Book 16: Cakes - Country Women's Association

I'm a compulsory volunteerer (not a word?), whenever anyone is asking for volunteers for committees or anything remotely similar, I seem to get helium in my hand and is raises itself!..  The stupid thing is I like helping out, but I also have a memory like a siv.  I will quite often volunteer for things and then forget what I'm suppose to do.  Last year was a prime example when I put my hand up for the communications coordinator position at my daughters kinder.  Massively over-excited I headed off to my first meeting where I was told that the job wasn't required, so I could be a regular committee member instead.  I was a bit disappointed at first because I had grand plans for my position, facebook etc (facebook was pretty much it, but I'm sure it would have been awesome).   When they finally asked me (I volunteered) to organise a girls night out for the women at the kinder, I organised the time, date and venue to book and then promptly forgot everything about it.  So when someone reminded me 3 days before the night I panicked a tad and half-arsely organised something which no-one could attend.  I also forgot to do minutes, the monthly newsletter (every time), plates for a fundraiser and a few other things that I've forgotten.  So you will imagine my surprise when I rocked up to the final meeting and they had volunteered me (not me this time) for the vice-presidents job this year.  The vice-presidents job sucks, you have to fill in for everyone when they aren't there and considering there are only 4 of us that ever turn up its kinda horrid.  I still have 3 sets of minutes I needs to type up and people expect me to know what I'm talking about.   I have to tell you, I have no idea what I'm doing!  I'm horrible at taking minutes, I tend to take over any conversations, forget what we were talking about and waffle on for 10 minutes about something stupid I've done (there are lots of options).  I also forget to write anything down and can never remember anyones names.  Strangely they don't appreciate me taking minutes how interesting I find Aldi catalogues.........

Recipe - Apple Kuchen
1\2 cup plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
salt
sugar, to taste
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup yogurt
2 eggs

Topping
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 tblsp butter
2 medium apples, peeled and sliced

Preheat oven to 175c.  Grease a 23-cm square baking pan (line it to or you won't get it out!!)
  To make streusel topping, place flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and process until crumbly.  Transfer to a bowl and add apple slices, stirring to coat.
  For the cake, add all ingredients to the food processor and process briefly.  Scrape down the sides, the process for a few more seconds.
  Spread batter in prepared pan.  Neatly arrange the apple-streusel mixture on top.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.

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This is a typical CWA cookbook, there are about eight different fruit cake recipes and its all measured in volume (which I hate!).  There are some lovely looking recipes, Custard cake, Hawaiian Tea cake and Orange Tea cake.  There are also the standard Carrot cake, Pavlova and 15 types of Fruit cake, I'm not a fan of fruit cake so this seemed a tad excessive to me.  But fruit cake aside, it is a very nicely set out book, with clear pictures and very stripped back recipes.  My biggest draw back is the measurements in volume (cups) and not weight.  I love my scales so I'd prefer everything to be in weight, plus the kids are always stealing my measuring cups.

The recipe itself looks really delicious, in reality its really bland.  The apple is soft and so is the rest of the cake, next time I would cut the apples chunkier and add cinnamon and macadamia nuts to the topping.  On the bright side, it takes about 20 minutes to make from start to oven and is really easy to put together.  But if you make it as is be prepared for nice, add the extra stuff and it should be awesome.  Next thing you know I'll be calling myself the recipe whisperer..... I'll go now

Thanks
Kate
xx

Have you noticed my introductions are getting slightly more random?  I'd like to pretend I'll stay on track, but we all know that's not going to happen  :)