Apricot Yoghurt Slice, Banana walnut & Flourless Choc Orange Cake

The following are old favourites I have served for morning teas and supper in the studio over the years and revisited them recently.

Apricot Yoghurt Slice ( from the Iris Country Fair cookbook)

1 cup dried apricots
1 cup coconut
1 cup sugar ( I use a little less)
1 cup plain flour
1 cup yoghurt ( unsweetened natural)

Preheat oven to 180 deg.
Combine ingredients and place mixture into a greased slice tin.
Bake for 20. minutes, then ice with a thin layer of lemon icing( I just sprinkle with sifter icing sugar rather than ice)
Cut into squares when cold.

Banana Walnut Cake ( from ‘A Taste of Arrowtown’NZ)
2 bananas roughly chopped
1 cup walnuts
1 cup raisons
100g melted butter
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup SR flour
2 tsp mixed spice

Mix bananas, walnuts, sultanas and sugar together in a large bowl. Beat the egg and melted butter together and stir into the banana mixture. Fold in the lour and mixed spice. Pour into a greased 25cm cake tin and cook45-50 minutes at 180deg C.

Heat oven to 160 degree celcius fan-force (325 degree fahrenheit fan-forced). Line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper and set aside.

Place the butter, 165 grams caster sugar, vanilla seeds and lemon zest in an electric mixer and beat for 8-10 minutes or until pale and creamy. Scrap down the sides of the bowl, then gradually add the egg yolks, one at a time, continuing to beat until fully combined. Add the almond meal and beat to combine. Fold ricotta through the almond meal mixture.

Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl with a hand-held electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar to the egg whites mixture and whisk until stiff peaks form. Gently fold a third of the egg whites into the cake mixture. Repeat with the rest of the egg whites.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin, smooth the tops with a palette knife, decorate the cake with almond flakes, and bake for 40-45 minutes or until cooked and firm to touch. Allow to cool completely in the cake tin. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

The Orange Chocolate cake is a delicious dessert cake, jaffa is an eternal favourite combining the two flavours. thanks to helen Bilenkij for this one.

Another recent cake from a blog…just perfect for birthdays and gluten free too!