Red Velvet Loaf Cake with Blueberries

I love blueberries and I adore red velvet cake so it wasn't a stretch of the imagination

to combine the two into this stunner of a cake. The plump juiciness of the berries with their velveteen inkiness is so beautiful against the rich scarlet hue of the sponge. 
And then there's the cream cheese frosting... swoon! 

Photographs by Angie Lazaro

Red Velvet Loaf Cake with Blueberries
Serves 6-8

120g butter, softened

300g castor sugar

2 eggs

15g cocoa powder

2 tbsp red food colouring

1t vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

300g cake flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 tsp white wine vinegar

400g icing sugar

100g butter, softened

250g cream cheese

2 cups blueberries

1/2 cup water

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 cup castor sugar

Preheat oven to 170C. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
Beat on high while adding the eggs one at a time. In a seperate bowl, mix the cocoa powder, colouring and vanilla to make a thick paste. 
Add to the butter mixture and mix very well. Beat slowly while adding half the buttermilk and half the flour. Mix well before adding the remaining buttermilk and flour. 
Beat on high until smooth. Add salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar and mix well. 
Spoon into a lined 30 x 25cm rectangular baking tray and bake for 30 minutes until springy to the touch. Allow to cool on a wire rack. For the icing, cream the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth. 
Place in a piping bag. Cut the cake to form three 10 x 25cm rectangles and pipe the icing in-between each layer. Simmer the blueberries, water, zest, lemon juice and castor sugar until reduced and glossy. Allow to cool. Top the cake with the blueberry compote.

Below is a step-by-step video: 

Sweet on figs

Adam and Eve may have opted for the leaves to spare their blushing, but it’s the luscious plump and fragrant figs that are summer’s most delicious treasures – and, while the best way to eat figs is out of hand and still warm from the sun, their jammy sweetness makes them irresistible in both sweet and savoury fare.

Photographs by Gunther Gräter

It’s fig season and the endless culinary possibilities that these luscious fruits bring are as countless as the number of tiny seeds each holds. The sweet, juicy fruit that is so prized now is said to be the oldest fruit recognized by man and, although Adam and Eve best employed the leaves of the fig tree by sewing them together to form an apron to preserve their modesty, it is a rather useful fact to keep in mind that the sap of the plant is actually an irritant – so wearing a fig leaf is, shall we say, not particularly recommended. Rather, don a more sensible apron and get into the kitchen as figs’ ability to take centre stage in starters, mains and desserts is a treasured trait. Aside from the potassium, iron and calcium that figs boast, they provide more fibre than any other common fruit of vegetable. The fibre in figs is both soluble and insoluble and is important for good health. It’s also interesting to note that figs contain a special chemical which helps extend the freshness and moisture of baked goods as well as one that promotes tanning in the sun.

For a delicious starter, bless the tops of the figs with a kiss made by a knife, firmly squeeze their swollen bellies to reveal the raspberry-coloured fruit inside and then envelop the fresh figs in a blanket of salty-sweet prosciutto. A stuffing of rich goat’s cheese, a flurry of cracked black pepper and an anointing of the best fruity extra-virgin olive oil and a hot oven awaits. Roast until the edges of the ham are slightly charred and crisp and the crimson flesh inside warm and succulent. The figs need a mere scattering of peppery rocket leaves and a swift glug of aged balsamic vinegar. Whichever way you choose to enjoy the humble fig, do it outdoors to savour their sweet taste of summer. 

Toffee figs with grilled Christmas cake 

(serves 6)

2 cups caster sugar

1 cup water

6 black figs

6 pieces Christmas cake or pudding

2T melted butter

vanilla ice-cream, to serve

Place sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat and cook, without stirring, for 8–10 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to high, bring to the boil and cook for 7–8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat and, using a fork, carefully dip figs into toffee. Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper and set aside to cool and harden. Brush the Christmas cake with butter and grill on a griddle pan. Serve immediately with vanilla ice-cream and the toffee figs.

DID YOU KNOW?

Figs are not actually a fruit but rather flower receptacles. Like other blossoms, they bud straight from the branch and the fruit actually lies inside the fleshy bulb consisting of the seed-like parts.

Memoirs of a chocoholic

A photograph stashed away in a shoebox in the house I grew up in contains a photograph of me, aged 3, absolutely covered in chocolate. And by covered I mean coated; my whole face smeared with chocolatey goodness and tiny hands bearing evidence to the origin of the sweet melted mess. This very picture is a testimony to one of my favourite sayings 'If you get chocolate on your fingers, you're not eating it fast enough!'. Luckily, I learn from my mistakes. 

My entire childhood is sprinkled with chocolate-flavoured memories. As a child, my father used to create the most elaborate Easter Egg hunts with trails leading to nooks in every part of our large farmhouse and the sprawling garden outdoors. Oats for my little sister and rice for me, we had to work hard to discover the treasures hidden in potplants, shoes, peanut butter jars, grassy hollows and even the microwave. I admire my father's creativity and dedication to the time-consuming task which was done in the wee hours of the morning. Rather ironic to me now, when I consider my father's lack of patience and self-control when there is chocolate in the house. I'm sure there's a saying which applies here... something about an apple and a tree? Anyway, I have him to thank for my impossibly sweet tooth and to this day, he is still the only person who can devour a chocolate slab faster than I can say 'sharing is caring'! The lengthy build-up of the hunt only intensified the craving which led up to that sweet moment when patience was rewarded and we both sat clad in dew-soaked pajamas, with piles of jewel-wrapped chocolate orbs on our laps, devouring the candy with chocolate-induced bliss all over our faces.

Christmas was not without it's cocoa confections, with mom choosing the easiest (and most delicious) stocking fillers from the chocolate aisle. My fondest memory, however, of Christmas and chocolate, is filled with Quality Streets. Each year we eagerly await the family gift from our most favourite neighbour – a gigantic box of Quality Streets that don't last more than a day in the antique tin my mom places them in, rendering the effort completely pointless. After observing the Quality Street-eating habits of the rest of the family, and taking note that the orange-centred gems always got left behind, I resolved to force myself to like them (an evil laugh would be appropriate here as my chocolate genius knows no bounds!). I'm pretty sure this is the ultimate definition of gluttony, a deadly sin I am unashamedly guilty of. The bright orange enrobed Quality Streets were, however, the beginning of my love affair with dark chocolate, for which I am eternally grateful for, and led to the ultimate epiphany that it was in fact good for you. Chocolate is a vegetable. It comes from a bean. No scientists required thank you very much.

Growing up, Fridays were chocolate days. Standing in the sweetest part of Pick 'n Pay, we'd be given our weekly pocket money – which was always oddly enough, the exact amount for a Cadbury's bar, and allowed to choose an entire slab of 'a glass and a half' for ourselves. Yes, we were perfectly aware that our mom was awesome. As we got older, and Cadbury's more expensive, I thought my prayers had been answered when a chocolate factory shop aptly named 'Sweet Dreams' opened up on the route home from school. Shelves and shelves piled with chocolate bars rejected by factory standards but welcomed with an open mouth by me. And yes, when it comes to chocolate, I unashamedly have no standards. At least not when it comes to looks.

High School presented its own set of sweet memories. I fondly remember the Tempo's and P.S bars my first boyfriend bought me on an almost daily basis – each with a little handwritten note stapled to the wrapper as if professing his undying love to me should I indeed get fat from said chocolate. My obsession with chocolate ran so deep that each teenage year was celebrated with it –  the best of which was my  sweet16^th birthday – an apt name indeed. It consisted of a mass of giggling girls sprawled over the house in pink pajamas with a midnight chocolate fondue. Through trial and error (and there was lots of it) I have learnt that my favourite delights to drown in molten chocolate are my sister's homemade toasted coconut marshmallows, soft Wilson's toffies, tuisnywerheid koeksisters  and Romany Creams. I've also learnt that half-way in, skewers and dippers should be abandoned and the fondue rather tackled with a spoon. That is how I roll.

I learned that although Cadbury had served me well in my youth (or rather I had served its business well), my palate had grown more sophisticated and so I professed Lindt the love of my life. And in true teenage style, promptly changed the love of my life when I discovered artisan boutique chocolates such as Green & Blacks, Honest and our very own locally made DV Chocolate (Sorry Valhrona and Felchin!) Don't get me wrong, I'm still guilty of infidelity on occasion.  When that purple wrapper catches my attention while I'm standing in a queue at Spar with a trolleyfull of groceries, I don't hesitate for a second but rather quickly devour the evidence (and offending wrapper) in the car ride on the way home (oh the shame!). But my loyalties still lie with dark 70% plus chocolate. This passion was more deeply intrenched in me when I first watched a vivacious Juliet enchant the French towns people and viewers alike with her seductive truffles and oozing rich Mayan hot chocolate in the beautiful film, Chocolat. Johnny Depp's presence although only a minor bonus when compared to the extreme close-ups of molten chocolate and shelves of glossy pralines, cemented the motion picture at the top of my favourites list and led to my resolve that one day I too would become a professional chocoholic – I mean chocolatier. I can imagine no career more awesome than being paid to be surrounded by and tasting chocolate every day. It's a tough job but someone has to do it! But before I tackle the incredible suffering that comes with a career in chocolate, I first need to acquaint myself with this thing they call exercise... 

White chocolate, rosemary and pine nut pie

Adding savoury herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage to sweet desserts is a big food trend this year and nothing is more impressive when entertaining than serving up cutting edge flavours. This pie is incredibly simple to make (especially if you buy ready-made pastry) and ticks all the right boxes for a delicious dessert. Crisp pastry holding a satiny smooth filling - ready to ooze onto the plate as soon as your fork plunges into it - and the pine nuts and rosemary offset the sweetness of the white chocolate perfectly. Yum!

(serves 6)

400g store-bought shortcrust pastry

375g white chocolate

50g unsalted butter

50g castor sugar

3 eggs

1T finely chopped rosemary

finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

125g self-raising flour

75g pine nuts

Thinly roll out the pastry and line 6 small tart tins. Bake blind* in a preheated oven at 180°C. Chop 250g of the chocolate and melt with the butter. Whisk together the sugar, eggs and rosemary. Stir in the melted chocolate, lemon zest, juice and flour. Pour into the tart case, scatter with the pine nuts and the chopped chocolate. Bake at 160°C for 25 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

*To bake blind, place a piece of baking paper in the lined tart tin and fill with beans, rice or baking beads. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until just golden brown, remove the paper and beads and bake for a further 5 minutes until the centre is golden. Allow to cool.

Gooey chocolate brownie puds

It makes me blush now when I remember my attitude towards baked puddings as a child. S

ee, I wasn’t a normal child in any sense of the word. ‘Normal’ children don’t pour over cooking tomes or wish for measuring cups and spoons for their birthday; nor do they create intricate 5 component desserts for 16 family members at Christmas dinner or attempt spun sugar (the aftermath of which involved chiseling molten caramel off my mother’s kitchen tiles). Since the days of ‘Granny Muffin’s Kitchen’ all I wanted to be was a chef – and a pastry one at that – so perhaps with this in mind you’ll forgive the younger me for my snooty disdain for ‘boring old family baked puddings’.  After all, my imagination (and ‘cheffy’ cookbooks) extended much further than a quick-mix sponge drowned in thick UltraMel custard. Today though, I find myself humbly dedicating an entire story to the very indulgence I overlooked and underestimated as a child and this is perhaps the reason puddings are universally soothing and rich in nostalgia. The rich clouds of aroma that waft from the oven instantly take me back to Sunday afternoon lunches where the fragrance held the sweet promise of pudding and of the food that tastes like childhood. I adore the deceptive plainness of puddings – no fancy frills or fuss yet supremely indulgent and satisfying and this recipe has spoonfuls of all of the above and a bonus is that it's made in a microwave - perfect for those days where waiting anything longer than 10 minutes for a sweet fix is pure agony!

Gooey chocolate brownie puds

(makes 8)


175g butter 


250g quality dark chocolate, chopped 


175g light brown sugar 


200g self-raising flour 


1T cocoa powder 


2 eggs, beaten 


100g pecan nuts, toasted and roughly chopped 



Grease 8 microwavable tea cups. Melt the butter, 150g chocolate, the sugar and 200ml water in a microwave bowl on high for 4 minutes, stirring halfway through. Fold in the flour, cocoa, eggs, nuts and remaining chocolate. Spoon into the teacups, cover with cling film and pierce. Microwave 4 at a time for 5 minutes on medium. Stand for 2-3 minutes. Serve warm, dusted with cocoa powder and topped with whipped cream.

Stew for staying in

Red wine lamb shanks with orange mint gremolata

Filling your home with puffs of savoury aromas erupting from the pot as this rustic recipe trembles slowly on the stove will almost be as pleasurable as delving into a plateful. A hearty stew with tender, fall-off-the-bone lamb makes for a simple warming feast when chilly weather sets in. Food to warm the soul.

(serves 4)

¼ cup olive oil

4 lamb shanks

4 carrots, chopped

2 onions, chopped

2 celery sticks, chopped

4 sprigs of thyme

2 bay leaves

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1T tomato paste

2 cups red wine

1 cup beef stock

Gremolata

zest of 1 orange

2T finely chopped mint

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

butter beans or mashed potatoes, to serve

Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan and brown the shanks well. Remove them before sautéing the carrots, onions and celery. Once softened, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer gently for 2-3 hours or until the meat falls off the bone. Make the gremolata by mixing all the ingredients. Serve the lamb shanks with butter beans or mashed potatoes and sprinkle with the gremolata.

Loving Livingstone

The locals have for centuries called it Mosi-oa-tunya or ‘The smoke that thunders’ but Dr David Livingstone takes the credit for naming one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world, the Victoria Falls. More than 2km wide, 500 million litres of water surge over the falls every second, dropping 100 metres into the depths below. This, is what awaited photographer, Angie and I on our trip to Livingstone in Zambia for a magazine photo shoot. 

Situated on the banks of the Zambezi river and a mere 10 minute walk from the spectacular falls is the Royal Livingstone hotel with it’s majestic green lawns, colonial décor and breath-taking view of the mighty river. The thunderous roar of the gushing falls is a common sound here, as is the perfect rainbow which stretches over the clouds of spray which can be made out more than 30km away. 

On arriving at the hotel, we were greeted not only by a traditional Zambian welcome dance and a complimentary hand massage but also by a herd of hippos that happily wallowed in the fast-flowing river. After getting the planning for the next few days done with Executive chef Alex, Angie and I eagerly rushed off to the falls. No picture or words can do this magnificent attraction justice – witnessing such natural beauty and the power with which the water plummets down the gorge is a truly humbling and spiritual moment. Ignoring the locals hiring raincoats, we opted to experience the clouds of spray first-hand and the closer we got, the more we were drenched with pouring Zambezi water. And I mean absolutely bucketing down! While attempting to keep the camera snug and dry, Angie and I shared shrieks of laughter at the impossibility of just how much water there was.

Happy to return to the comfort of the Royal Livingstone, I marveled at the perfect contrast the hotel managed to pull off; the ultimate African safari adventure with zebra, giraffe and impala wondering around the manicured lawns, but with the colonial sophistication of Dr David Livingstone’s bygone era. It’s no wonder this 5 star establishment was recently rated 67th in the World’s Top 100 Hotels.

After shooting the hotel from top to toe on day two, Angie and I were in need of some relaxation and lucky for us, exploring the great Zambezi in style on a large catamaran called the African Princess was on the cards. Cocktails in hand and the sun setting in a spectacular splash of oranges and reds, we were satisfied with a hard days work!

Our last day was all about food as a full day of shooting lay ahead!

After shooting Chef Alex’s Zambian creations for an upcoming food and travel feature, we were whisked off to board the Royal Livingstone Express. Steaming off into the untamed Zambian bushveld, we were wined and dined by Royal Livingstone staff elegantly dressed in waistcoats and white gloves. A delicious end to an incredible trip and as the train left the Zambian sunset behind us I was reminded of the words Dr David Livingstone wrote when first setting sight on the area, ‘scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight’ and so I realized that I must surely be in one of the most beautiful places in Africa.