Many of our guests at Makakatana Bay Lodge will be familiar with the smiling face of Goodness Manyoni.
She first started working in the home of the Morrison family more than 12 years ago and that is where she fell in love with cooking and especially baking. After being trained under the watchful eye of the owner Leigh Ann Morrison, Goodness has gone on to become one of Makakatana Bay Lodge’s finest cooks. One of her favourites is baking chocolate cake, and not just any chocolate cake!
In July 2006, Richard and Mouse Poynton from the well known ‘Cleaopatra Mountain Lodge’ stayed with the Morrisons at Makakatana and gave them a beautiful signed copy of their beautiful ‘Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse’ recipe book which became the household favourite cookbook! Goodness found the Chocolate Traybake recipe and has baked it so many times she knows the recipe off by heart and smiles fondly when she tells of the three Morrison boys who used always beg her to bake it for them. It is still a favourite at the family home and at the lodge and certainly a recipe that has a fond place in all our hearts and tummies! I am sure Richard Poynton won’t mind us sharing this recipe which is a real masterpiece and that being said, anyone who loves food needs to get a copy of this amazing recipe book! #Sharingwithlove
Cleopatra’s Chocolate Tray Bake:
• 125ml Vegetable Oil
• 125ml Cocoa powder
• 125g Butter
• 125 ml Water
• 400g Brown Sugar
• 300g Cake flour
• 5ml Bicarbonate of soda
• 2.5ml Salt
• 125ml Plain yoghurt
• 2 Large Eggs
• 5ml Vanilla essence
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180° C and grease a 20cm round cake tin.
- In a medium-sized pot bring the oil, cocoa, butter, and water to the boil.
- Sift flour, sugar, bicarb, and salt together.
- Beat the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla together.
- Combine all the wet and dry mixtures but do not overmix.
- Bake for 25 – 30 min. until a skewer comes out clean.
- Leave to cool before removing from pan.
Icing:
• 200g icing sugar
• 30ml cocoa
• 75g butter
• 30ml yoghurt
• 5ml vanilla essence
Method:
Mix all together until well combined and pour over the cooled cake. Decorate with chocolate shavings.
Contact Makakatana Bay Lodge
Web. www.makakatana.co.za
Email. maklodge@iafrica.com
Tel. +27 (0)35 550 4189
