Happy 40th Ma 2011

WOW MA HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

The big 4-0!!! Can’t believe it you old grandma you… wait no take that back, too young for kids, panic mode etc…

Sorry back to the norm :p
To everyone out there reading this post, my mum is a very special woman. For her 40th, my family went all out because she deserved nothing but the best.
Here is why:

1. She is the only one in my family who doesn’t complain about my constant talk on food
2. She cooks the most amazing mutter paneer (an Indian curry made with peas and Indian cheese) the world has ever seen – maybe one day I’ll dig into my secret family recipe vault and post it up 😀
3. She has the most forgiving heart out of anyone in my life and she has never held a grudge
4. She dresses like a queen
5. She is my best friend and I love her like crazy

So you see? Doesn’t she sound like the most amazing person ever? She is AND get this, she looks EXACTLY like the young-aged witch in Tangled which is so fitting since her birthday is on Halloween 🙂

It is fitting that my mummy got the equivalent of the 40 presents she asked for jokingly. After I told you this about her, how could you not agree?

If you have read past blogs, you will know she is a little bit of a one-bite-that’s-it lady. So for her birthday there was no extravagancy in the cake or overdoing layers and frosting.

I therefore baked her a raspberry coconut cake, frosted (just on top!) with raspberry cream cheese frosting and garnished with a little clumsy fudge writing and beautiful chopped up Real Turkish Delight in a gorgeous rose flavour!

Happy 40th Birthday Ma – I love you and you deserve everything you got and more because of who you are ❤

A couple of adaptations were made in this recipe which I have noted as an adaptation in the version I give to you all 😀

I also suggest (since I made 1/2 the cake due to the lack of sweet eaters – I am giving you the full recipe here) that for a 20cm springform to make 1 1/2 of the recipe for a nice thick cake because in a 10cm cake tin, 1/2 left it a little flat. Just to fill it up a touch more you know 🙂

Coconut And Raspberry Cake
Source: Woman’s Day Magazine
Serves: 10
Ingredients

• 185g butter, softened
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 3/4 cup SRF + 2 tbs extra
• 1 cup frozen raspberries – I increased amount to approximately 1 1/2 cups (can never have too much of a good thing)
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut (I increased to 1 cup)
• 3-4 tbs full cream milk (I did 5 tbs)
• ***I added a touch of strawberry essence but you can
  always also add vanilla – approximately 2 tbs for the whole recipe

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and line a 20cm springform tin.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in essence if using.
3. Fold in sifted flour alternating with the milk into creamed mixture, ending with flour.
4. Toss raspberries in extra flour and lightly fold into batter along with coconut
5. Spoon mixture into pan, smooth top and bake 20 minutes for 180 degrees C. Reduce heat to 160 degrees C and bake for another 40 minutes or until a skewer. inserted comes out clean. – NOTE: I baked my cake for approximately 25 minutes at 170 degrees C the entire time (that was for half the recipe though)
6. Cool in pan 10 minutes before releasing sides – turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
7. Frost as desired and serve.

There is a frosting given with this recipe although I used a cream
cheese frosting as replacement. It is:

1. Beat 1/2 cup thickened cream with 2 tbs icing sugar (I added that) until soft peaks
   form
2. Spread over slightly warm cake
3. Dollop 1/2 cup of fresh raspberries, crushed, on top and swirl throughout cream

Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Source: Obsessed With Baking

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 230g Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 1/3 cup icing sugar
• 1/4 raspberry jam – I increased to 1/2 cup
• ***NOTE: I added 1 tsp of strawberry essence

Method

1. Beat butter and cream cheese together until light and creamy
2. Sift in icing sugar and beat until incorporated
3. Add jam (and essence if using) and beat until well combined

I added 6-7 drops of red food colouring as well to this recipe since it didn’t have enough of red-ish pink hue. Also, if making the whole cake recipe and decorating it like a massive cake rather than simple and sweet, I recommend doubling the frosting, halving the cake and spreading a layer and some raspberries before frosting top and sides!

Happy birthday again to my special ma and hope you all enjoy this cake – I know she did and would all the time! It was beautiful, tender with the softest crumb!

P.S Remember my sinking disaster – it didn’t happen this time because I allowed the cake to cool in the oven – SCORE! 😀

P.S. On the 20th of January 2012, this became an entry into the delightful Teenz’ Yummy Delight’s Valentines Day Event – check it out now 🙂

Other Entries:

• Candy S’mores Pancakes w/ White Chocolate Marshmallow Sauce – perfect for sharing with your special someone and spooning delicious marshmallow sauce together
• Raspberry White Chocolate Ice Cream – Similar to a flavour from Baskin Robbins, it is named Love Potion #31 there – coincidence or flavour destiny
• Strawberry Caramel-Chocolate Encasing Meringues – These represent all the Valentines day stands for – an overwhelming amount of love which flows out after the first taste of the day
• Strawberry Nutella Thumbprint Cookies – Small and adorable with a nibble of Nutella in the middle, these dainty pinkies are made to be served on Valentines Day
• Strawberry Ice Cream – The most romantic berry of all berries, how could such a sweet dish not be put as an entry