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Monday, April 13, 2009

White Easter Cake.

There is time for one more Easter recipe before we get back into the work routine. You will forgive a short post, I am sure, as I am at the beach for a few days and it is too lovely (and I am too lazy) to spend too much time at the computer.

I give you an Easter cake from an Australian WW II book that was the source of a blog recipe a few weeks ago. It is The Truth and Daily Mirror Cookery Book (1943) edited by medical doctor, Phyllis Cilento. The Cilentos were a well-known medical family in Brisbane, and Dr (Lady) Phyllis Cilento was the mother of screen actor Diane Cilento. You can see an old photo of the house that the family lived in, at Your Brisbane: Past and Present, the blog of my friend the foto fanatic.



White Easter Cake
Two cups sugar, 1 cup dessicated coconut, 2 tablespoons arrowroot (blended with just enough milk to form a paste), whites 2 eggs, 5 drops essence (ratafia or almond), and 5 drops lemon essence.
Beat whites until light and frothy; add sugar (castor sugar is best, but plain sugar will do); then smoothed arrowroot, coconut, essence, and a pinch of salt. Beat well; pour into a well-greased shallow tin, and bake 25 minutes. (N.B no baking powder is required if it is well beaten)
FROSTING: Boil 1 small cup sugar with one tablespoon water, juice ½ orange, and pinch citric acid. When clear beat up white of 1 egg and essence desired, and add to sugar syrup. Whip again until frothy. Pour over cake when cold, and adorn top with a circle of coarse shredded coconut, and in centre Easter chicken, etc.

Quotation for the Day.

My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished 2 bags of M&M's and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.
Dave Barry.
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2 comments:

  1. HeatherApril 23, 2009 10:55 AM

    Hi, I have recently discovered your blog and enjoy reading it. This looks a strange cake - it seems to be mainly sugar, appart from the coconut and arrowroot. (Is that like cornflour?)

    I wonder why the yolks are not in it? Somehow I doubt that they were used for mayonnaise! Perhaps it is a war-time austerity cake? (Apparently butter was rationed in Australia during WW2.) Have you actually made it?

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  2. The Old FoodieApril 24, 2009 6:52 AM

    Hello Heather, no , I havent made this cake, as we were away on holiday over Easter. Might try it next year though. The yolks would have been used in another recipe - custard, or a different cake, or perhaps something like lemon butter.
    Arrowroot is from a different plant, but it functions the same as cornflour in most recipes.

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