Chocolate, cake, home bakes, family gatherings – all of these things remind me of my childhood and growing up in a large family in Cape Breton. Cape Breton is known for its hospitality and you never leave someones house with an empty tummy – even if it was full when you arrive there will always be food and home baking on offer with a cup of tea!
We all have memories of childhood treats that we were given and enjoyed and those tastes bring us back to the days where we had no worries or responsibilities. This cake recipe is one of those tastes for me, a simple vanilla sponge flecked with tiny bits of chocolate, smothered with vanilla buttercream and topped in melted chocolate. This easy tray bake (or squares if your from Canada!) is something that my mother made for every wedding shower, graduation, Christmas or family get together. I remember raiding the refrigerator at all hours when I knew there was some hiding in there, sometimes just a small “square” other times a much larger one!
What makes this recipe even more reminiscent and special for me is the first time I made it for my own children, watching with enjoyment while the same delight came over their faces when they tasted it. And now hearing their Scottish accent ask me to make tweed squares sounds strange but at the same time totally pleasing. I hope you and your family enjoy these as much as generations have in mine.
tweed squares
Print recipe
Ingredients
cake
- 225 g self raising flour
- 1 t teaspoon baking powder
- 220 g stork baking margarine
- 175 g caster sugar
- 2 eggs (separated)
- 1/2 c milk
- 25 g dark chocolate (keep in freezer and grate into cake just before putting into pan)
icing
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 250 g icing sugar
- 1-2 t milk
topping
- 75 g dark chocolate
- 25 g unsalted butter
Directions
| cake | |
| Preheat oven to 170C. In a mixing bowl beat together the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. | |
| In a separate bowl sift together the flour and baking powder. | |
| Add the egg yolks to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Next beat the dry ingredients alternately with the milk till all incorporated. | |
| In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites until think and stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites gently into the cake mixture. Finally grate the chocolate into the cake mixture and fold in carefully so as not to melt the chocolate as you still want "flecks" to bake into the cake. | |
| Pour batter into a tray bake pan (approx 9" x 13") and bake in centre rack at 170C for 20-25 min until skewer comes out clean. | |
| icing | |
| With a mixer beat the butter until light and creamy, this could take up to 5 minutes. Gradually add the icing sugar and continue to beat until well combined, about another 5 minutes. Add the milk to the icing to make it a more spreadable consistency. | |
| Spread the icing over the cake mixture and allow to cool in refrigerator before adding chocolate topping. | |
| topping | |
| Break up the chocolate into a glass bowl and melt with the butter over a pan of simmering water. Stir well and then once melted pour and spread over the icing and again place in fridge and leave to cool. Cut into squares and enjoy! | |
We are linking this recipe up to Cook Blog Share and Treat Petite, and Baking Crumbs, please make sure you check them out for some other great recipes from fellow bloggers.
I made thee the other day and they were nice. 🙂 I’d never heard of them before. Thanks for sharing!
Zania
Thank you, lovely to hear and glad you enjoyed them.:-)
I’ve not heard of these before, but they sound right up my street! I would end up scoffing a few pieces! Thanks for linking up to #TreatPetite and don’t forget to add these to the linky on my page! I can’t see them on there yet.
Thanks Kat, oops, I must have forgotten to add the link! Trying to do too many things at once! Will go do that now:-)
These sound absolutely amazing, and clearly such a winner given that your Mum mae them for every family occassion. It’s a bake I’ve not heard of before, but I know definitely want to try them! Thankyou for sharing with #BakingCrumbs ladies 🙂
Angela x
THanks Angela, I still love these now and they make a regular appearance at Guide Camps with my girls now too, which I think is fab! Cheers, Michelle x
have never heard of these! They look delicious 🙂
Thanks Ema, very nice with an afternoon cup of tea!:-)
Ooooh I have not heard of Tweed Squares before but they look and sound so good! These are a must make! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
They are very simple to make, but I love the flecks of chocolate through the cake, to give them that “tweed” look:-) Always something my mum made for every function, baby shower, wedding, funeral, graduation ..you name it! She always kept them in the fridge as it was warm in the summer to stop them melting, and as a late night teenager there were many fridge raids!:-)