Celebration Cakes

Makes: 1 large Cake

Cooking time : 1 hour 30 Minutes

Hint: Make salad a day in advance and keep refrigerated. Serve as a side dish to a braai.

Ingredients:

  • 8 large eggs
  • 525 g (2½ cups) castor sugar
  • 5 ml (1 t) vanilla essence
  • 500 ml (2 cups) boiling water
  • 150 ml sunflower oil
  • 490 g (3 ½ cups) cake flour
  • 30 ml (2 T) baking powder
  • pinch salt
  • juice and grated rind of a large lemon (optional)

Icing:

  • 125 ml (½ cup) soft margarine
  • 500-750 ml (2-3 cups) icing sugar
  • 10 ml (2 t) vanilla essence
  • food colouring of your choice
  • 10 ml (2 t) hot water, if necessary

Meringues:

  • Prepare 1 quantity of meringue mixture as per (see small meringue cases)

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 180ºC.
  • Whisk eggs and sugar until light and fluffy; add the vanilla essence.
  • Mix the boiling water and oil together.
  • Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
  • Add the water and flour mixtures alternately to the egg mixture. Mix thoroughly.
  • Pour batter into a greased 240 x 320 x 10 mm cake pan or oven roasting pan and bake for 40-35 minutes until done. Let cool completely before icing.
  • To make the icing: Cream the margarine and icing sugar together. Add essence and mix through. Add water if icing is too stiff. Divide the icing mixture and colour each portion in a different colour.
  • To make the meringues: Divide the meringue mixture and colour as desired. Pipe onto a baking sheet and bake as per instructions.
  • Decorate cake with prepared icing and meringues as per picture.