What to do with left over cake? There are a million and one different things that you can do, but this one would have to be one of my family’s favourites. I often have trimmings left over from my sculpted cakes, and after events like the Annual Nana Glen Market Day, I usually have a heap of left over cupcakes (over catering is in my blood!) Sometimes I freeze them for the girls’ school snack or afternoon tea, other times I make cake balls, but now that the weather is cooling down, cake pudding is well and truly back on the menu! It is super easy, super yummy, and microwaves up a treat for breakfast if I really feel like spoiling the kids!
First of all, preheat your oven to 180oC, then grease a deep baking dish. Next break up all your left over cake into chunks. If it is plain cake, I like to throw in chocolate chips or jam dollops to really make it delicious!
Now all you need to do is make a quick baked custard mix. I do this by whisking together 4-5 eggs, 3 tablespoons of sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt. Once they are mixed in really well and the sugar is almost dissolved, add 900ml milk. Mix it in thoroughly then pour it over the cake.
Finally, take a larger baking dish and put a tea towel or cloth in the bottom, place the dish with the cake inside, then pour boiling water into the larger dish until it comes halfway up the sides of the smaller dish to make a water bath. Place them in the oven and bake for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the custard has set.
All that’s left to do now is serve it up and tuck in! It is especially yummy with whipped cream or ice cream! The bits on top that are poking out of the custard go all crispy and crunchy while the rest of it is a beautiful pudding consistency.
Super quick, super easy, and super yum!
PS Sorry the photos aren’t very good, but it was late on a school night and I was rushing!
What is your favourite way to use up left over cake?
Tuesday 29 March 2011
Monday 28 March 2011
Harmony Day 2011
Having spent 9 years of my childhood living overseas in various countries, multiculturalism is a subject very close to my heart. I was fortunate to grow up with friends from all over the world, many of whom I still keep in touch with today. At the International Schools that I attended, United Nations Day was one of the biggest and most anticipated celebrations of the year. We all wore national costume (there were almost 70 nationalities at the schools) and the parents set up stands with traditional foods from their own countries for all us kids to try. (Funny how few people actually enjoyed our vegemite sandwiches though!) Now that I have 2 young children of my own, I work hard to instil empathy and appreciation of other cultures in them. I really think that understanding other cultures helps to prevent cultural disharmony, and I think that food is one of the best vehicles to cross the divide.
Two years ago when my youngest daughter was at the Nana Glen Preschool, I was introduced to Harmony Day when they put on a special lunch. The Mum’s were asked to bring in a plate of food from their own heritage. Not having grown up on traditional Aussie tucker, I decided to take in mini cupcakes each with a different coloured person on top, in keeping with the Harmony Day posters. Being cake, and brightly coloured, they were a big hit with the kids.This year, I was lucky enough to be able to provide the Coffs Harbour Library with mini cupcakes for their Harmony Day Family Morning Tea and Story Time. Also, a very dear friend of mine who works at Southern Cross University invited me to be involved with their celebrations. Another big fan of cupcakes (let’s face it…who isn’t!) she thought that cupcake decorating would be a great way to bring people together. So, I baked 100 chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, made a mountain of icing and we went and bought a stack of lollies and sprinkles. We set up a couple of big tables and let the students go for it. It was fantastic! They all had a ball. It was such a hit in fact, that we made the local news with NBN reporter Clare Deligny even decorating a cupcake for the camera! Check out the video here!
I took lots of photos of all the marvelous cupcake creations and their artists, so if you were there on the day, have a look here for your photo and feel free to send a link to all of your friends! Also send me your name and I’ll tag you in the photo.
Happy Harmony Day everyone!
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