RECIPE - Raspberry & Orange Upside Down Cake

After being sick with a nasty nasty stomach bug for what seems like half a lifetime, my appetite is back AND with cravings for bad sweet naughty food. And cake. Lots of cake please.

But the bug has left me with even worse food intolerances. So no wheat & no lactose whatsoever for Aunty. Not even lick the spoon after scooping an icecream for Oscar. And I really love doing that. So here is a delish sweet but berry tarty cake I made recently. I don't go in for the pretty looking iced cakes as I don't have the patience or skill. So this upside down cake is just perfect.


In the recipe photo it looked a perfect raspberry red & orange combo but mines more of a muddy purple! But its a super delish muddy purple cake.

RASPBERRY & ORANGE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
Serves 8 (or 3 in my house over a wet weekend)

1 1/2 cup Gluten free flour or plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
150g almond meal
3 large free range eggs
3/4cup caster sugar (1/2 cup of you like a tarty cake)
175g butter cubed & at room temp
2T grated orange rind
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
300g froz raspberries
3 tsp demerara (raw) sugar

Preheat oven to 170C (no fan). Spray a fluted non stick ring pan with oil. Line the base with good baking paper. Beat butter, sugar & orange rind together until light & creamy. Add eggs one at a time until well combined. Fold in combined flour & almond meal & juice.
Arrange half the raspberries at the bottom of the tin (which will be the cake top). Top with half the cake mix. Tap on the benchtop to settle. Repeat with remaining raspberries & cake mix. Tap tin on bench & smooth with a spatula.
Bake for 50-60 mins or until a skewer comes out of the centre clean. Set aside for 10 mins to cool. Take a clean flat knife and run carefully around inside of pan. Turn the cake onto a platter & sprinkle with demerara sugar. Serve with cream or ice cream or in my case eat half the cake neat over the course of 3 days. oops!

Treasure Chest Birthday Cake

A whole new world opened up to me today as I attempted my first themed party cake. Now I know why people pay big dollars for perfect looking cakes! I thought I would have a go at something simple like a Pirates Treasure Chest. What could be easier than icing 2 square cakes?

Well for starters I discovered you need to crumb coat icing on in a thin layer first then let that set then revive your icing to put a smooth coating on then thin it out more and apply a final layer. YAWN YAWN YAWN! Oh and don't forget not to slop icing on the platter. Then there is the finishing touches which at 9pm at night was tedious.

Stage 1 - 2 chocolate loaf cakes trimmed to make a Treasure chest. To build the "chest" slice off the rounded top from one of the choc loaves then make a triangle wedge and ice it onto the "flattened" loaf as seen in the loaf pictured on the right. Then sandwich the other loaf on top by "gluing" with icing.



Stage 2 - crumb coat a thing layer of icing all over, let this set in the fridge then put on final icing coats ( I did 3 coats in total refridgerating in between)

Finally - pile on the lollies to hide your stuff ups!

But I am really pleased with the result and the Pirate candle is perfect on top. I can't wait to see Oscar's face when this comes out at his party tomorrow!