Following on from my last two blogs on afternoon tea, I feel it remiss that I haven’t shared with you our signature carrot cake recipe that is so often asked for! I have also started to add the metric equivalent to make it easier for everyone outside Africa!
As you will know, afternoon tea at Londolozi is a ritual. It’s about savouring that last moment before your afternoon safari. Standing on your camp’s deck over-looking the river, indulging in a piece of something delicious, whilst sipping on a cup of tea or quaffing a Rooibos Gin & Ginger Ale – both work with a cake!
A typical afternoon tea at Londolozi Founder’s Camp. With a kick of gin and a view to die for, there really is no better way to indulge.
Londolozi Carrot Cake:
Ingredients
1 Cup Flour
¾ Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
¾ Teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Salt
150ml / 5.07oz Oil
2 Eggs
1 Cup Grated Carrot
¼ Cup Rough chopped pecan nuts
350g / 12oz Grated Pineapple
Icing
2 Cups Cream Cheese
1 Cup Icing Sugar
Handful Chopped Walnuts
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C / 350 F
Put all dry ingredients together in a mixer and blend.
Add eggs and oil.
Mix for 30 second until ingredients have combined.
Fold in carrots, nuts and pineapple.
Bake for ± 1-1 ½ hours
For the icing – mix all ingredients together in a blender until combined. Liberally smear the cream cheese icing on top, and garnish with chopped walnuts!
A Londolozi firm favourite, the unbeatable Carrot Cake.
LONDOLOZI’S CHIFFON CAKE:
Ingredients
6 Eggs, separated
240g / 8.46oz Flour
200g / 7.02oz Sugar
100g / 3.5oz Castor Sugar
15ml / 0.50oz Baking Powder
125ml / 4.22 oz Cooking Oil
2 Tsp Vanilla Essence
3/4 Cup Water
Icing
200g / 7.02oz Butter, softened
100g / 3.5oz Icing Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
8 Granadilla (passionfruit), pulp only (optional)
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C / 350 F
In a large mixing bowl. Mix together the water, oil, vanilla essence and egg yolks.
In a separate bowl sift together flour and baking powder. Add the sugar.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, and then fold in the egg whites gently to incorporate air into the mixture.
Place into a greased cake tin and bake for approximately 35- 45 minutes, until the cake is cooked through. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before removing the cake from the tin.
For the icing – cream the butter and icing sugar until combined. Add the vanilla essence and ¾ of the passion fruit (optional). Spoon the icing on the cooled cake and drizzle a little remaining passionfruit pulp on top.
The lemon chiffon cake in all its glory. Light and fluffy, this makes a perfect treat before an afternoon game drive.
I also mentioned in my last blog – The Delights of Afternoon Tea, the simple deliciousness of the Vanilla & Citrus Chiffon Cake. This is a firm favourite with many of our staff who hit the decks on this tea day. Even more so with the Varty Family who add a secret additional ingredient to the mix, namely fresh passionfruit, stirred in to replace the citrus!
Coming soon to the food part of the Londolozi blog will be the White Chocolate & Amarula Dessert featured in last week’s Relais & Châteaux blog! We’ve had a number of requests for it subsequently and we’ll be happy to share this new addition to the menu.
Happy Baking!
Thank you so much for the recipes Anna. The chiffon cake is one of my favourites.
Thanks Marinda! hope you enjoy them
Thank you, Anna! I also found the cookbook at the airport! Woke up at home in L.A. this morning and missed your banana bread.