Butterscotch and Banner Surprises

Hooray! It has happened at last. When I wrote my first post for this blog over two years ago I was determined to have a banner photograph of some of my favourite green things. Yesterday, I finally worked out how to put up the banner of my dreams.

I have tried before but without success. Lately, I was inspired by this post on How to Upload Your Own Header in Blogger and by the look of Tofu for Two’s banner. I make no secret of the fact that my kitchen is very cluttered. In fact, my mum recently asked me how I am able to cook in the space I have. The secret is in just clearing the space I need. That is what I did yesterday. Desperate to upload my new photo, I finally twigged why I was having problems. I had been trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. Yes, my photo wouldn’t fit the template. Argh! After my light bulb moment, I changed the template and everything fell into place. I hope you love the new look as much as I do.

Funny, how an answer can be so simple. I can make life very complicated when it doesn’t need to be. Just look at some of my recipes! So to celebrate my new banner, I thought I needed something simple. My butterscotch surprise cake is not my most simple of recipes but it is one of the plainer cakes that I make. It is a butter cake with a middle layer of butterscotch. Soft, sweet and the middle is gooey if eaten warm. No complex flavours and textures. Just good honest sweet satisfaction.

I have made this cake many times before. I think I found the recipe in a magazine and was making it before I left home but as this is a long time ago now, I could be mistaken. Under the handwritten recipe I have a note saying ‘approx cost $2’. I am not sure how much it would cost today, but I think I can still claim it is a frugal cake for the Global Financial Crisis.

This cake also appeals because most of the ingredients can be found in my kitchen and it isn’t too complicated to make. However, spreading the butterscotch filling over the buttercake mixture can be fiddly. No matter how carefully I spread it evenly, the cake always has a curvy ribbon of butterscotch filling once baked. It adds to the charm of the cake.

I made it a few weeks back for some friends because it is easy to transport. It is plain enough to please most people but the ribbon of butterscotch through the middle of the cake gives it a little interest. One recipient commented that it reminded her of golden syrup dumplings. High praise, indeed! It is just the sort of cake that E loves and he told me to make sure there was cake leftover for him. I photographed it with Jemima Puddleduck as it is just her sort of cake too. This soft, delicious but simple cake is one I should remember to make more often.

Butterscotch Surprise Cake

Cake:
125g butter
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup plain flour
½ cup self raising flour
¼ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence

Filling:
½ cup brown sugar (packed)
2 tbsp custard powder
½ cup milk
2 tsp butter
1 egg

Place all cake ingredients into mixing bowl and mix with electric beaters on low until combined and then on medium until the mixture changes colour and becomes lighter.

To make filling, combine brown sugar and custard powder in a small saucepan. Gradually add milk and stir over heat until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in butter. Remove from heat. Cool for 5 minutes and then stir in egg. Use when warm.

Spread half into a greased and lined 20cm ring cake tin. Place spoonfuls of filling over the cake mixture and carefully spread to the edges of the cake tin with the back of a spoon. Carefully spread other half of cake mixture on top. This is the fiddly bit of the recipe and requires a little patience and concentration.

Bake in moderate oven for 30-40 minutes. Stand 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

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