There’s still plenty of time to sign up for our first ever CommuniTEA Party! Taking place from 30th August to 5th September to coincide with Cake Week, we are asking you lovely people to support us by hosting your very own community tea parties and bake sales, to raise vital funds and help us provide nutritious meals and friendly conversation to vulnerable people across the country.
If you’d like to get involved in our CommuniTEA Party fundraising event, then sign up.
In the meantime, we thought we’d share a duo of delicious nutrient-packed baking recipes inspiration courtesy of FoodCycle volunteers. Wooden spoons at the ready!
Pear Cake Recipe from volunteer Paul at FoodCycle Cambridge
Ingredients
112g margarine
100g sugar + extra for sprinkling
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
112g flour
1.5 tsp. baking powder (or use self-raising flour)
1 tsp. ginger powder
1-2 pears
Serves 6-10*
Method
- Peel and thinly slice the pear Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (355 Fahrenheit)
- Cream sugar and margarine; beat in eggs and vanilla extract.
- Combine flour, baking powder and ginger powder and combine with the wet mix to form the cakebatter
- Spread batter in a caketin lined with baking parchment. Top with the sliced pears and sprinkle on some extra sugar
- Bake about 20 – 25 minutes, or until a caketester or knife inserted into the cake comes out clean
Note: To make the cake vegan use dairy-free margarine, replace the eggs with 120g pureed pears (this works with other fruit too, such as bananas, apples or apricots), increase the flour to 150g and add an extra tsp. of baking powder.
*for other FoodCycle volunteers wanting to cook this at a community meal simply times the quantities by five to serve 40/50 guests
Becca’s Black Bean Brownies (Vegan and Gluten Free)
Ingredients
2 tins black beans
4 tbsp. cocoa powder
80g oats
2/3 cup maple/golden syrup
4 tbsp. brown sugar
120ml vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking powder
200-400g chocolate chips
Pinch of salt
Serves 10-12*
Method
- Grease and line an 8×8 inch tin and preheat your oven to 180°C
- Blend all the ingredients except the chocolate chips together in a food processor
- Stir in the chocolate chips and pour into your prepared tin
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. If they still look a bit under-cooked, you can place them in the fridge overnight and they will magically firm up
*for other FoodCycle volunteers wanting to cook this at a community meal simply times the quantities by five to serve 40/48 guests
FoodCycle Bath’s Strawberry Banana Cake Recipe
Ingredients
140g butter, softened, plus extra for the tin•
140g caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
140g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
400g strawberries, chopped (or any other fruit you fancy)
3 heaped tbsp jam
Method
- Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4
- Butter a 2lb loaf tin and line the base and sides with baking paper, or if you don’t have the paper to hand, just use a well-buttered tin and hope for the best
- Cream the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy, then slowly add the eggs with a little of the flour
- Fold in the remaining flour, baking powder and mashed bananas
- Pour into the tin and bake for about 30 mins until a skewer comes out clean
- Cool in the tin for 10 mins, remove to a wire rack and spread the top with a layer of jam
- When ready to serve, scatter with fresh strawberries
*for other FoodCycle volunteers wanting to cook this at a community meal simply times the quantities by five to serve 40 guests, cooking times will depend on if you use bigger baking tins or five 2lb loaf tins
