My darling man is really looking forward to returning soon to his work driving milk tankers. He had a work accident and has since been recovering from a tendon repair. He had the op just over five months ago. It has been a long time away from work and and his mates on his shift.S o o o o one of the things he has done to keep in touch with them has been to go down to their middle night shift team meeting. Since most guys find home baking hard to resist so he has gone with two, usually 'still warm' chocolate cakes to share for 'smoko'. For those of you younger ones who may not know - 'smoko' is a term that used to mean 'a break from work to have a smoke' and then later it was more inclined to mean ' a short break from work to have a cuppa and something to eat.'
I have been making a real basic, economical recipe from my old Edmond's Cookbook. Even so it comes out to be a really light, spongy, tasty, old school chocolate cake. Perfect with a bit of chocolate icing and some coconut sprinkled on top! Hey 'old-school' is good - just like Mum used to make and all that - in fact I use my mother-in-laws old cake tin which I love! It's dented and battered and thin in places from years of cake making. It always reminds me of her and all the lovingly created baking and meals she must have made over the years for a family of 12! It's a family treasure of sorts! I like the feeling of being linked with her - she was a lovely lady - happy with home and family and helping people in need. For years she did 'meals on wheels' right into her old age! She was quite unwell in the last couple of years of her life due to a brain tumour. The first thing she said, one time when we were all sat around her hospital bed waiting for her to 'come around' after a turn was, "Has everybody had something to eat?". That says it all really doesn't it! Today I made her famous Christmas Cake.... but that's another story!
One Egg Chocolate Sponge.
50 gms butter
1 Dessertspn Golden Syrup
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBLSPN Cocoa
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
a few drops of vanilla essence
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp baking soda
Melt butter and syrup, add egg and sugar, beat well; then flour, cocoa and baking powder previously sifted together. Add vanilla essence and lastly baking soda dissolved in the milk. Bake 30 - 40 minutes at 190 deg C.
Thats not what "darling man" told me. I think he pretends to go to work but really goes around to Rays and they scoff the lot when you and Helen aren't looking. He invited me but I knew when I got there , there would only be crumbs.
ReplyDeleteBut just in case Im wrong , would you like to come and work with me "darling man?"
You bring the cakes , I'll do coffee.
Ciao
Interesting theory!Cakes for coffee sounds like a good deal!
ReplyDeleteI love the connection here with the baking tin and your lovely mother-in-law. The tales it could tell if only it could talk! It just harks back to a time when most mothers baked and everyone had their favorite things. I remember my brother just loved chocolate custard and how the rest of us would groan when it was dished up for pudding. lov helen
ReplyDeleteThis is the best chocolate cake recipe ever - and so simple. It's the only one I ever use. I double the cocoa though to make it extra rich :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! Never thought of that - must try next time I make it! Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDelete