Vla Koek

‘The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’...



So, when your boyfriend describes his ouma – grandma’s cake as the most amazing cake he has ever eaten in his life – you’re in trouble.
The standard has been set and although you may think you can alter it or give it a modern twist … that is not what he is looking for, he is looking for that exact same taste he remembers from way back when, that nostalgia provoking mouthful that takes him right back to his ouma’s kitchen– no pressure then.
After nagging incessantly I get the old ball and chain to call his mother and get me the recipe in question. Finally, I have it in my hands; only one slight problem… its in Afrikaans. Oh good, this should be interesting.
After several hours of being lost in translation, I am now lost in something else altogether. The technique seems slightly backwards...well, we are in Africa, so go figure.
Two panic attacks and one nervous breakdown later, I am left with what could be mistaken for a recipe..hoorah!
So this holy grail of recipes is for a Custard Cake and it goes something like this…




Vla Koek – Custard Cake
Yes, koek means cake, told you it was backwards!
Below is the ingredients for the cake’s, you bake two and when cold slice each into two so you have a four layer cake. Delectable.
4 Eggs Seperated
230ml Sugar
230ml Cake Flour
50ml Cold Water
25ml Cornflour
2ml Baking Powder
Salt

Mix your egg yolks, water and sugar – thoroughly. Sieve your remaining dry ingredients and fold into egg yolks. Beat the egg whites until stiff and gently fold into flour mixture.
Bake at 180 degrees or Gas Mark 4 for 15 minutes or so. Leave to cool then slice ready to ice.



So for your custard icing you will need
120g Butter
220ml Sugar
100ml Custard Powder
Dash of Vanilla
500ml Full Cream Milk
12.5ml Sugar
Heat milk until boiling, make a paste with custard powder, a drop of cold milk and the 12.5 ml of sugar, add paste to milk and boil for a few minutes. Leave to cool slightly. Beat butter and sugar well. Gradually add custard and beat constantly but lightly until smooth. Voila – Icing Made.
So start to assemble your custard tower and top off with icing and a couple of crushed ‘Tennis’ Biscuits. Good Luck trying to find these in London. They are just simple butter tea biscuits with a slight hint of coconut. I just used some coconut biscuits I found in Waitrose.



This cake was well worth the melodrama and was demolished faster than you can say vla koek.
With thanks to Reynette Fryer for this recipe I use for blackmail…often.