Grapefruit cake with syrup

The mysterious citrus tree in our backyard has turned out to be a grapefruit… at least we're now 98% sure. So now I have to find recipes for a fruit I know little about and don't particularly like. This cake, however, did the trick.

Inspiration from Taste.com.au.

Cake
125g unsalted butter
½ cup caster sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1 tbl zest, and ¼ cup juice
180g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
200ml philly cream for cooking (because it's what I had in the fridge)

Oven 180C/350F, 20cm pan lined with baking paper (or whatever you usually do)

In their own bowl, beat eggwhites until they form stiff peaks.

Then in a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until thick and pale. Add yolks one at a time beating after each addition. Beat in zest and juice.

Fold in sifted flour and baking powder in three batches, alternating with philly cream.

Fold in eggwhites.

Bake approx 50 mins, or until the skewer comes out clean. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Syrup
200ml sherry (because it's what I had in the cupboard)
¼ cup caster sugar
zest and 2 tbl juice (one small grapefruit)

Pop everything in a small pot. Heat. Stir until slightly thickened (or until you get bored). Pour over cake.

Moving House Tiramisu

So half the kitchen is packed, I suddenly realise I have quite a lot of food left, and my eye catches several significant food groups – sugar, chocolate, cream and alcohol. I smile.

A small square cake tin
Left over savoiardi biscuits (dry, sugary sponge fingers)
approx 150g chocolate melts
about 250ml cream
roughly (I'm moving house remember!) 4 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 100ml hot water
sort of 100ml port mixed with 50ml water

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (about two inches of water in a medium saucepan, with the chocolate in a metal bowl sitting on top of the saucepan).

Line the cake tin with baking paper (this makes life so much easier!). Place enough biscuits in the tin to form two layers – you may have to break up some biscuits. Pour over the coffee and the alcohol until the biscuits get soft but not squishy. Pour melted chocolate over the top, and allow to cool.

Whip the cream with a bit of caster sugar (about 2 tbl) and a dash of vanilla extract. Spread over a firm, cooled chocolate layer. Serve. Several times. With alcohol (I'm moving house remember!).

A nicer version of this (when one isn't moving house) would be to substitute the cream with mascarpone, use a little Grand Marnier instead of port, and add orange zest to the mascarpone.

Easy mud cake

250g butter

150g chocolate

2c sugar

1c hot water

1/3c whiskey

1tb instant coffee

1 1/2c plain flour

1/4c self-raising flour

1/4c cocoa

2 eggs

Dissolve coffe in hot water. Combine butter, chocolate, sugar, water and whiskey in double saucepan. Stir until smooth. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in sifted flours and cocoa, then eggs. Bake in moderate over (180C) 1 1/4hrs.