicarbonate of soda
7 extra large eggs
440g light brown sugar
250ml sunflower oil
For the Chocolate Pouring Ganache
150g dark chocolate
250ml cream
40g butter
For the Chocolate Spreading Ganache
250g dark chocolate
250ml cream
40g butter
For the Caramel
2 tins caramel treat
Method
Preheat oven to 170°c and prepare two 22cm pans with spray and cook and line the bottom with baking paper. Whisk the cocoa powder and water until smooth and set aside. Sieve together the flour, baking powder and bicarb into a bowl. In an electric mixer attached with a whisk attachment, whisk the eggs and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy.
Slowly add the oil while still mixing on fast speed. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the liquid cocoa and mix. Divide the batter into the two cake tins and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean. Remove from oven and leave for 10 minutes before removing from tins to cool further.
For the pouring ganache: Place the cream in pot over medium heat and bring to just before boiling point. Pour hot cream over chocolate, add butter and lave for 5 minutes. Mix until smooth and glossy. Set aside
For the chocolate spreading ganache: Place the cream in pot over medium heat and bring to just before boiling point. Pour hot cream over chocolate, add butter and leave for 5minutes. Mix until smooth and glossy. Set aside.
To assemble the cake, cut both sponges horizontally into two even layers. Place the first layer on a plate and spread evenly on top half a tin of caramel. Repeat with second and third layers. Place final cake layer on top and place cake in the fridge for 60 minutes to firm up. Remove from fridge and spread chocolate spreading ganache all around cake. Place the cake back in fridge for 30min.
Remove from fridge, place on a drip tray with a pan underneath to catch excess pouring ganache and pour over the pouring ganache. If the pouring ganache has cooled and became thick, it can be reheated in the microwave until slightly warm. After the pouring ganache has been poured over the cake, leave the cake on the drip tray for 5 minutes. Get creative and decorate to your liking.
What: Cake Day recipes
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