Minichefs: How to make a flag cake
A flag cake is the perfect offering from a rugby game attending baker, guaranteed to garner high fives and up the mzanzi festivity at braais. The particular specimen pictured above was devoured enthusiastically at Yuppiechef HQ yesterday, and we can vouch for the delight of eating our national flag with tea.
This particular recipe makes a large cake, perfect for a generous rectangular baking tray or tin (or beer box lined with grease proof paper, they don’t catch fire, we promise).
Ingredients (easily feeds 12)
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 cup warm water
6 eggs, separated
2 cups flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp cocoa powder
Tools required:
Electric beater or stand mixer
2 large bowls
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Sieve
Spatula
Baking tray – 35cm x 28cm x 5cm
Method:
1. Set oven to 180°C.
2. With an electric mixer, whisk 6 egg whites until they begin to form peaks. Tip out into another clean bowl.
3. Using the electric mixer again, beat together the sugar, oil, water and egg yolks.
4. Into a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa.
5. Sift your dry ingredients again, into the wet mixture and beat for a short time until the flour is incorporated.
6. Gently fold the egg whites into the mixture using a spatula. (This incorporates air to make a light, fluffy cake, so you don’t want to beat it up and break all the air bubbles.)
7. Grease the edges and then line the base of the baking tray with baking paper.
8. Pour in the mixture and bake for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean, then tip out onto a cooling rack and remove the baking paper.
10. Cool completely before icing. And South African flagify.
If you make this or any other Rugby World Cup celebratory confection, we’d love to see it – share your snaps on our Facebook page.