Cakes and bakes! Sweets and treats! As you might’ve guessed, I have an enormous sweet tooth! 
As an avid baker, I often find myself craving a slice of cake with my afternoon tea. In recent times, however, I’ve learned that the term “cake” can take on many different meanings.
Today, I am not only going to introduce you to my version of cake, but I will also show you a couple of fantastic tarts and treats for your afternoon tea.
- Cake
In South Africa, cake would be defined as a type of sponge cake that is layered and covered in icing. The most popular cakes are vanilla, chocolate, red velvet and carrot cake amongst others. The secret to a good cake is to make sure it is moist and to add a layer of icing/frosting between the two layers. Frostings can vary between buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting, cream or even ganache.
- Cupcakes
Do you feel like cake, but only a small amount?
Whip up your favourite cake batter and pour them into cupcake pans. Much quicker and just as tasty! My favourite cupcakes are by far vanilla with a caramel center and a buttercream frosting. I’ve also baked cappuccino cupcakes in the past that came out brilliantly!
Warning! Make sure that the recipe you are using can be used for cupcakes. Remember that the cooking time will also differ.
- Tarts
Whether you prefer tarts with or without fruit, there are so many varieties to choose from!
A ‘tart’ is defined as a type of desert that is baked or set (in the fridge) in a tart dish. Some of the most popular tarts in South Africa include milk tart, caramel tart, peppermint crisp tart and cremora tart.
Here is a picture of a milk tart. Milk tart, is a dessert originally created by the Dutch settlers in the “Cape” consisting of a sweet pastry crust containing a custard filling made from milk, flour, sugar and eggs. Definitely one of my favourites!
- Koeksisters
An incredibly sweet treat that is always on the tea table is the traditional South African “koeksister”. Koeksisters are a traditional Afrikaner confectionery made of fried dough infused in syrup or honey. With every crunchy bite and every droplet of dripping syrup, you will quickly realize that you are in dessert heaven!
- Muffins
Enjoy them at the breakfast table or even during tea. If you feel like a snack, a muffin will do the trick.
People often get confused between muffins and cupcakes. The biggest difference? Cupcakes have frosting, but muffins don’t.
Muffins are enjoyed as a savoury treat. It is served with butter, jam and cheese and also comes in many tasty options. My favourite is the famous blueberry muffin followed very closely by a cappuccino and/or bran muffin.
Would you like to learn more about South African sweet treats? Have you tried some of these yourself? Let me know what you think! I look forward to hearing from you!
For now, I’m off to the kitchen to whip up something for tea! 
. I haven’t tried any of them, but I have tried Rusks, and they are so yummy!
It seems like my next visit to Berlin will have to include a cake tour! 