When people recount their Greek holiday experiences to me the subject inevitably turns to food.

Always.

"Oooh!…the feta".

"The moussaka was to die for…".

"The sganaki was melt in the mouth delicious…do you know how to make it?".

The saganaki remark always leads me to ask "which" saganaki dish are they referring to?

I won't harp on too much about the confusion this can cause but as I explained in my saganaki cheese post, saganaki usually refers to the cooking vessel the ingredients were cooked in.

Sometimes it's a small clay pot but most times it's a small frying pan.

Phew!

Let's ignore the semantics for today and focus on this prawn saganaki I whipped up the other day.

This dish is definitely one for the seafood lovers.

Ideally you would be enjoying this on a tranquil Greek isle along with a crisp Greek white and the sound of the bouzouki humming along in the background.

But the reality for me is, it's winter. It's cool outside and this prawn saganaki recipe brings joy and warmth to my being!

Traditionally it's a dish that would be served in the summer time but I think it adapts to the cooler temepratures perfectly. Also don't stress if you don't have the traditional bowls or frying pan. It works well in a deep dish frying pan.

There's a little chilli, a dash of ouzo and it all marries perfectly with melted feta cheese on top. Think of it as a "quick" prawn casserole!

As per usual, make sure you have some good quality sourdough nearby to dip in the hearty sauce.

Sip some ouzo and create your won Greek magic.

PRAWN SAGANAKI RECIPE

Serves 4 (as a meze)

• * 250 grams fresh prawns, cleaned deveined and tails left intact
• * 1/4 cup olive oil
• * 1 red onion finely diced
• * 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• * 1 long red chili, finely chopped
• * 1 large bullhorn or banana chilli, finely sliced
• * 2-3 tbsp ouzo
• * 200 grams canned tomatoes (or 2 large tomatoes pureed in a blender)
• * 1/4 cup freshly chopped, flat leaf parsley
• * salt and pepper for seasoning
• * 100 grams feta cheese

1. Heat the olive oil on a medium heat in a large deep frying pan. Once heated through add the onion, garlic and chillis. Allow the mixture to soften and become translucent after a few mins.
2. Add the prawns and saute gently for a few mins.
3. Add the ouzo, tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Once it reaches boiling point turn the temperature down to a medium-low simmer. Cook for 10 mins.
4. Transfer the prawn saganaki mixture to oven safe ceramic bowls and crumble the feta on top. Place under a hot grill (broiler) until the feta melts and oozes into the sauce.

If you don't have oven safe ceramic bowls you can use the same frying pan…just make sure it's safe to use in the oven!!

Just when I thought I had tasted most Greek desserts along comes this beauty!

Now, I don't profess to knowing all the regional specialties of Greece. I'm sure there are a lot more to cover.

But this one's a keeper!

How does one describe this newly discovered delight?

Fresh and light with just the right amount of sweetness.

According to my research (aka google) the original recipe comes from the island of Sifnos. Sifnos is located amongst the island group known as the Cyclades.

The word "melopita" basically translates as honey pie.

However this honey pie features cheese. Again, the original recipe calls for "anthotyro" which is a soft, ricotta like cheese. It can also be substituted with another soft Greek cheese known as "myzithra". I didn't have either of those on hand so I used ricotta and it worked wonders!

Be sure to use a fresh ricotta from a good cheesemonger. Avoid that watery stuff found in the big hypermarkets.

When you look at the finished product, it looks like a baked , crustless cheesecake.

It's drizzled with honey and dusted with that "almost compulsory in every Greek dessert" cinnamon.

With only a few ingredients it's a cinch to put together. No stand mixer required!

Whisk. Bake. Cool. Drizzle. Dust. And eat!

How easy is that?

MELOPITA RECIPE

Adapted from here

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 600 grams fresh ricotta cheese
• 100 ml honey
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C and grease a 20cm springfrom baking pan.
2. Whisk all the ingredients in a large bowl, until smooth and free of any lumps
3. Pour into baking pan and cook for 45-50 mins until the top has browned and the centre of the melopita no longer wobbles.
4. Once cooked allow to cool in the pan for 5 mins. Remove and allow it to cool completely.
5. Once cooled drizzle with an extra 1/4 cup honey and dust with cinnamon

Please don't be put off by the apparent simplicity of this dish.

With a little creativity it transforms into a thing of beauty!

You know the drill.

It's a school night.

The weather is cooler and your body is craving comfort.

Now, I understand tht "comfort" means different things to different people.

Comfort or comfort food to be exact, ALWAYS tends to be savoury with me.

And I was craving good, ol' bangers and mash.

But this is no ordinary sausages lumped with mashed potatoes.

These are beautiful, plump, pasture raised, pork sausages accompanied with a filling, yet light cauliflower mash.

The dish gets its "oomph" with a little Greek love in the form of petimezi.

Petimezi, which I wrote about in my salmon with soy and petimezi recipe is grape molasses. This honey like substance is created by cooking down the grape must (that is usually a by product from grapes).

To achieve a little balance, I've added some good quality wholegrain mustard. A few tablespoons of olive oil help bring the sweet petimezi and the savoury mustard together.

The sausages are baked and before you know it they are transformed into this wonderful, sticky caramelised concoction.

Again, there are no rules here.   Don't like pork?  Fine.  Use beef or lamb.

If you want something sweeter you can try using a sweet potato mash. I've gone with cauliflower because it's in abundance at the moment and I love how easy it is to prepare.

Simple, humble and quick.

What more could you want in a comfort package?

BANGERS AND MASH RECIPE

serves 2

• 6 good qulaity pork sausages
• 1/4 cup petimezi (can substitute with honey or maple syrup if you like)
• 2-3 tbsp good quality wholegrain mustard
• 2 tbsp olive oil

1. Preheat your oven to 190 deg C
2. Arrange the sausages on a large baking tray and whisk the marinade ingredients thoroughly.
3. Pour over the sausages ensuring they are evenly coated and cook for 20-30 mins (depending on the thickness of your sausages).
4. Place the mash on a plate, top with 3 sausages and any remaining sauce from the pan and serve immediately.

Recipe for cauliflower mash can be found in my fish pie recipe

I wanted to share with you all some recent-ish work I've done for the wonderful people at Antoniou Fillo Pastry.

It's always fun coming up with unique and creative ways to use this great product.

If you think fillo is all about Greek pies, you're sort of right.

However, it's much more than that.

If you're looking for something to make I have a few of the recipes linked for you to try.

How about some gorgeous passionfruit and custard lime tarts?

Or how about this rosewater cheesecake with a pistrachio praline? It uses kataifi pastry as the base!

Surprise your loved one with these breakfast fillo cups. Fill them up with some scrambled eggs, add some great sides and say good bye to boring breakfasts out of a cardboard box.

Summer vegetables get the fillo treatment in this stunning Provencal summer vegetable pie.

And my absolute favourite. These "more-ish" chorizo sausage rolls.  I honestly could not wait till the shoot was over!

Enjoy your weekend everyone. I'll see you next week with some more recipes.

All the best!

There's only so much roast lamb one can eat.

Right?

Well sort of…

Obviously the 2.5 kilogram lamb I prepared during the Greek Easter festivities was a lot. Especially as there was only a few of us feasting.

As I've explained previously, I'm not one to throw away perfectly good food.

No way.

With this philosophy in mind, I set out to get creative with the leftovers. (I sometimes think that leftovers can actually be better than the original meal).

And my mind turned to South America.

My leftover Greek style lamb was headed for some empanada love.

Empanadas, for the uninitiated are little parcels of dough filled with either meat/fish/chicken/veggies and sometimes include cheese. It just depends on the type. I often think of them as mini calzones or little "pites" (Greek pies).

I first discovered these addictive (and that really is the best adjective for them) on a trip to Argentina.

Dare I say that these crescent shaped pies were the highlight of my South American travels!

Fried or baked I had a hard time NOT ordering them when I saw them on a menu.

My version uses the same dough I used to make my recent hortopita-wild greens pie. I know it's not the traditional dough but I find using that Provencal dough very easy.

The filling consisted of finely chopped leftover lamb, shredded kale, crumbled feta cheese,  Kalamata olives, a little sumac and an egg to bring it all together. I have not included amounts for the filling as I ended up going with what I had on hand. I know that the dough ended up yielding approx 16 empanadas. I used a 10cm cookie cutter to form the circles before folding them up and sealing them.

And because I love a good sauce, I made a chimichurri style sauce with lots of fresh oregano to dip these beauties in once out of the oven. It's not compulsory but it definitely adds another level to their enjoyment.

Do you enjoy leftovers as much as I do? What do you do with your leftovers? I'd love to know.

LAMB EMPANADAS RECIPE

• 1 x quantity of Provencal pastry
• leftover roast lamb, finely chopped (or meat of your choice)
• a handful of shredded kale
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta or goats cheese
• 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, seeds removed
• pinch of sumac
• 2 eggs (one for the filling and one for the glaze)

1. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. and line a baking tray with baking paper
2. Roll out the dough approx. 1/2 cm thickness and cut rounds using 10cm cookie cutter.
3. Fill the centre of each round with 1 tsp of the lamb filling, fold into a crescent shape and seal the edges, allowing the air to escape. Place on baking tray.
4. Repeat until you have all the empanadas made and brush each with a little beaten egg mixed with water.
5. Bake for 20 mins or until the tops have become golden. Aloow to cool slightly before serving with dipping sauce.

OREGANO CHIMICHURRI DIPPING SAUCE

• 1 cup fresh oregano
• 1/2 cup fresh mint
• 1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 whole chilli, top removed
• 2 tbs red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper for seasoning
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Place all the ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender and pulse a few times. With the motor runnning add the olive oil slowly until you achieve a thick sauce. (Adjust by adding extra olive oil if sauce is not coming together).

"Christos Anesti!".

I hope everyone who celebrated Orthodox Easter had a great day.

Did you over indulge?

I kept mine pretty low key as usual. Not sure about being able to fit a whole lamb on a spit in my tiny apartment!

That doesn't mean I had to miss out on the "main event" so to speak. Through a little improvisation I made a traditional roasted leg of lamb in the oven.

I accompanied it with small, baby potatoes and feasted till I could not do my top button on my pants anymore!

Now, "traditional" means different things to different people. This is a recipe that I grew up with and saw my parents cook many times.

Over the years, I of course changed certain things. Ages ago I wrote about doing a rack of lamb. Another time I wrote doing a loin of lamb and filling it with feta, pistachios and lemon zest.

This recipe pretty much sticks to the traditional way of cooking lamb the "Greek way".

There's only a few ingredients, but boy does it pack a flavourful punch!

Garlic cloves are inserted into the flesh, and the rest of the lamb is covered in a mixture of salt, pepper, lemon juice, Greek oregano and olive oil.

The beauty in this dish is not only the meat but that beautiful sauce that forms on the bottome of the pan. The olive oil, lamb juices, oregano and lemon juice combine to make this magical sauce or "zoumi" in Greek.

It's compulsory that this "zoumi" is served on top of the meat and potatoes. And don't forget the bread to mop up this goodness!

So simple, yet so good!

In the end I had more than enough. In my next blog post I'll show you a creative way to use up those roast lamb leftovers!

All the best everyone.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB-GREEK STYLE

• 1 X 2-2.5 kilo leg of lamb, trimmed of any excess fat-at room temperature (take it out of the fridge at least one hour before roasting)
• 8 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper for seasoning
• 2 tbsp dried Greek oregano
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 10-12 baby potatoes
• 1 cup water

1. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C (fan forced).
2. Using a sharp knife, cut slits into the flesh of the lamb (top, bottom, sides) and insert the garlic cloves in them. Make sure they are fully inserted.
3. Season the whole leg well and massage the oregano into the flesh.
4. Pour the lemon juice and olive oil over the lamb, scatter the baby potatoes around it and pour in the water.
5. Place on the BOTTOM shelf of your oven and cook for 2 hours, ensuring you turn it over halway. (you may need to add a little water here and there if you find it is becoming dry. When I'm roasting, I set my timer in half hour slots and check on it every time.)
6. The lamb should have a lovely caramelised brown colour. Remove from the oven and place it on a serving platter, covered in foil. Allow it to rest for half an hour before carving it up. Serve with potatoes and juices.

How do you improve on a classic?

You don't! (Mind you, this is advice I don't always follow myself).

You enhance it and bring out its better qualities.

Orthodox Easter is on Sunday and I have been a busy little bee cooking up some traditional Greek Easter specialities. There's tsoureki, koulouria and lots of eggs dyed red.

Tsoureki has always been one of my favourite treats at Easter time. I find it's brioche like flavour addictive. Especially when it's lightly toasted and smothered with some kind of home made jam or marmalade.

But here's the thing.

In the Northern hemisphere Easter falls during spring time. Spring time is the time of rebirth and rejuvenation. The weather is starting to get warmer and the religious significance of the holiday fits into this theme too.

However what about us on the other side of the world?

This is where my thinking for today's recipe comes into play. It's Autumn here. The weather is slighly cooler and the nights just that little bit "crisper".

When I set out to make my tsourekia this year, I wanted to incorporate seasonal ingredients. Like I said I 'm not trying to reinvent the Greek wheel here. Just adding to something that is more suited to my environment.

The original recipe already has orange juice and zest so I thought it would work beautifully with pumpkin and a dash of cardamom. This is a Holy Trinity in itself, if you'll excuse the pun!

Pumpkin is just starting to show up at the markets and I have to say I was quite happy with the way the altered recipe worked.

The pumpkin added an extra level of sweetness and the cardamom gave it just the right amount of heat and earthiness. Combined with the freshness of the orange this was a match made in heaven! (Geez! I'm all with the puns tonight!).

I hope this gets the "Greek mother tick of approval"!

Best wishes to all those celebrating Easter this Sunday.

TSOUREKI RECIPE (with pumpkin and cardamom)

Makes 4 loaves

• 250ml of milk
• 80g of unsalted butter
• 950g of plain flour
• 1 packet of instant dried yeast
• 1tsp of salt
• zest of 1 grated orange
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 cup mashed pumpkin
• 3/4 cup of caster sugar
• 1/2 a cup of orange juice
• 3 eggs

FOR THE GLAZE

• 1 egg yolk
• a splash of milk

1. Warm the milk in a saucepan over a very low heat. Add the butter stirring it into the milk so it will melt. Allow to cool.
2. In a large mixing bowl place 100 grams of the flour with the yeast, salt, orange zest, ground cardamom and a tbsp of the sugar.
3. Pour in the cooled milk/butter mixture in and beat with a wooden spoon to obtain a lovely batter.
4. Cover with saran (plastic) wrap and a towel and leave it for about half an hour.
5. When you return you should have a lovely bubbly mixture. Place in the remaining flour, sugar, orange juice, mashed pumpkin and eggs.
6. Mix until you have a lovely soft dough. If you find its sticky add more flour. But be careful not to add too much. We're after an elastic, silky dough. Knead for 5 mins.
7. Once kneaded place in an oiled bowl and lightly oil the top of the dough. (Cover with saran wrap and a few tea towels and leave it to proof for approx. 1 hour).
8. When you notice it has doubled take it out and divide the mixture into quaters. Divide each quarter into three equal portions measuring 20cm and shape these three portions into "ropes". Form a plait, tucking the ends in underneath on the top and bottom. (Pop a dyed egg into the top if using).
9. Repeat with the remaining dough forming traditional or round loaves
10. Brush with the egg yolk/milk glaze
11. Bake in a 180 deg C pre heated oven for about 25 mins. They should be golden and sound hollow when you tap them underneath.
12. Allow to cool on wire racks before serving

"Let's Go Greek tonight" muttered a friend recently.

"Endaxi" I said feverishly! (endaxi means ok/yes/sure)

If you grew up in Melbourne in the 70's-80's you would remember a tv show by that same name-"Let's Go Greek Endaxi". So whenever someone starts that sentence I can't help myself.

But let's not talk about TV. Let's focus on a cool, inner city, Sydney restaurant that's packing them in night after night.

Serving Greek food, of course!

Sydney may be riding the "Mexican Wave" at the moment but if you feel like jumping off for a moment, I highly encourage you to try The Apollo.

The Apollo, is located in the densely populated area of Potts Point in Sydney. This place is an eclectic mix of art deco apartments, bars, restaurants and "interesting" night life.

This was my fourth visit here and I realised that I had never blogged about it. Armed with my Sony rx 100 "point and shoot", I thought I would offer my thoughts on my dining experience.

Exposed ceilings, cool curtains, concrete and marble give it a "converted warehouse in New York" kind of feeling.

The staff are attentive, without displaying any of that higher end snootiness found in some other places. Wine recommendations are expertly delivered and everyone is friendly.

The menu is a blend of traditional dishes presented in a cool, modern way. There is no "over the top" feta foams and the like here. Just well thought out dishes with a decidedly, Greek twist.

Warm, home made pita bread is delivered in cute, individual pizza boxes! Taramosalata is served in individual glass containers complete with sealed foil. I just love the thought process behind the presentation!

Sizzling saganaki arrives at the table in a cast iron pan doused in honey and dried oregano. The taste buds go crazy trying to fight between the sweet of the honey and the salt from the melted cheese.

The usual Greek salad arrives with a big mound of cheese and so does the lamb witha side of thick, Greek yoghurt. And those potatoes…better than my "patates sto fourno".

If you heading in there with a few people gor for the $55 set menu which includes 7 courses of good Greek value. You can always add bits and pieces from the regular menu if you feel like something extra.

Try the pickled octopus with cucumber and chilli or the moussaka of pork and cabbage. Even bamies (okra) get a spot on the menu. Fried and served with vinegar and mint, they are perfectly crisp and aromatic.

For a sweet ending, you can't beat that Greek favourite "loukoumades". A cross between a doughnut and a fitter these get a little love with pistachios, yoghurt and pomegranate. Next time I plan on trying the avgolemono pie!

I just adore the creative flavour combinations! And they must be doing something right to be packing them in every day.

As I've explained on a number of occasions, when I sit down to eat, I like to incorporate a little variety.

I consider myself a "grazer".

Meal planning can be stressful and I have to admit, that I don't always have any "set" plan. I usually go with whatever I'm feeling and what I've purchased that week.

It's kind of fun to look in the pantry and fridge and come up with something "creative" for the taste buds.

I understand that this type of weeknight cooking isn't suited to everyone of course. I understand that those with families will have to plan etc…

If however you tend to go with the flow, it's always a good idea to have a well stocked pantry of staples. I'm talking about canned veggies, cartons of good quality stock, flours, oils and spices.

I try to subscribe to the "fresh is best" philosophy when possible but I find the versatilty and quality of canned goods to be just as good.

With today's dish I've opted to use canned lentils, some bagged spinach from the supermarket, and some carrots and onions which seem to have a permanent lease at the bottom of the crisper.

Some people don't like canned lentils and I respect that, I however consider them to be a lifesaver. They're cheap, convenient and can be used very quickly. If I want something with a little more time and love, sucha s my Greek lentil soup, I'd obviously choose the dried route.

One part of this recipe uses inspiration from Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals and I was presently surprised again at how much flavour was present in this quickly prepared dish. I've jazzed it up slightly to suit my taste buds and that's why I love his recipes. Easily adaptable and enough to make them your own.

How does the damper fit in with this recipe?

If you're from overseas, damper is an Aussie "quick bread" that was made by travelling stockmen in the bush. There is no yeast used in the recipe and traditionally it was cooked over a campfire.

Think of it as one giant scone.

The secret it is to knead it enough that it comes together without overworking it. It was the perfect accompaniment to the lentils and provided a perfect way to scoop and eat them.

This whole dish is hearty, warming, satisfying and filling.

The cooler nights are certainly providing some great inspiration in my kitchen.

What about you?  Are the change of seasons providing you with great cooking inspiration?

start by making the damper and whilst it cooks, prepare the lentils. dinner will be ready in 45 mins

DAMPER RECIPE

• 3 cups self-raising flour
• pinch of sea salt
• 75 grams butter, cut into even cubes
• approx 3/4 cup water
• milk, for brushing

1. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Combine the flour and salt ina large mixing bowl and procedd to rub the butter into the flour, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Using a knife or flat, long spatula, slowly add the water and "cut" throughthe dough, ensuring everything is mixed well. (if it feels too dry add a little water to till the dough becomes pliable).
3. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead the dough very gently, making sure it all comes together. Shape into a round ball, place on the baking tray and using a sharp knife, score through the dough. Brush with a little milk and cook for approx 25 mins until the top is browned and the damper sounds hollow.
4. Allow to cool for a few minutes on a cake rack and serve warm with extra butter and the lentils

SPICY, PROVENCAL STYLE LENTILS

Adapted from Jamie Olver's 15 minute meals

• 2 small carrots
• 1 red onion, peeled and chopped in half
• 2 sprigs rosemary, stalks removed
• 1 whole chilli, top removed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 x 400 grams canned lentils (do not drain)
• 1 tomato chopped into rough pieces
• 200 grams baby spinach
• splash of red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to season

1. Place a large skillet or pan on a medium to high heat and whilst that's heating up add the carrots, onion, chilli and rosemary in a food processor and whizz until finely chopped.
2. Add the olive oil to the hot pan and then add the onion mixture and fry for a few mins until the mixture becomes aromatic.
3. Add the lentils and their juices and stir well. Allow everything to cook for 5 minutes and then add your tomato pieces. Stir again.
4. Whizz the baby spinach leaves in the food processor until finely chopped (don't over process). Add the spinach mixture to the lentils and stir again. Season and allow to cook for 10 minutes on a medium heat.
5. Add the red wine vinegar, stir through again and serve immediately with the damper.

Today I'm going retro!

The other day I was going through some old stuff when I stumbled upon a very old copy of an Australian Women's Weekly cook book.

If you're from Australia, you know the recipe books I'm talking about.

A few years ago I found this very old copy of the "Cooking Class CookBook" at a garage sale. This was one of my very first books a friend lent to me in the "ahem" 80's! When I saw it I just HAD to add it back to my collection.

I grew up with these books!

The first thing I wanted to revisit was a tried and true recipe for a classic sponge cake.

Yes. I know I already have a sponge cake recipe on the blog but I wanted to revisit a little bit of the 80's with this recipe. (Excluding New Romantics music and fingerless gloves!).

And speaking of retro I also photographed my original stand mixer made by Kenwood. Isn't she a beauty? She comes with a ceramic bowl and one whisk but I tell you, most baked goods you see on the blog have been blessed by her!

No fire engine red Kitchen you-know-what for me!

The mixer is a lovely spearmint and white colour and it was these colours that inspired the mood of this post.

The vanilla sponge cake was made in two separate cake tins baked at the same time. I even weighed them as per the instructions. That's how precise you have to be! The flours were also triple sifted to ensure a nice, light texture.

The original recipe called for a cream filling and a passionfruit icing but I wanted to jazz the recipe up a bit , so I added extra vanilla to the sponge mixture and smothered the whole lot in a vanilla buttercream icing.

Oh yes!

The final result was a heavenly, light sponge cake with a soft as can be buttercream frosting.

Looking for something "light"" yet a little bit decadent?

Then make this today.

I'd love to hear from any of you if you have any "old" or retro cookbooks that you can't give up.

VANILLA SPONGE CAKE WITH A VANNILA BUTTERCREAM ICING

For the cake:

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup castor suagr
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup plain flour
• 1/3 cup corn flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C (fan forced) and grease and line 2 baking tins measuring 8" or 20cm
2. Place the eggs in a stand mixer and start off by beating them on a medium speed until the eggs have doubled in size (approx 2 minutes).
3. Slowly add the sugar in thirds, add the vanilla and continue beating for a further 5 mins.
4. Combine the flours and baking posder and sift three times. Using a metal spoon or spatula, lightly and swiftly fold the flour mixture through the batter, ensuring it is all combined.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the two baking tins (each of my tins weighed 490 grams each-this includes the weight of the tin , of course.)
6. Bake in the oven for 25-30 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool in the tins for five minutes and then place on a cake rack to cool completely.

For the buttercream icing:

• 200 grams unsalted butter
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 2-3 tbsp milk

1. 1 tsp vanilla extract
2. Place all the ingredients in a stand mixer and beat until light and smooth. (Mine took about 5 mins).
3. Spread the icing in on one side of the cooled sponge cakes and sandwich with another on top. Spread the remainder of the icing all over the cake and serve immediately.