Happy Australia Day!!!

Made this cake for my grandnephew’s birthday again as last week he wasn’t feeling well, and we are also celebrating Australia Day. My aunt and cousin came over for a week’s holiday. My aunt requested matcha flavour, and my cousin requested the cake have some spice. The first thing that came to my mind was pumpkin spice. I went looking for it, but most shopping center spice shops had run out. I remembered that I had Moroccan spice powder and searched my pantry and found it. I added lemon essence, lemon zest, ginger powder, vanilla sugar, and vanilla pouring custard.

There were about 60 people at my sister’s home, and it’s extremely hot, so everyone got to swim in her pool. My niece’s husband was in charge of the BBQ: sausages, chicken skewers, minced beef and vegetables patties, and my sister and her husband were in charge of all the salad: tabbouleh, couscous, freshly cut red and yellow capsicums, cucumbers, tomatoes, and fruits: freshly cut strawberries, long purple grapes, green grapes. Roasted pumpkin salad and hummus dip, cheese platter from my nephew. Some of my niece friends brought salad, dips and biscuits and one brought a huge watermelon, cut up into pieces and make it a cake. Everyone contributed drinks (BYO).

“Moroccan spice is a vibrant, aromatic blend of warm, earthy spices like cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, paprika and turmeric, often with a hint of heat from cayenne. Flavour for dishes like couscous, tagines and roasted meats with it’s most famous variation being the highly complex Ras el Hanout; adding depth to savoury and sometimes sweet dishes.”

Today, I am adding this spice to bake a different-flavoured cake. I’m glad that everyone at the BBQ ate it; some came for a third helping. I couldn’t even get a chance to take a cut-up piece. All gone, some didn’t get to eat as they were busy talking. Thank you, God, for your help in creating a different-flavoured cake. It’s moist, flavourful, and very delicious. Let’s bake!!!

Ingredients

375 g butter, softened
375 g plain flour
300 g castor sugar
200 ml vanilla pouring custard
6 eggs
3 Tsp baking powder
1 1/2 Tsp matcha powder
1 1/2 Tsp Moroccan spice
1 Tsp ginger powder
1 Tsp vanilla sugar
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 Tsp lemon essence
1 small lemon juice and zest
a pinch of salt

Garnish

11 whole strawberries, washed and dried
6 different colours M&M’s
2 blackberries, washed and dried
2 blueberries, washed and dried
1 blue and white striped candle, as it’s a birthday cake
a few toothpicks to hold the fruits in place (OPT)

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease a 10-inch square springform pan, then line the base only. Place flour, baking powder, vanilla sugar, and salt in a deep plate and mix well. You might want to sift the flour, baking powder, vanilla sugar and salt. I didn’t bother to sift them.

Beat butter in mixing bowl until creamy for 5 minutes. Next add in castor sugar and beat until light and fluffy about 5-7 minutes. Now add egg 1 at a time, beating well each addition. Then add in vanilla extract and lemon essence. Beat until well incorporated.

Fold in flour mixture with a big metal spoon alternate folding with vanilla pouring custard. Mix until well combined. Using the big metal spoon; spoon 3-4 spoonful into another metal bowl. Using a fine strainer, sift the matcha powder into the metal bowl. Stir well to coat the batter.

The remaining batter in the mixing bowl, add Moroccan spice and ginger powder, followed by lemon juice and zest. Stir well to coat the batter. Now it’s time to spoon it into the prepared baking pan. Start with 1 metal spoon of Moroccan ginger spice batter, making sure the corner and edge are covered.

Followed by matcha batter below the Moroccan ginger spice, making sure the corners and edges are covered. Repeat the process until both batters are finished. Using a spatula, gently spread it to smooth the top. Give a couple of gentle knocks on the benchtop. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until golden brown on the top. Insert a skewer in all 5 places at least to make sure there are no batter on the skewers.

Switched off the oven. Leave the cake in for 1 hour with door close. Then removed to rack, let it cool down a further about 30-40 minutes before flipping onto double layers foil plate mat. Just before leaving for my sister’s home, garnish 8 whole strawberries apart on the 4 corners, 2 opposite sites in the middle of the corners. Now make number one shape with 1 strawberry, followed by 1 blueberry, next 1 blackberry. Repeat another process in order as above. Lastly, add the 6 colours of M & M smarties. Then place a candle next to the second strawberry of the number one shape. When about to sing Happy Birthday, light the candle.

Note: You can garnish any design of your choice, and use any fruits or pipe cream all around or spread strawberry jam or sprinkle matcha powder over the top. You can use pumpkin spice and/or omit ginger powder. The cake will have swirl lines. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to take the picture of the inside. All gone before I returned with my mob to take the picture. Do try using Moroccan spice in your next cake or sweet dishes.

https://helenscchin.com/2026/01/26/moroccan-spice-vanilla-matcha-cake/

#helenscchinrecipes
#awesomedessertandentrees
#cookingforthefun
#foodiesplus