Home & People Two cakes which do well in a ring tin

Press, 24 April 1979, Page 17

Home & People Two cakes which do well in a ring tin

One of my most useful cake tins is a 23cm (9in) ring tin. This holds mixtures which would be baked in 18 to 20cm (7in to Bin) round or square tins. It is important to prepare ring tins carefully before baking in them, or your cakes may break as the\ are removed after baking. I find it is easier, quicker and safer to use an anti-stick spray instead of buttering and flouring them. If \ou use butter and flour, take particular care with the base of the central ring. Ring tin cakes cook quickly and evenly. Cakes with a tendency to sink in the middle can usually be cooked quite safely in a ring tin. Ring cakes are easy to ice and decorate, and easy to cut, too. Here are two cakes that I often make in mv ring tin. ORANGE-COCONUT CAKE Remember, when you flavour a cake or icing with orange nearly al! the flavour comes from the rind. You can replace the juice in both the cake and icing with milk, leaving the orange grated, but uncut, for later use. (After grating, the orange skin

dires out, and the flesh should be eaten within a day or two. Ingredients: 125 g butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs Grated rind of 1 orange 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 tablespoon orange juice or milk 2 tablespoons coconut Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, adding a little of the measured flour before the second egg is added (to prevent curdling). Grat ls the orange rind finely into this mixture, reserving a little rind if you want an orange flavoured icing. Stir in half the silted Hour and baking powder, then add the liquid and coconut, then the remaining flour. (Use level tablespoons of coconut, or you will need to add more liquid.) Spoon batter into a prepared 23cm ring tin and bake at 190 cleg C (375 deg F) for about 30 minutes or until the mixture shrinks from the side of the tin and springs back when touched lightly in the centre.

Cool cake in tin for four to five minutes before turning it on to a rack to cool. Ice with an icing made with about a cup of icing sugar, one to two tablespoons of butter, and enough liquid to mix. Flavour icing with reserved orange rind or extra coconut. COCONUT CAKE This coconut cake has an excellent flavour. It is not as light as the previous cake, but it requires less butter, only one egg, and is easier to prepare. Ingredients: 75g butter j cup sugar .• teaspoon almond essence .{ teaspoon vanilla essence 1 egg 1 cup coconut J cup Alison Holst’s baking mix J cup milk Soften, but do not melt the butter. Add sugar, essences and the egg and beat with a rotary beater until mixture is light and fluffy. Add the coconut, baking mix and milk to the creamed ingredients and stir until evenly mixed, using a fork or rubber spatula. Turn mixture into a pre-

pared 23cm ring tin and bake at 180 deg C (350 deg F) for 40 to 45 minutes, or until it shrinks from the side of the tin and feels firm when 1 touched lightly in the centre. Cool in the tin for four to five minutes before cooling on a rack. Ice with vanilla or almond flavoured butter icing, using about a cup of icing sugar, one or two tablespoons of butter, and milk to mix.