Interestingly, while the Queen Elizabeth II is officially the sovereign of Australia (her image on all Aussie coins and $5 notes), the country can't seem to decide on when to celebrate her birthday. But we shan't concern ourselves with other states, or even New Zealand (unless we move there), we'll stick with what New South Wales has decided. Which is the 8th of June, this year.
My Mama was visibly upset when some TV personalities made fun of the Queen today. She said while any public figure is fair game, people should observe some temperance and show respect when they talk about senior citizens. Especially someone as old as the Queen. She's like more than 80 years old now, I think.
Instead of cursing the comedians, my Mama went to the kitchen and baked a cake! It's an orange butter cake. Well, orange is in season now and we happen to have a few Navel oranges in the kitchen. Luckily Mama has all the other ingredients too. She didn't even refer to any of her huge stack of recipe books to make this cake.
"It's a recipe that I've memorised since I was 10," she explained.
Apparently because my Mama loves eating this particular cake since she was a young girl, her mother (technically my late and lamented Grandma) taught her to make it. Those were the days before cake mixers and electric ovens, Mama said, so she had to learn it the very hard way. I've written the recipe here so it will become an archivable written document. Smart, aren't I?
Brad, as usual, is Mama's official food taster. We have a nickname for him - JJ Richards. That's the name of the contractor that collects our garbage on behalf of the Canterbury City Council every Tuesday morning. Of course Brad loves the cake. It has butter and milk in it. Super yummy, he said, better than the Magnums.
The cake...would the Queen accept it if my Mama sends it to Buckingham Palace?
The cake is now covered! To deter us from getting our paws on it?
Here's the recipe: ORANGE BUTTER CAKE
Ingredients:
250g butter
200g raw sugar
250g self raising flour
5 large eggs
100ml milk
rind from 1 orange (grated)
juice from 1 orange
Method:
1. Pre-heat oven at 170oC, grease and line a round or square cake tin.
2. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy and sugar has dissolved.
3. Beat one egg at a time into the butter and sugar mixture.
4. Mix in orange rind and juice.
5. Mix in half of flour, put in milk, beat, and finish with rest of flour.
6. Pour mixture into cake tin.
7. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!!!
