Teacake Australis: #1

Teacakes are a genre all their own with many subspecies. In fact, someone has even decided to make it the topic of debate. The quote below indicates a particularly British perspective: The Teacake is a flat, roughly circular item with a diameter of about 15cm made out of bread, with a smooth brown upper surface and a somewhat lighter underside. If the item contains currants then it is a Currant Teacake. When sliced roughly in half and filled with chips (french fries for our American friends) then it becomes a Chip Buttie.

Miss Eagle is discussing here Teacake Australis - the variety that has traditionally graced morning and afternoon tea tables for generations of Australians. These days they are not seen too often. There are few morning and afternoon teas with visitors or workers' smokoes as in years gone by. Restaurants serve luxury cakes with tea or coffee but the humble and satisfying teacake is seldom seen.

Teacake Australis is a plain but sweet cake. It usually involves a topping of cinnamon and sugar and frequently includes apples. It can be served plain but is often buttered. Of course, if one wanted to live dangerously one could always pour over some cream - but that requires a spoon and moves the cake away from its plain, sweet, and utilitarian purpose. Teacake Australis is also, as a rule, a small cake. This again is an oddity in this age of supersizing everything. But this refers to its use for morning teas - quick to make, best eaten straightaway and warm with butter melting on it, and preferrably none left afterwards.

Miss Eagle's Apple & Orange Teacake has its origin in an oversight and is based on the traditional Madeira Mixture. The oversight? Miss Eagle had run out of Pure Vanilla Extract and forgotten to replace it. So in came the orange juice. Miss Eagle used a 6oz basic measurement (usually there is a 2oz basic measurement) because she didn't have a small tin. She used a 22cm springform pan.

APPLE & ORANGE TEACAKE

Ingredients:

• 180 grams/6oz butter
• 180 grams/6oz sugar
• 2 eggs
• Juice and grated rind of 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon of powdered milk
• 180 grams/6oz self-raising flower
• 2 Granny Smith apples: peeled, quartered and sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• Cinnamon
• Brown sugar

Method

• Cream butter and sugar
• Add eggs
• Add juice and rind
• Add powdered milk
• Fold in flour
• Place mixture evenly in a greased and floured 22 cm springform pan
• Place apple slices decoratively across the top of the mixture so that the top is entirely covered with apple.
• Brush the apple slices with melted butter.
• Sprinkle brown sugar over the apple slices.
• Sprinkle cinnamon over the brown sugar
• Bake in a very moderate oven about 180 degrees Celsius for approximately 40 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly but not completely. Serve plain but bring out the butter too for those who prefer this option. Enjoy!