It is customary to eat cake on birthdays in Afrikaans homes and mothers are responsible for organising the birthday traditions when the whole family gathers for tea in the mid-afternoon and then later for dinner. On these days the matriarch rules the day and no excuses for non-arrival to these events are accepted. The celebration of the day a child was born is a serious matter and the food the cornerstone of the day. Children wake up excitedly very early in the morning to wait for their gifts and the feeling of excitement experienced on these days is usually carried into adulthood because the process is simply repeated again.

Because the Afrikaner believes that children are gifts from God – much as we all do, they use any excuse to spoil them and, I suspect, themselves with these traditional cakes. Many of the cakes originated in other countries – South Africa is a very young country and consists of many cultures. The Afrikaner came mainly from Holland but also Germany and France.

LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Ingredients

• 250 g sweetened evaporated milk
• 65 ml castor sugar
• 3 medium sized lemons
• 3 eggs.
• Baked pie crust

Method

Pre heat oven to 180 C

• Remove zest and juice of the lemons
• Separate the eggs.
• Whisk egg yolks, lemon zest and lemon juice until the mixture becomes thick and creamy and add to whisked evaporated milk.
• Pour into a baked pastry shell of your choice (short crust or biscuit).
• Using a clean bowl whisk together the egg whites and castor sugar until the mixture forms stiff peaks – take care not to whisk too much because the meringue mixture may be too dry.
• Spoon the meringue mixture on to the lemon filling without smoothing the top.
• Remove and allow to cool.
• There is only one thing to drink with this and that is a good strong cup of tea!

DOUBLE MOCCA CHOCOLATE TORTE

Ingredients

• 225 g really dark Lindt chocolate, chopped
• 50 g unsalted butter, chopped
• 2 tablespoons best quality instant coffee powder
• 50 raisins, soaked in a little cognac or brandy
• 50 g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• 50 g pistachios, roughly chopped
• 60ml Kahlua
• 150 ml cream, lightly whipped
• 150 g sponge finger biscuits (boudoir or savoiardi), chopped
• Unsweetened cocoa powder to dust

Method

• Line a 26 cm spring form cake tin with cling wrap, pack firmly and make sure that you leave a large piece hanging over the sides.
• Put the chocolate and the butter over a fireproof bowl and simmer in a saucepan to melt, whisking constantly until smooth.
• Add the instant coffee and whisk until everything is dissolved at which point you add the raisins, hazelnuts, pistachios and the Kahlua, combine well and allow to cool down to room temperature.
• Fold in the whipped cream and the chopped finger biscuits and spoon this mixture into the prepared cake tin, making sure that everything is level.
• Cover with the cling wrap and put in the fridge overnight.
• Remove from the fridge, turn out onto a suitable plate, dust with the cocoa and slice to serve with coffee or as desert.
• It’s very very rich so cut into small slices!

MERINGUES AND CREAM

Ingredients

• 6 egg whites, at room temperature
• 350g caster sugar
• 300ml sweet cream, to be whisked into firm peak stage
• 100 g unsalted, roasted pistachio nuts, crushed
• 2 lemons, zest only

Preheat the oven to 150C

Method

• Place the egg whites into a large clean bowl, add 110g sugar
• Whisk together into soft peaks
• Continuing to whisk, gradually add another 110g sugar, a spoonful at a time, until the mixture forms stiff peaks and fold in the remaining sugar taking care not to whisk too much
• Form 20 large spoonfuls of the meringue onto 2 baking sheets lined with non-stick baking paper and bake in the oven for 15 minutes
• Lower the oven temperature to 110C and dry for a further 3  or more hours until very crisp and dry
• Leave to cool, then store in an air tight tin.
• Whisk cream as per instructions above and fold zest and nuts into the cream.
• Sandwhich together two meringues at a time and pile high onto a cake stand.

Delicious with good Brazilian filter coffee to end off an afternoon of cake eating!