I always believed I could only bake with an oven, then I was told about the sand method. That was placing the pot with the cake mixture in a bigger pot and surrounding it with sand and covering the bigger pot and placing it on the stove or a jiko.
However, I was introduced to a simpler method. I got to know it from my younger cousin. Thank you Gift!
N.B.: Before I start out I’d like to say that the method is not full proof yet. Or rather I have not mastered how to make bigger cakes, so I will only limit it to smaller cakes. Use 2 cups of flour as the maximum.
Alright, and off we go into this adventure
WORDS TO NOTE
SUFURIA – COOKING POT
MWIKO – WOODEN COOKING STICK
It is divided into three parts
- Icing
- Preparing the cake mixture
- The baking method.
Things you need
- A simple recipe – Your choice or follow mine.
- Time approximately – 1 hour including prep time
Tools to aid you in this endeavour
- Sufuria(pot)
- Covering Lid * 2 + 1 is for icing
- Brown paper or any equivalent
- Cooking stick (mwiko)
- Spoon
- Mixing bowls* 2 – 1 small 1 large +1 is for the icing
- Mixer – if you intend on making icing
- Gas cooker
- 2 bowls + 1 for icing
- Measuring cup
- Fork/ skewer – For checking whether the cake is ready.
- Refrigeration – for icing (To give it a better texture – mostly preference based )
- Cooling Rack
Icing- egg-less
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 2 table spoons of double cream- or whipping cream or heavy cream/ sour according to your preference *
- 2 table spoons of butter / margarine whatever you prefer (solid)
- 3 teaspoons essence – of your choice
- Coconut oil – optional*
- 2 teaspoons – grated Lemon rind – optional*
With the lemon rind, I use it because it gives a nice variation with the taste, coconut; sweet, lemon tangy.
Mixture Prep
- 2 cups – self raising flour
- ½ cup – sugar
- 1 egg / for eggless two table spoons of vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 2 tablespoons of butter/ margarine –preferably melted if you don’t intend on using an electric mixer.
- 3 table spoons – grated Lemon rind (optional)
- 1 cup of milk /water / half strength (half milk half water) – according to preference
I use prestige margarine because it doesn’t alter the taste of my cake.
If you don’t like butter or margarine, you can use yoghurt or maziwa lala (sour milk) to substitute it for moisture.
Baking
- 2 teaspoons butter / margarine/ cooking oil
Again, I like margarine because it doesn’t alter my taste – You decide.
The preparation will be broken into three parts.
Part 1- Icing
If you do not have plans to ice skip to the second part.
- Pour all the ingredients into a bowl.
- Beat them lightly with electric mixer until they form a smooth consistency.
- Cover with lid and place it in the fridge while you do the rest of the preparation.
Part 2 – Mixture Prep
If you already know how to prepare your own mixture, you can skip to Part 3.
If not
- Into the smaller bowl, pour the flour and all the dry ingredients
- In the larger bowl mix the milk, melted butter, essence. If you chose to bake with an egg, add it here.
- Using wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture a little at a time stirring it in the same direction until it forms a smooth ice cream-like consistency.
- If you are baking an egg-less cake, mix the baking powder and vinegar in cup and once completely mixed, add it to the mixture and mix well.
Part 3 – Baking
- Line the bottom of the sufuria with a sufficient amount of butter – esp. along the edge
- Pour in the mixture.
- Cover the sufuria with the brown paper without leaving a space for escape of air.
- Cover with lid ensuring it is airtight.
- Place the sufuria on the smallest cooker and reduce the heat to minimum.
- After 15 – 20 minutes, check the cake by poking it with a fork or a skewer. If the for comes out clean, and non-sticky, the cake is ready to be turned. (If you make a bigger cake, ensure you take note of the sides, if they are already browned, waiting for the fork to come out clean may risk a burned lower side of the cake. If this is the case, turn the cake as soon as the top is solid ).
- Remove the sufuria from the fire. Using a fork, detach it from the sides of the sufuria to ensure it remains whole as you take it out.
- Using a cool lid, overturn the cake from the sufuria onto it.
- Using a second lid, Turn the cake again ensuring, it is standing the same way as it was in the sufuria.
- If the bottom of the sufuria is too dry, add little margarine, not more than a tea spoon.
- Overturn the cake into the sufuria with the top now being on the bottom.
- Bake for 5-10 minutes constantly checking to ensure it does not burn
- Remove sufuria from the fire and remove the cake and place it on a rack to cool to room temperature.
- Once cool, place the cake on a plate, remove icing from fridge and spread the icing on the cake with a knife. Decorating skills get better with practice.
- Cut it, serve it, have it and enjoy.
I hope it will be delicious and gives you joy.
Alyce, the cake enthusiast.