Obeying/disobeying and the Mother's Day cake..

Yeah, I like special occasions for the excuse to bake cake.

My mother said.. do a plain cake nah, and just put icing (I was contemplating chocolate cake and red velvet cup cakes and so on.. but well okay, is not for me alone).

There is the family recipe handed down from the days when salt butter used to be washed in a tub and when people's recipes were about pinch of this and pinch of that and which I never get right because the mix always curdle and the cake sometimes falls in the middle.

I did not want my mother to know that I was going to find something a bit more scientific. Discrete seeking on the internet.

Then I found this one on the BBC from Delia Smith which looked good. Talked about 175g Flour and so.. and then found this from Delia Smith , which is supposed to be the same h talked about 115 g flour.

I know there is something about equal weight of flour, butter and sugar but the other things like baking powder and eggs and so are supposed to be important.

And so I had to do a lil maths and try to figure out which one make sense. Dem ratios of baking powder and so. And then I also have another set of ratios to use to make 'self raising flour'. So I disobey and doing me own ting.

My mother say.. cake smelling nice, you check it?  I say yes, the people say put little finger to test the sponginess. She say.. do what you know.. those things are for experts.  I test the cake with the little finger and it leave the indent which means that it none done according the recipe.

But then I say nah.. and I obey and I do what I know and  I not waiting and I take the skewer (we used to shave a pointer which come from the broom and use it before I found some cheap metal skewers) and test it and it come out dry  even though little finger leave a slight indent.

Here is what I had in the end :-

1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp baking soda (instead of 1 cup self raising flour)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs (I would also make with a half cup very smashed ripe baanna substituted)


Recipe say to sift the flour and baking powder first to get good air in. Then just add in the other ingredients and mix. I made two layers in two separate 8 inch pans but the layers look thin.

Bake at 325/Gas Mark 3/170 Celsius for 25 to 30 minutes.  I think I finish by 26 minutes.

It look good. I am sure it will taste good because flour, butter and sugar when mixed up always taste good. Now to wuk on the icing and filling.