Anyone for tea? ....CARYL's MUFFIN CAKE

This post is dedicated to my special friend - Liz Humphris - but I know she won't mind if any other friends elect to try out this recipe too. :)

Liz and I were having a cup of tea the other day and I was telling her how much I enjoy muffins.  I've been toying with a recipe for a while now with the objective of creating the perfect muffin (for my own personal taste).  I prefer a chunkier muffin - one that resembles a carrot/banana cake. Well, I think I've finally perfected my recipe.  Yummy!

Last Friday, however, I was a little short of time but I wasn't going to forfeit the opportunity of whipping up something sweet for the family to enjoy over the weekend.

At the point where I was supposed to turn the mixture out into the muffin pan, I decided to go out on a limb and use a cake tin instead. (You know the cake tin with the hole in the midde?  The name escapes me at the moment) . Well the result was outstanding, so I then decided to add a simple cream cheese icing.

The bottom line:

My family loved it!  Not a crumb left! :)

Well, here is the recipe - for Liz and anyone else who would like to give it a try. Remember, if you prefer not to make a cake, then apportion the mixture into muffin pans - either way is good

---xXx--- 

CARYL's MUFFIN CAKE

DRY INGREDIENTS                                  WET INGREDIENTS

2 Cups Cake                                                2 eggs
1 Cup Sugar                                                1/3 cup cooking oil
3 tsp Baking Powder                                     1 cup Milk
Pinch salt                                                     1 mashed banana
1 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
Handful raisins
Handfull seed mix (**see note on seed mixture below)
1 Large grated carrot (or 2 small ones)

Preheat oven: 180 degrees Centigrade.
Mix together the dry ingredients and make a well in the middle.  Mix the wet ingredients together and smooth over with a blender.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and put it into a 'bunt-type' cake tin. (see picture above)  Bake approximately 50 minutes (until the mixture has risen and lightly browned, and when it is starting to pull away from the sides of the tin.  Remove the tin from the oven and allow to cool before turning out onto a wire rack.  Allow the cake to cool totally before icing it.

***I buy a ready mixed 'seed mixture' ('DISCHEM' in South Africa) with all kinds of seeds - sesame, alfafa, sunflower, pumpkin, etc  The choice is yours.  Nuts also work well.

CREAM CHEESE ICING

60 g margarine (Softened at room temp)
125 g Smooth cream cheese
approx 500 ml (2 cups) Icing sugar (sifted)
1 tsp lemon juice
Nuts to sprinkle.

Cream margarine and Icing sugar together.  Add cream cheese and vanilla and mix to smooth consistency.  If it gets too runny, leave it in the fridge for a while before icing the cake.

Finally...put on the kettle and invite your family to enjoy your delicious cake.

(I apologise for not photographing the final cake, but it's still busy cooling.  I wanted to get this recipe up quickly in time for anyone who wants to give it a bash in time for the weekend.  I'll try and take a photo later and add it to this post)

Enjoy!

Sending lotsaluv

Caryl

xxx

Teach us how to pray...

Hello there, dear friends,

Have you ever been in a situation when you wanted to pray, but you didn't know how or where to start?  I was looking at the sunrise the other day and experienced this.

I have been a Christian for most of my life.  As a young child, I was brought up in the teachings of the Anglican and Methodist churches. The religious rituals had a great impact on me during that time - they were so entrenched that they had became second nature. In times of angst, I would launch into the Lord's prayer without so much as a second thought.

Much has changed over the years.  My faith, at times, has wavered.  Often, I have been left with deep spiritual despondency.  At other times, my heart has soared. Always, however, there have been unsaid prayers in my heart and the knowledge that our God is so faithful and ready to listen.

So, you can imagine my dismay when I really wanted to pray but couldn't remember how.

 My memory was tweaked when I imagined the crowd asking Jesus how they should pray and how, at that sermon on the mount, He taught them... 

It was a shock to me to realise that I had forgotten some of the words. 

I wonder if there is anyone else who has experienced this... perhaps you, my friend, are one of them?

For this reason, I selected this beautiful sunrise photograph (taken from my home the other morning) and added the words of that beautiful prayer. "The Lord's Prayer" has never failed to encompass my many, hundreds of prayers. Perhaps it will bless you today, in the same way.

May the peace of God be with you today, dear friend.  

Consider yourself hugged.

With love

Caryl