Motherly Advice....home baking is good for the soul....

Hi Sweetie....here come in, come in. Let me give you a big hug. Gosh you look nice today.

Yes, the house does smell good, doesn't it? It's that Vanilla Cake. You know, the one that you just mix all together in one bowl, and throw in the oven. Yes, it's my favourite too. Well except for the slow bake chocolate one...hehehe!

Here, I'm about to make another one, so you can help me...

Now remember, you have to use real butter for this one or it just won't be the same.

So you cut up that 4 ounces of butter...well 125 grams in our lingo...yes, just into cubes, that's it. It makes it easier to mix. Here, use Nanna's old bowl to mix it in. Yes, I love it too. I don't know why they make all the mixing bowls so wide and shallow these days. This one is so much better with it's tall cone shape, isn't it?

Now grab that Vanilla Extract. Yes, the one in the green and black bottle. The Vanilla Essence is okay too, but the Extract is so much headier in scent...here smell...different aren't they? The Essence sort of smells like chemicals, and the Extract is sheer heaven...

Would you mind grabbing the sugar up there in the big glass jar. You're taller than me and it'll save me getting the step ladder out. Yes the caster sugar. I do make this cake with normal sugar too, but I just happen to have the finer white stuff, so let's use it. Yep measure out a cup and a quarter, and into the bowl. Ta.

Here, I took the eggs out of the fridge ahead of time, so just crack all three into the bowl, and add a cup and a half of plain flour. Yep I'm using gluten free flour for this one, it makes no difference. You'd use your normal flour at home of course. Just add the baking powder and bicarb in all at once too Hon. Yep.

Now the half a cup of milk and just use the little electric beater on low to mix it all until the butter is all smooth. Awesome.

So I've greased and lined my favourite little cake tin. See it's red on the outside? I think it was Nannas. And the ovens all ready to go at 160C (320F), so in the batter goes, and just pop it in the oven.

Phew....now we've got an hour and a quarter, so lets go outside in the sunshine and wiggle our toes in the grass with a cuppa.

Yes I know....baking makes me feel good too. I used to bake with my Mum and Nanna, you know. It was just the best bonding time. Of course it saves money as well, but there's just something about a home baked cake that says love to me. It's such an Earthy and simple thing to do and there's worse things for kids to grow up with than memories of Mum baking! My most enduring memory of Nanna is of her standing in her tiny kitchen with her one single bench, beating eggs into cake batter with flour on her sweet cheeks, and her apron over her ample bosom. Hugs and kisses were part of the process, with her exhorting me to 'be now careful mit de spoon Darlink...' She was European remember and always retained a little of her accent. Yes, I still miss her, but what a lovely memory. Of course Mum was a great frugal cook, and she taught me how to make those whisper thin crepes, and aren't they the best thing ever...

Here, I'll write that Vanilla Cake recipe down for you...

...or you can print it off from here later if you like..

One Bowl Vanilla Cake

 125gms softened butter, cut into cubes (must be butter for this one, or it won't taste the same)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sugar (caster sugar is best, but any will do)
3 large eggs (although I've made it with just two and it still turned out)
1 1/2 cups plain (all purpose) flour
 1 teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bi-carb soda
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 160C.

Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin or loaf tin.

Beat all the ingredients together on low until combined. Then beat on medium until the mixture is smooth and changes to a paler colour.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 1/4 hours.

Allow to cool in tin, then invert and turn right way up for icing.

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Okay, so all done...always smells gorgeous, doesn't it. And the house smells like that for two days after...yes truly!

Now just grab me that jar of edible rose petals? Yes I know...they seem expensive, but you get soooo many! I think I've had that lot for about two years and they're still going!

So just a light dust of icing sugar, then a sprinkle of rose petals.

There. It's a picture, isn't it? And tastes good too!

Now I'm going to pop this one into Nannas old biscuit tin for you to take home, okay?

You'd pay $7 a slice for that one at the cake shop, and we just made the whole cake for $3...you have to laugh, don't you!

Alright Sweetheart. Yes, you go, I know how busy you are. I'll see you next week.

Kisses....

...Mimi...