This week YOU indulges in delicious baked treats by Callie Maritz and Mari-Louis Guy of the boutique bakery Cakebread to celebrate the release of their first book, Cakes to Celebrate Love and Life.
MOJITO CUPCAKES
Makes 12
INGREDIENTS: 125 ml mint leaves; 190 ml hot milk; 210 g (1½ cups) cake flour; 6 ml baking powder; 1 ml bicarbonate of soda; 1 ml salt; 125 g butter; 200 g (1 cup) sugar; 2 eggs, at room temperature; grated zest of 2 limes; 2 ml vanilla essence; 30 ml rum; 1 quantity meringue icing (see recipe below); lime slices and mint leaves to decorate.
METHOD: Preheat the oven to 180 C. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper cups.
Steep the mint in the hot milk for 12-15 minutes. Remove the mint and let the milk cool slightly. Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Use the paddle attachment of an electric mixer to beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed for about 5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in the lime zest, vanilla essence and rum. On low speed add the flour and milk alternately, ending with flour. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups to halfway. Bake for 20 minutes. Leave to cool then pipe on the meringue icing. Decorate with lime slices and mint leaves.
MERINGUE ICING
4 egg whites, at room temperature; 200 g (1 cup) sugar; pinch of salt; drop of food colouring of choice.
Combine the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Hand-whisk continuously for 3-5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot to the touch. Use the whisk attachment of an electric mixer to beat on low for 2 minutes. Add the food colouring and beat on high for 5 minutes until the mixture cools and stiff peaks form. Use immediately.
WIN
Ten readers will each win a copy of Cakes to Celebrate Love and Life by Callie Maritz and Mari-Louis Guy, published by Struik (R189,95). The book has 89 recipes, including old favourites and modern sweet treats from across the world. SMS the word CAKES, your name and address to 34923 by 5 pm on 23 July 2009. Each SMS costs R2.
