Anzac Day treats: Wartime-inspired cakes and puddings
Move away from the traditional biccies and bully beef to get creative and delicious this Anzac Day, from Golden Syrup Vanilla Slice With Anzac Praline Crumble to WWII-era baking treats.
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Move away from the traditional biccies and bully beef to get creative and delicious this Anzac Day, from Anzac biscuit tiramisu to WWII-era baking treats.
But don’t worry, we also have some old faves, so you can take a leaf out of Nanna’s recipe book too and serve up some of these never-fail desserts that have been satisfying sweet cravings for generations.
MADEIRA CAKE
0:20 Prep, 0:45 Cook, 8 Servings, Capable cooks
INGREDIENTS
175g butter, softened
3/4 cup (155g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup (115g) self-raising flour
1/2 cup (55g) almond meal
1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
CANDIED LEMON SLICES
1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) water
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
LEMON ICING
1 1/2 cups (230g) icing sugar mixture, sifted
1 tablespoon lemon juice
METHOD
Step 1
Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line the base and sides of an 8 x 20cm loaf pan.
Step 2
Use an electric mixer to beat butter, sugar, lemon rind and cinnamon in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour, almond meal and lemon juice and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Step 3
Spoon into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 4
To make the candied lemon, combine sugar and water in a frying pan over low heat, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Add lemon. Simmer, turning occasionally, for 5-7 minutes or until syrup thickens and lemon is translucent. Gently transfer lemon to a lined oven tray to cool.
Step 5
To make icing, combine icing sugar and juice in a small bowl to form a runny paste. Pour over top of cake, allowing it to drizzle down the sides. Allow icing to set for 1 hour.
Step 6
Top with lemon slices and serve, or store in an airtight container for up to three days.
TRADITIONAL STRAWBERRY SANDWICH CAKE
0:20 Prep, 0:20 Cook, 8 Servings, Easy
INGREDIENTS
200g butter, at room temperature, chopped
200g caster sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g (1 1/3 cups) self-raising flour
160g (1/2 cup) strawberry jam
300ml thickened cream, whipped to firm peaks
Icing sugar, to dust
Fresh strawberries, to serve
METHOD
Step 1
Preheat oven to 180/160C fan forced. Grease two round 20cm (base measurement) cake pans and line the bases with baking paper.
Step 2
Use electric beaters to beat the butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Step 3
Sift the flour over the butter mixture and use a silicon spatula to fold through until evenly combined. Be careful not to overmix. Divide the mixture evenly between the cake pans.
Step 4
Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden and springy to a gentle touch. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the cakes to loosen and turn out onto wire racks. Carefully invert cakes on rack so it is right way up and set aside to cool completely.
Step 5
Place one of the cakes on a serving plate and spread with the jam. Dollop with the whipped cream and place the other cake gently on top. Dust with icing sugar. Serve with fresh strawberries.
BAKED RICE PUDDING
0:10 Prep, 1:15 Cook, 4 Servings, Capable cooks.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups (500ml) milk
300ml thin cream
1/2 cup (110g) calrose or arborio rice, rinsed, drained
1/3 cup (70g) caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
2 egg yolks
Pinch of Masterfoods Ground Nutmeg
METHOD
Step 1
Preheat oven to 160°C. Combine milk, cream, rice, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until mixture just comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes for the flavours to infuse.
Step 2
Remove and discard cinnamon. Add egg yolks; stir to combine. Pour rice mixture into a 4-cup (1 litre) capacity ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or until rice is tender and custard is set. Remove and set aside for 10 minutes to rest before serving.
PEAR AND APPLE CRUMBLE
0:30 Prep, 0:15 Cook, 4 Servings, Capable cooks
INGREDIENTS
3 (600g) Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into wedges
3 (650g) Williams pears, peeled, cored, cut into wedges
1/4 teaspoon Masterfoods Ground Cinnamon
1/4 cup maple-flavoured syrup
1/3 cup dried cranberries
TOPPING
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup plain flour
1 tablespoon vanillin sugar (see note)
80g butter, chilled, chopped
METHOD
Step 1
Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Place apple, pear, cinnamon, syrup and cranberries in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until apple is just tender, stirring halfway during cooking. Carefully spoon mixture into a 6cm-deep, 6 cup-capacity ovenproof dish.
Step 2
Make topping: Combine oats, flour and sugar in a bowl. Using fingertips, rub butter into oat mixture until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over fruit mixture. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Stand for 5 minutes. Serve.
LEMON LOAF
0:10 Prep, 0:50 Cook, 8 Servings, Capable cooks
INGREDIENTS
125g butter, softened
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 large lemon, rind finely grated, juiced
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1/2 cup milk
METHOD
Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 6cm deep, 19cm x 10cm (base) loaf pan.
Step 2
Using an electric mixer, cream butter, 1 cup of sugar and rind until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Step 3
Add half the flour and half the milk to egg mixture. Gently stir to combine. Fold in remaining flour and milk. Spoon mixture into loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Step 4
Combine remaining sugar and 1/3 cup of lemon juice. Pour over hot loaf while still in pan. Stand in pan until cooled.
Leftover Anzac biscuits? Here’s the perfect way to turn them into a sweet treat.
MAGIC NO BAKE ANZAC CAKE
6:25 Prep, 0:10 Cook, 12 Servings, Easy
600ml thickened cream
500g cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup CSR Golden Syrup
1 tablespoon powdered gelatine
300g packet Anzac biscuits
1/4 cup CSR Dark Brown Sugar
20g butter, chopped
1/4 cup flaked almonds, toasted
METHOD
Step 1
Grease a 20cm round (base) springform pan. Line side with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above edge of pan.
Step 2
Using an electric mixer, beat 2 cups cream until just-firm peaks form. In a separate bowl and using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, caster sugar, vanilla and 1/2 the golden syrup for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth.
Step 3
Place 2 1/2 tablespoons hot water in a small bowl. Sprinkle over gelatine. Stir until dissolved. Beat gelatine mixture into cheese mixture. Fold in whipped cream.
Step 4
Place 1/3 of the biscuits over base of prepared pan. Top with 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers with remaining biscuits and cheese mixture. Cover. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
Step 5
Combine brown sugar, butter, and remaining syrup and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium. Bring to the boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until thickened. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Cool for 15 minutes. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Step 6
Remove cake from pan and transfer to a plate. Smooth side with a spatula. Drizzle with 1/2 the sauce and decorate with almonds. Serve with remaining sauce.
PARFAIT WITH ROSEMARY AND ALMOND SUGAR BARK
0:20 Prep, 0:25 Cook, 6 Servings, Capable cooks
INGREDIENTS
2 large bananas, peeled, sliced
250g fresh raspberries, or frozen raspberries, thawed
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1kg thick Greek yoghurt
6 Anzac biscuits, coarsely chopped
SUGAR BARK
70g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
1-2 tablespoons natural sliced almonds
METHOD
Step 1
Combine the banana, raspberries and maple syrup in a bowl and gently toss to combine. Set aside.
Step 2
For the sugar bark, preheat oven to 220C/200C fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spread the sugar over the paper in a thin, even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the sugar dissolves and is light golden. Scatter with the rosemary and almond. Set aside for 10 minutes to set and break into shards.
Step 3
Layer the yoghurt, banana mixture and Anzac biscuit in serving glasses or jars and top with the sugar bark shards.
Golden Syrup Vanilla Slice With Anzac Praline Crumble
This classic dessert gets a makeover with lashings of golden syrup and a crunchy Anzac crumble topping, in a recipe that has been a trending hit for delicious. online all week — we can’t imagine why …
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup (50g) plain flour
40g brown sugar
½ cup (45g) rolled oats
2 tbs desiccated coconut
40g unsalted butter, chopped
1 1/4 cup (310ml) golden syrup, plus extra to drizzle
4 sheets store-bought frozen butter puff pastry, thawed
1.8L thickened cream
200ml coconut cream
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
1 tbs vanilla bean paste
10 titanium strength gelatine leaves, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes
PRALINE (OPTIONAL)
150g caster sugar
1 tbs desiccated coconut, toasted
1 tbs rolled oats, toasted
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a large baking tray and line with baking paper. To make the crumble, combine the flour, brown sugar, oats and coconut in a large bowl with a small pinch of salt. Add butter and rub mixture in with your fingers to combine. Add 1 tbs golden syrup and stir to combine. Spread on prepared tray and bake, stirring occasionally, for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool completely, then crush into a crumble. Set aside.
2. Increase oven temperature to 200°C. Place each pastry sheet on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cover with another sheet of baking paper. Top with another baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes, turning the tray around once so the colour is even, or until pastry is golden brown. Transfer each sheet of pastry to a wire rack to cool completely. (You will need to do this in batches depending on the size of your trays and your oven).
3. Grease a 22cm square cake pan and line with a triple layer of baking paper, greasing in between each layer so they stick together, and leaving enough excess baking paper to overhang the sides. Trim cooked pastry sheets with a pair of kitchen scissors to fit snugly in the cake pan (they should only need to be trimmed about 5mm).
4. Meanwhile, to make the filling, place 600ml cream, coconut cream, sugar, ½ cup (125ml) golden syrup and the vanilla paste in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring regularly to dissolve the sugar and golden syrup. Squeeze excess water from gelatine, then remove cream mixture from heat and stir gelatine into the cream mixture until melted and combined. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Stir in 600ml cold cream, then cover surface directly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour 30 minutes to softly set (to speed up the process, place the bowl over another bowl half filled with ice).
5. Place the remaining 600ml cream and ½ cup (125ml) golden syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed for 1 minute or until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Add the set cream mixture to the stand mixer bowl and whisk until smooth. Fold the whipped cream into the set cream mixture in 2 batches until smooth.
6. Place 1 pastry sheet in base of prepared pan. Spoon half of the filling mixture over the pastry sheet, ensuring the filling gets into edges, and smooth the top with a small cranked palette knife or the back of a spoon. Press second pastry sheet on top. Spread with remaining 2 tbs golden syrup and top with the third pastry sheet. Spoon remaining filling mixture over the pastry, smooth out, then press fourth pastry sheet on top. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight until set.
7. For the praline, line a baking tray with foil. Place sugar in a small non-stick frypan over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling the pan, for 3-4 minutes until sugar has completely dissolved and mixture is a golden caramel colour. Scatter over the coconut and oats and carefully pour mixture over the prepared tray, tipping the tray to form a nice thin layer. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes or until hard and set, then break into small shards.
8. Use the overhanging paper to help remove the vanilla slice from the pan. Pour over extra golden syrup and scatter with crumble and praline. Scatter with salt flakes. Best eaten within a day or two of making.
