White Chocolate & Mango Cake

~Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 cup white chocolate bits
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup sugar
2-3 mangoes

~Method
Combine flour, salt, baking powder and ginger in a mixing bowl. Set aside. In a double broiler, over a low flame, melt white chocolate bits with butter. Add eggs, cream, coconut milk, and sugar. Stir occasionally over low flame until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add to dry ingredients, and stir until well-combined. Add mangoes, and gently fold until just mixed. Bake in a greased or lined 9"-13" loaf pan in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

~Frosting
1 8-oz block cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/ cup shredded coconut, sweetened
1 teaspoon vanilla

~Method
Beat cream cheese and coconut milk together, by hand or with an electric mixer, until they come together. Add confectioners sugar, shredded coconut, and vanilla, and continue to beat until soft peaks form.

Let cake cool and dry at least 1 hour. Frost the top and sides of cake with creamy coconut frosting. Garnish with extra coconut and/or fresh mango slices, if desired.

Serve with a sweet tropical drink, such as pina colada.

Carrot Ginger Cake

~ Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger (not powdered!)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Myer's Rum or 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice (Jamaican preferred)
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 lbs peeled, grated carrots (4 cups)
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons melted butter

~Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour or spray 2 8 inch round cake pans with Baker's Joy. (If using butter and flour, tap out the excess).

Mix together flour, sugar, and spices in a large bowl. Add lightly beaten eggs and oil, grated carrots and remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.

Pour batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.

Bake in preheated oven until cake tester or toothpick inserted in center is nearly clean when removed, approximately 25 minutes.

Allow cake to cool, then remove from pan and frost with cream cheese frosting (see below).

Variation: Use orange flavoring instead of vanilla or rum.

~Frosting

12 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioner's sugar (slightly more if needed)

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on high speed. Gradually beat in the sugar at reduced speed. Add more or less sugar to achieve desired consistency.

Spread first cake round with 1/3 frosting for the bottom, add the second layer and use remaining frosting on top or sides.

If desired, sprinkle with flaked coconut or chopped nuts before serving.

Raya's Special - Cashewnut Cookies

Ingredients:
# 175g butter
# 125g castor sugar
# 1 tsp vanilla essence
# 1 egg yolk

Combine:
# 200g plain flour, sifted
# 40g desiccated coconut
# 1/2 tsp salt
# 50g cashewnuts, split

For glaze:
# 1 small egg, lightly beaten

Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a cookie tray with non-stick parchment or greased greaseproof paper. Cream butter, sugar, vanilla essence and egg yolk until light.

Stir in sifted flour, salt and coconut to combine into a dough. Roll out dough in between two plastic sheets to 3/4cm thickness.

Stamp out with a cookie cutter and place on prepared trays. Brush lightly with beaten egg and place a piece of cashewnut in the centre of each cookie.

Bake in preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Leave on the tray for one to two minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

Raya's Special - Apricot Ginger Cookies

Ingredients:
# 150g butter
# 75g grated gula Melaka
# 25g castor sugar
# 1 egg yolk
# 75g dried apricots, finely chopped

Combine and sift:
# 200g plain flour
# 1 tbsp cornflour
# 2 tbsp ginger powder

Method:
1. Grease baking trays with butter or corn oil. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Cream butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in egg yolk until light and fluffy.

3. Add sifted flour and apricots and mix well. Roll out in between plastic sheets and cut out with a cookie cutter. Place on prepared trays.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes. Leave cookies on baking tray for one to two minutes, then transfer onto wire rack to cool.

Almond Rose Pound Cake

What are the ingredients?

- 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon rose water
- 1/4 cup rose jam
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- powdered sugar, for dusting

Servings

12-16 servings

How to cook?

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9-inch tube pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Put the pieces of butter into the large bowl of an electric mixer and set aside about 15 minutes to soften.

3. Grind almonds finely in a food processor or blender and set aside.

4. When butter has softened, cream with sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.

5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

6. Stir together flour and salt. Slowly add to the creamed mixture, beating until batter is smooth.

7. Remove about a third of the batter and add rose water and jam, stirring until smooth.

8. Stir the ground almonds and almond extract into the remaining batter.

9. Spoon half of the almond batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.

10. Spoon all of rose batter into the pan, spreading evenly. Then top with remaining almond batter and spread until smooth.

11. Bake cake on center oven rack 50 to 60 minutes or until it tests done. Cool cake in pan 15 minutes, then run a knife around the outside edge and also around the center tube. Invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

12. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

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