I have wanted to make a coffee cake for quite some time now and yesterday was the day I finally made it. The first book I looked in and my favourite and most used recipe book had a recipe for coffee cake.
Neil and I are coming up for our 21st wedding anniversary in August this year and we received this recipe book from an aunt and uncle of his. The recipe book is by Lynn Bedford Hall and is called “Best of Cooking in South Africa”. There are recipes in this book that I make often as they are so delicious. One of Neil’s all time favourites and my daughter’s as well is Lemon Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce (we actually had it last week). My Christmas cake is made from the Favourite Fruit Cake recipe and we also love her Spiced Pumpkin Soup.
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| My favourite recipe book |
I love this book so much that I buy copies of it from the SPCA bookshop so that I can give it to friends that do not have it or know about it. I just gave a book to the mother of my son’s friend when I collected him from school after his exam this morning. I don’t have any more copies left after that so I better keep an eye out for more the next time I am at the SPCA.
Anyway! Let’s get back to the making of the coffee cake. I had never made this recipe from the book before but I wasn’t worried as I have never had a failure with any of her recipes. The recipe I used is her “Beat and Bake Coffee-Pecan Cake”. I did not add any pecan nuts even though I did have some in the cupboard. The pecan nuts are destined for pecan nut pie, which I have not made in years.
Beat and Bake Coffee-Pecan Cake
The flavours may be changed by omitting cinnamon, coffee and pecans and substituting 5ml vanilla or grated orange and lemon rind.
3 eggs separated
200ml castor sugar
100ml oil
2ml salt
150ml milk
350ml flour
10ml baking powder
5ml cinnamon
10ml pure instant coffee powder
5ml water
100ml chopped pecan nuts
Put egg yolks into bowl and add all the ingredients, except the egg whites, coffee, water and nuts, in the order listed. Dissolve coffee in water and add. Using an electric beater, mix on medium speed for 90 seconds. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and nuts. Pour into to greased and lined 18cm cake tins and bake at 180C in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes. Stand for 5 minutes, then invert onto a cake rack, remove paper and cool.
Icing
10ml pure instant coffee powder
25ml water
60ml soft butter
750ml sifted icing sugar
2ml vanilla
Dissolve coffee in water; add remaining ingredients and mix, adding a dash more water if necessary.
Ice the coffee cake and decorate with pecan halves.
This cake was quick and easy to make and I can guarantee that it is delicious as Neil had two slices last night after supper.
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| Coffee cake with decorations |
Other Lynn Bedford Hall recipe books that I own are : “Scrumptious”, “Fabulous Food” and “Nice n’ Easy Cookbook”.
Do you have a favourite recipe book that you turn to time and time again?
My fave is "Help! There's a Stove in my Kitchen" by Annabel Frere. I will look out for this one too and that cake really looks yummy 🙂
I haven't heard of that book before and it sounds so interesting.