Three easy baking classics from Donna Hay’s new recipe book

Everyone should have a fail-safe yet impressive baking recipe or two in their collection.

Lemon cloudy cake

Serves 10-12

ingredients

¾ cup grape oil or vegetable oil

3 free-range eggs

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

Quarter cup of lemon juice

1 cup plain thick yogurt

½2 cup flour

3 teaspoons of baking powder

1 ½ cup fine sugar

Lemon icing drizzle

¾ cup white sugar

Quarter cup of lemon juice

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Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease a 2.5 liter tin*.

Place the oil, eggs, lemon peel, lemon juice, and yogurt in a bowl and whisk them together.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a separate large bowl. Add the caster sugar and mix to combine. Make a well in the middle, then add the egg mixture. Whisk to combine.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until done when tested with a skewer. Leave for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave for another 10 minutes**. Gently remove from tin.

Lemon Drizzle: Gently mix the sugar and lemon juice together. While the cake is still hot, place it on a cake stand or serving plate and drizzle with lemon drizzle. Allow to set for 10 minutes before serving.

Cook notes

* Grease a cake pan with soft butter and place it in the refrigerator until the butter hardens.

** Leaving the cake upside down on a wire rack helps it release from the mold more easily.

carrot cake

Serves 10-12

ingredients

Half a cup of grape seed oil or vegetable oil

2 free-range eggs

¼ cup brown sugar, well packed

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrots, tightly packed (about 3 carrots)

¾ cup flour

½2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Half a cup of plain thick yogurt

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

Cream cheese frosting

500 grams of cream cheese, chopped and melted

2/3 cup fine sugar, sifted

Quarter cup of lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Preheat the oven to 160°C. Lightly grease and line the base and sides of a 2 x 20cm round cake tin with non-stick baking paper.

Place the oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat at high speed for 8 minutes or until the ingredients are well mixed and thick. Add the carrot and stir.

Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger over the mixture. Add the nutmeg, milk and walnuts and stir to combine.

Divide the prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer.

Leave to cool in the tins for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream cheese frosting: Place the cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat until the mixture is smooth.

To assemble, place one cake on a cake stand or plate and spread with half the cream cheese frosting. Place the remaining amount of cake and cream on top, then serve.

Cinnamon rolls

Makes 12

ingredients

1 tablespoon instant dried yeast

1⅓ cup warm milk

2/3 cup fine sugar

4 ½ cups flour, plus extra for dusting

¼ teaspoon salt

1 free-range egg

2 additional egg yolks

150g unsalted butter, topping with chopped and softened cinnamon

125 grams of unsalted butter

¾ cup brown sugar, well packed

1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream cheese frosting

125 grams of cream cheese, chopped and melted

60g unsalted butter, chopped and softened

1 cup fine sugar, sifted

1-2 tablespoons milk

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Place yeast, milk, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir to dissolve.

Add flour, salt, eggs and additional yolk. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Add the butter, a little at a time, and mix until combined (the dough will be very sticky).

Place it on a surface sprinkled with a little flour and knead it gently until a soft dough forms. Place in a clean, greased bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave it in a warm place for an hour or until it doubles in size.

Cinnamon filling: Put the butter, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in a bowl and mix until the mixture is smooth.

To assemble, grease a 20 x 30cm baking pan. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle measuring 25 x 60 cm. Spread with cinnamon filling, leaving a 1cm border. Starting at the long edge, roll the dough tightly to enclose the filling. Trim the ends and cut into 12 pieces.

Arrange the rolls in the prepared pan, cut side up, then cover with a damp tea towel. Leave it in a warm place for an hour or until it doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes.

Cream cheese frosting: Place the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat at medium speed until the mixture is smooth. Add the powdered sugar and whisk until the ingredients are combined.

Add the milk, a tablespoon at a time, until the frosting has a spreadable consistency. Spread the cream over the warm rolls, to serve.

Cook note

To make the rolls in advance, make the rolls, shape them, and let them rise. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let them rest for one hour. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Keep the baking dish close to the oven while it is heating to help the rolls reach room temperature. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Follow the remaining steps.

Edited extract from More essentials to shine By Donna Hay, HarperCollins, $60