R. L. Stedman

Writer

Recipes

How to Make the Perfect Chocolate Cake …

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Recipes for Writers

This recipe never fails! This chocolate cake is also called Dana’s Chocolate Cake, so of course it’s perfect for me, because the heroine of my SoulNecklace Stories is Dana, and she’s strong and feisty, just like … this cake? Actually, I’m not sure about that analogy. But whatever, this is a great recipe.

This cake is based on a recipe by Sophie Grey at The Destitute Gourmet – check out her website and books for more ideas.

Dana’s Chocolate Cake

  • 1 2/3 C flour
  • 1 1/2 t backing soda
  • 1 1/2 C sugar
  • 2/3 C cocoa
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1 1/2 C skim milk
  • 100 g melted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 t vanilla
  • 1 t instant coffee (granulated is best)

Pre-heat oven to 180 C. Line a large cake tin (about 30 cm) with baking paper.

Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl, mix well.

Then add melted butter, milk and vanilla and eggs (preferably in that order, otherwise the eggs begin cooking), and mix well. The resulting mixture will be quite wet.

Pour into cake tin and bake for approx 40 mins.

Don’t overcook this cake: it’s quite dense, so you can take it out a few minutes early and it will continue cooking on the bench.

Frosting

  • 50g butter, softened
  • 1/3 C cocoa
  • 1 C icing sugar
  • 1 t coffee
  • 1 t vanilla essence

Cream butter and icing sugar. Add other ingredients and mix well. If too dry, add a smidgeon of milk. (Don’t overdo this, or you’ll be left with wet gooey icing.) Add cream cheese or marscapone and decrease the butter if you want a creamier flavour.

This cake is perfect for birthdays!

Variations: Sometimes I bake this cake in two smaller cake tins – this makes the cake go a little further. (Decrease the cooking time if you do this, or both cakes can end up too dry.)

How To Make the Perfect Pavlova …

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Recipes for Writers

Over the last few months, I’ve been posting recipes out in my newsletters, and my readers love them! So I’m posting them here on my blog too. Hope you enjoy.

Recipe based on Nadia Lim’s Blueberry and Lemon Curd Pavlova

In the 1920s, the celebrated prima ballerina, Anna Pavlova, star of the Imperial Russian Ballet, toured Australia and New Zealand. In honour of her visit the pavlova was invented: a meringue-based desert with a soft, caramel-like interior and crispy exterior.

There’s ongoing debate over which country was responsible for its invention. Me, I think it was New Zealand. I’m not biased. 😀

Today there’s many variations on the pavlova: my stepmother used to make a gorgeous one with coffee and walnuts. But usually a pav has a plain, creamy-coloured base, topped with whipped cream and fruit.

This particular pavlova is ideal for Christmas, as it looks somewhat like a wreath, with these beautiful seasonal colours.

The trick to a good pavlova is to separate the eggs correctly – the recipe will fail if there’s even a hint of egg yolk. And place it in a HOT oven, but allow the pav. to cool for ages – preferably overnight – before removing.

Recipe

  • 6 egg whites
  • 1 1/2 C caster sugar
  • 2 t cornflour
  • 1 t white vinegar

To serve:

  • 1 – 2 C whipped cream
  • 1/2 t vanilla (or vanilla seeds)
  • 1/4 C pomegranate seeds
  • 1 punnet blueberries
  • 1/4C sliced almonds
  • fresh mint leaves, to garnish

Preheat oven to 200 C. Line a baking tray with backing paper and mark an 18 – 20 cm circle on it. (You can use a plate or a bowl as stencil.)

  • Whip egg whites with electric beater until stiff peaks form (they must be really stiff)
  • Add caster sugar while beating.
  • Continue beating on high speed. The meringue mixture should be thick and glossy.
  • Beat it cornflour and vinegar.
  • Spoon onto circle on baking paper. You can smooth the top to look like a ballet-dancer’s skirt, or keep it rough, to form the idea of ruffles.
  • Put it in the oven and TURN THE OVEN OFF!
  • This is very important. Do not let anyone else open the oven, not for any reason. Not even your children, and especially NOT your husband. You may need to stick a sign on the door of the oven.
  • Leave the pav in the cooling oven for as long as possible, ideally overnight. Do not worry if the surface cracks, this is totally normal and will add to the homemade authentic look. Besides, you can fill up these imperfections with cream.
  • Once removed from the oven, and cooled, decorate with generous amounts of whipped cream and fruit, as in the picture above.
  • Alternatively, top with whipped cream and fruit of your choice.

An untopped pavlova will keep in a dry container for a while, so you can make this a few days before serving. But once it’s smothered in cream, keep in the fridge and eat quickly.

Nutritional information: best you don’t know.

How to Make Spicy Carrot Soup …

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Recipes for Writers

Don’t you hate it when you discover limp carrots at the bottom of your fridge? Well, here’s the perfect way to use them up! This is a really healthy soup, keeping you warm and toasty in the cold months when you’re trying to write.

Spicy Carrot Soup

  • 3 carrots, peeled
  • 1/2 cauliflower, cut into florets
  • Onion, cubed
  • Garlic, chopped
  • 1 T cooking oil – I use coconut oil
  • 1 t grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 t red curry paste
  • 1 C chicken stock
  • Salt, pepper and seasonings to taste
  • Chilli flakes and sesame seeds for garnish

Saute onion, garlic, ginger together and add curry paste. Once aromatic, add chicken stock, carrots, and cauliflower. Cook until vegetables are soft, then blend with a stick blender. Add seasonings to taste.

I top with chilli flakes and sesame seeds, but fresh-chopped coriander would be fine too.

Nutritional info: Replace chicken stock with vegetable stock for a vegetarian recipe. Can be gluten free if gluten-free stock and curry paste are used. Dairy-free.