Cinnamon Oysters
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These old fashioned little sponge cakes were invented by a Mrs Brown from Dunedin and first featured in a 1951 League of Mothers Cookery Book, New Zealand.

Ingredients

To prepare tins:
Butter to grease tins
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp sugar
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Cake ingredients:
2 eggs (at room temperature)
3 Tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp golden syrup
½ cup flour * ‘scant cup’ or 60g
1 tsp cinnamon
 sp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger

Filling:
150ml cream, whipped    ​

Method

Step 1
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Lightly grease a tray of 12 patty tins with butter, sift the flour and sugar over the tin.  Turn tin upside down over the sink and tap it to remove the excess.

Step 2 
Using an electric beater and a warm bowl; beat the two eggs, adding the sugar gradually until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the golden syrup and keep beating for at least 5 minutes until the mixture is very thick.

Step 3
Sift the dry ingredients onto the egg mixture, fold them in gently (by hand) using the beaters or a whisk, turning the bowl as you go.

Step 4
Spoon the sponge mixture into prepared tins and bake for 8–10 minutes.

Step 5
Remove tray from the oven and leave on the oven top to cool for a few minutes until the mixture shrinks away from the tins a little. Cool.

Step 5
Remove from tins, use a small serrated knife to cut a slit into the side of each cake then add a teaspoon of whipped cream to each cake. Dust with icing sugar and serve.


 

​Ready in: 25 minutes  |  Cooking time: 8–10 minutes 
Makes: 12 small cakes

Credit:  Mrs Brown, Dunedin (first featured in a 1951 League of Mothers Cookery Book).

​Photography: Tracey Sunderland
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​Tip:  These little sponge cakes can be frozen successfully – cream and all.