Plum Cake

Ok so I lied. I've been just as slack as I was through the holidays. 

Baby steps getting back into the blogging world - after all Mima's started high school and Wilco - well he's got to go to pre-school (Robert???)ASAP! Mother's of almost 3 year old boy will understand (and feel my pain),there is no rest!

I'm also trying to ween him off his massive 3 hour day time sleeps(when you burn so much energy you need to recuperate,so you can do it all over again)!And to make life just a little bit harder, I decided to get hard core with the toilet training, I like to call it 'cold turkey' toilet training.

 I'm taking no prisoners!!

That last one....failing miserably - by the way! 

I love that kid more than life itself, but man boys are daft when it comes to the simple task of using the toilet.

I'll never forget frank's pre-school teacher saying that girls use the toilet so easily because the thought of weeing or pooing in their princess knickers would just be devastating, boy's on the other hand (or maybe it's just wilco) will happily drench bob the builder and fireman sam without a second thought.

I'm pulling my hair out and at the same time googling cold turkey toilet training for boys and finding nothing?? 

So that's my life at the moment.Oh, and trying to workout how I can get to Italy? So while I day dream about Italy here is the Plum cake I made over the Australia Day weekend for the King family.I also made delicious Chicken Pot Pie, which I will post soon (there is a photo teaser below) actually the photo's are nothing on how good it smelt and tasted - do I lie Heather!

Plums are at their peak at the moment,you either like them soft and squishy or hard and crisp they're all delicious!

And what better cake than this to bring them out in all their glory....and so easy.

Follow my Apricot Sherbet Cake recipe and just swap apricots for plums - as simple as that!

I also purchased this square spring form tin which is a godsend for demoulding

And out she comes looking something like this........

 

Did I mention that Chicken Pot Pie? Oh my Lord it was amazing!!!

And this is what my kids have been snacking on most afternoons - and I'll soon be snacking on 24/7, minus the fruit. Yep, you guessed it, it's time for my seasonal cleanse.

Which means I'll be eating alot of these beauties(below)

©Michelle Schoeps 2013

All photos taken by Michelle Schoeps

Orange and Cinnamon Teacake

It's been a big week in our household. 

Mima started High School, which is kind of scary because I don't feel older enough to have a daughter in High School, Max is recording his second album and Wilco is learning to go to the toilet and cook (decided it was time to train one of them young!)

So I booked a babysitter for the week to help me out. Time to catch up on things I've put on the back burner through the holidays.

First off I grabbed my stock pile of magazines, a cup of tea and a piece of cake and sat down and had quiet time with myself, then I got busy and posted this!

Orange and Cinnamon Teacake 

perfect for a rainy day.

 Yes, Sydney is rainy, again!

Along with my recipe, Ed from Ruby's Diner has kindly handed over the recipe for my all time favourite muffins (which just happen to be the inspiration for my Teacake).

Orange and Cinnamon a marriage made in heaven.

This cake was enormous, it fed my family(a couple of times over), Max's band, Rochie & Thomas and Ed.

It was delicious beyond belief and I already want to make it again.

And who doesn't love Teacake!

For my Teacake you'll need:

400g flour

1 tablespoon of baking powder

½ teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

5 eggs (they were small eggs 49g)

200g sugar
250g butter

4 tablespoons of honey

200g ricotta

300g sour cream

175ml orange juice

zest of 3 large oranges

1 dessert spoon of cinnamon

Melted Butter for the top and cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

How to make it:

I blended the ricotta, sour cream, runny honey and orange juice till smooth – set aside

Zest the oranges and set aside

Then I measured and sifted the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, bi-carb and salt – set aside

Line a 28cm spring form cake tin 

(this is a large cake tin)

Once everything is prepped and ready to go, start.

Beat the butter,sugar and zest 'til light and fluffy

Then add the eggs one by one

Now add half the flour mixture and mix till just combined - make sure you have someone to play with the flour while you're doing everything else(Wilco and I think it made the cake taste better!)

Then add the blended ricotta/sour cream

And mix

I folded the last half of the flour into the mixture by hand

Then bake in a 180c oven for 40 - 50min

The finished cake will look like this....moist and delicious.With a small sieve sprinkle the top with a decent layer of Cinnamon & Sugar.
Eat it with a cup of tea!

Ruby's Diner - Ricotta,Orange and Cinnamon Muffins

this will make 22 very large muffins

You'll need:

1200gm self raising flour - sifted

660g caster sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

8 eggs

1 tablespoon cinnamon and extra to sprinkle on top

1 kilo sour cream

220ml vegetable oil (olive oil would be fine)

zest of 4 large oranges

and the juice of 2

1 cup of fresh ricotta loosened with honey

How you make them:

dry ingredients in one bowl

wet in another

fold them together gently till just combined

then spoon into either non-stick muffin trays or trays lined with muffin cases and bake for 20-25min at 180c

*If you're using normal muffin trays, I'm pretty sure they'll be more than 22 muffins.

Ruby's muffins are very big.

If you can't be arsed making these go down to Ruby's Diner and hassle Ed to make them for you(you might see me down there doing the same thing)and don't forget to wash them down with a cold drip!

©Michelle Schoeps 2013

All photos taken by Michelle Schoeps

 Muffin recipe kindly shared by Ed at Ruby's Diner