Take some flour, sugar, eggsand butter, mix them withsome cocoa, vanilla or even

fresh fruit, and after some time inan oven, you have cake: thesweetest part of life’s celebrations.

LET’S EAT KAKA!The earliest cakes were actuallybread that was sweetened withhoney and nuts. The term “cake”goes as far back as the Vikings,from the Old Norse word “kaka”.

The ancient Greeks called cake,plakous which is taken from theword plakoeis, meaning flat. Inancient Rome, basic bread doughwas mixed with butter, eggs andhoney creating a cake-like loaf.

During the Middle Ages, onlythe very wealthy ate sweet bakedgoods similar to the cakes we havetoday. During the 15th century inBritain, people began to enjoyeating sweet dough made fromcream and butter. Baking nolonger belonged to the upperclasses during the 16th and 17thcenturies, so more people beganto bake and eat cakes and biscuits.

People enjoyed eating cakesfilled with butter, cream andraisins but they were very ‘stodgy’and heavy. It was during this timethat recipe books and cake tinsmade an appearance. It wasn’tuntil the 19th century, with theintroduction of baking powder,that cakes become lighter.

TYPES OF CAKESCakes are divided into differenttypes, mainly based on theiringredients and the way they aremixed.

Butter cakes are the type ofcake used for birthday cakes andeven wedding cakes.

They are made from creamedbutter, sugar, eggs and flour.

Sponge cakes, sometimes calledfoam cakes, get their volume fromthe beaten eggs rather than the useof baking powder. These cakes donot contain butter. Sponge cakesare believed to be the oldest type ofcake made without yeast.

CAKES FOR EVERYCELEBRATIONCakes can also be classifiedaccording to the occasion they arecelebrating.

WEDDING CAKESThe wedding cake is generallyserved at the wedding receptionafter the main dinner. Sometimeselaborate and often having manytiers, or levels, designs for weddingcakes have changed greatly over theyears.

For many years, wedding cakeswere tiers of fruit cakes topped withwhite marzipan and icing. It waswhen Queen Victoria used whiteicing on her wedding cake that theicing was called “royal icing”. Today,the wedding cake can be anything

Picture: Getty Images

Make your own choccie cakeThis Easy Chocolate Cakerecipe is perfect for thefirst-time cook. Make sure youhave an adult supervise.

Easy Chocolate CakeIngredients:� 1 cup self-raising flour (sifted)� 1⁄3 cup cocoa (sifted)� 1 cup caster sugar � 1⁄3 cup butter (softened)� ½ cup milk� 2 eggs (lightly beaten)

Method:1. Preheat oven to 180 degreesCelsius (160 degrees Celsiusfan-forced). Grease and flour orline a 24cm cake tin and setaside.2. Place all ingredients into abowl and, using a mixer, mix onhigh for 4 minutes.3. Pour into cake tin and bake for35-40 minutes or until the cakesprings back when lightlytouched in the centre.Simple Buttercream IcingWant to ice your cake? Try thiseasy recipe for SimpleButtercream Icing. You can add

flavours such as vanilla or cocoa. Ingredients:� 200g butter, softened� 2½ cups icing sugar mixture� 2 tablespoons milk

Method:1. With an electric mixer, beat thebutter until it is pale and fluffy2. Use the milk at the end to thinthe mixture. You will notice itmakes it puff up.3. Gradually beat in the icingmixture, half a cup at a time.

Source: Created by JenniferCheung for Kidspot Kitchen.

Let’s eat cake!Charlotte Penn, 12 of Perth,has been baking cakes sinceshe was six years old. ED!caught up with her and askedabout her yummy hobby.

ED!: What was the first cakeyou baked by yourself?Charlotte: My first attempt atbaking a Christmas fruit cake(using my nan’s recipe) bymyself was when I was aroundeight.I decorated it with royal icingand made a fondant snowmanand snowflakes using specialshape cutters.

ED!: Why do you like it somuch?Charlotte: Surprisingly, I don’treally eat cake but enjoy beingcreative with the decoratingside of baking. I like baking forfamily birthdays, specialholidays, decorating Christmasgingerbread houses or justcooking with my friends andmaking a mess.

ED!: If you could bake a cakefor anyone in the world,who would it be?Charlotte: If I could bake foranyone in the world it wouldbe JK Rowling as she is myhero. I would bake her a redvelvet cake and decorate itwith a Harry Potter-themedunicorn.

ED!: What three tips wouldyou give to young peoplewanting to start baking?Charlotte:1. Carefully follow recipes,especially with measurementsand cooking times.2. Have fun with decoratingusing fondant, edible glitter,food colouring and being asartistic as you can.3. Wait until the cake hascompletely cooled before icing— otherwise the buttercreamwill melt!

Most celebrations in life include the eating of cake. Heather Zubekputs on the kettle and brings out her best china so she can enjoy adelicious journey through the world of cakes.

ED! • 4 TOPIC: World of cakes Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Rochelle Smith, right.

A variety of cakes on show.

honey creating a cake-like loaf.

the very wealthy ate sweet bakedgoods similar to the cakes we havetoday. During the 15th century inBritain, people began to enjoyeating sweet dough made fromcream and butter. Baking nolonger belonged to the upperclasses during the 16th and 17thcenturies, so more people beganto bake and eat cakes and biscuits.

filled with butter, cream andraisins but they were very ‘stodgy’and heavy. It was during this timethat recipe books and cake tins

the very wealthy ate sweet bakedgoods similar to the cakes we havetoday. During the 15th century in

eating sweet dough made fromcream and butter. Baking no

classes during the 16th and 17thcenturies, so more people beganto bake and eat cakes and biscuits.

filled with butter, cream and

and heavy. It was during this timethat recipe books and cake tins

Bridesmaids would sleep with piecesof wedding cake under their pillow to

dream of their future husbandThe most expensive wedding cake costover $41 million. The cake was created

in New York and was covered indiamonds and jewels.

A slice of the Duke and Duchess ofWindsor’s 1937 wedding cake was sold

for nearly $30,000 in 1998.

3. Wait until the cake hascompletely cooled before icing— otherwise the buttercream

Did you know?Baking powder is a mixture

of acid and alkali which,when mixed with water,

releases carbon dioxide gasinto dough. These bubbles

expand as the dough cooks,causing it to rise and the

resulting cake to be lighter.

Tfresh fruit, and after some time inan oven, you have cake: thesweetest part of life’s celebrations.

LET’S EAT KAKA!The earliest cakes were actuallybread that was sweetened withhoney and nuts. The term “cake”goes as far back as the Vikings,from the Old Norse word “kaka”.

The ancient Greeks called cake,plakousword ancient Rome, basic bread doughwas mixed with butter, eggs andhoney creating a cake-like loaf.

bread that was sweetened withhoney and nuts. The term “cake”goes as far back as the Vikings,from the Old Norse word “kaka”.

plakousword ancient Rome, basic bread doughwas mixed with butter, eggs andhoney creating a cake-like loaf.was mixed with butter, eggs anddream of their future husband

Tfresh fruit, and after some time inan oven, you have cake: thesweetest part of life’s celebrations.

LET’S EAT KAKA!The earliest cakes were actuallybread that was sweetened withbread that was sweetened withhoney and nuts. The term “cake”goes as far back as the Vikings,from the Old Norse word “kaka”.

plakousword ancient Rome, basic bread doughwas mixed with butter, eggs and

goes as far back as the Vikings,from the Old Norse word “kaka”.

plakousword ancient Rome, basic bread doughwas mixed with butter, eggs and

Bridesmaids would sleep with piecesof wedding cake under their pillow to

dream of their future husband

Did youknow?

In Ancient Rome, thewedding cake made from

wheat or barley, wasbroken over the bride’shead in order to bring

good luck to the couple.

Around the World in Five Cakes!FIRST STOP GERMANYThe Black Forest Cake is calledSchwarzwalderkirschtorte inGermany and not named after thecountry’s famous Black Forestregion. The cake is named afterone of its ingredients: cherrybrandy. This chocolate spongecake with cream and cherries wasinvented in 1915.

MALAYSIAFancy eating a bright green cake?The Pandan Cake is a “chiffoncake” (light sponge cake) infusedwith the juice of the pandanuspalm.

MEXICOThe Tres Leches Cake is not forthose who have problemsdigesting milk. Tres Leches,meaning three milks, is a very lightsponge cake soaked in a mixture ofcondensed milk, evaporated milkand regular milk. It is then layeredwith a coat of whipped cream.

URUGUAYLooking a little like the pavlova weAustralians love for dessert, thePostre Chaja is a Uruguayan cakemade with layers of cake, creamand a peach encased in a shell ofmeringue. Invented during the

early 1900s, thePostre Chaja isnamed after thechaja, a SouthAmerican bird. Theoriginal recipe for thecake remains a secret withthe family which invented it.

JAPANLovers of the Japanese animecharacter Doraemon wouldrecognise the Dorayaki. This cakeis the cartoon robot cat’s biggestobsession. The Dorayaki is asponge sandwich filled with anko,a sweet azuki red bean paste.

Most celebrations in life include the eating of cake. Heather Zubek

Sponge cake. Picture: Iain Gillespie

Cakes on ShowWith the IGA Perth Royal Showjust around the corner, ED! chatswith one of the judges who hasthe tough job of deciding whichcakes wins a prize. RochelleSmith has been part of the IGAPerth Royal Show’s judging teamfor the past seven years.ED!: Have you always likedbaking? Rochelle: Yes, always, I lovedcooking with my Nana when Iwas a little Vegemite. She was agreat teacher, very patient. Myfavourite thing to make were herapricot balls, they were the mostdelicious treats, sooo yummy.Just thinking about them makesmy mouth water.ED!: Your favourite cake tobake and eat?Rochelle: Gosh, that’s a hardone. So many great cakes outthere. I love cooking pound cake;it’s a cake that has equalmeasures of butter, sugar, eggsand flour. You can then add anyflavours you like. Once youfollow the basic rules it’s acreative cake to bake.I also love a good carrot cake.ED!: What do you look forwhen judging a cake?Rochelle: There are four thingsto look for: overall appearance,texture, fragrance/aroma andflavour.ED!: Do you have a checklistthat you need to “tick off”?Rochelle: Yes, we have a judgingsheet for each cake so we canwrite down comments, good orbad, and scores. This helps if wehave a couple of cakes that arecontenders for the top prize. ED!: Have there been timeswhen the taste was “off” orjust dreadful?Rochelle: Unfortunately, yes.Sometimes the best-lookingcakes taste horrible. Generallyspeaking, dreadful tastes comefrom one of the ingredientsbeing tainted, stale or rancid, oran overpowering flavour.

from carrot cake to a chocolatemud cake covered in multicolouredicing and real flowers.

In some parts of America, twocakes are presented at thewedding: a bride’s cake and agroom’s cake. The groom’s cake isgenerally a dark cake like chocolate,and decorated in the shape of ahobby or favourite sports team.

A three-tierweddingcake. Picture:Getty Images

‘Wait untilthe cakehas . . .cooledbeforeicing.’

Simple Buttercream IcingWant to ice your cake? Try thiseasy recipe for Buttercream Icing

Let’s eat cake!Charlotte Pennhas been baking cakes sinceshe was six years old. ED!caught up with her and askedabout her yummy hobby.

ED!: What was the first cakeyou baked by yourself?Charlottebaking a Christmas fruit cake(using my nan’s recipe) bymyself was when I was aroundeight.I decorated it with royal icingand made a fondant snowmanand snowflakes using specialshape cutters. has been part of the IGA

Simple Buttercream IcingWant to ice your cake? Try thiseasy recipe for Buttercream Icing

Let’s eat cake!Charlotte Pennhas been baking cakes sinceshe was six years old. ED!caught up with her and askedabout her yummy hobby.

ED!: What was the first cakeyou baked by yourself?Charlottebaking a Christmas fruit cake(using my nan’s recipe) bymyself was when I was aroundeight.I decorated it with royal icingand made a fondant snowmanand snowflakes using specialshape cutters.

Cakes on ShowWith the IGA Perth Royal Showjust around the corner, ED! chatswith one of the judges who hasthe tough job of deciding which

Rochelle

Did you know?The idea of having cakes eaten to

celebrate birthdays has been around sinceancient Roman times when flat circular“cakes” made from flour and nuts and

sweetened with honey were eaten. But itwasn’t until the 15th century that the“modern” birthday cake was born in

Germany, when bakeries began sellingcakes for customers’ celebrations.

ED! • 5