Surrounded by his family, new Labor leader Kevin Rudd talks to Michael Sheather about what makes him tick — and gives us his prize-winning chocolate cake recipe.
Kevin Rudd, the son of a dairy farmer, has only been the leader of the Opposition for a few days, an intense and dramatic few days in which he and his new deputy leader Julia Gillard, 45, rolled Labor Party veteran Kim Beazley to usher in a leadership team many believe is Labor's best chance of winning next year's federal election.
Kevin is still willing to have a joke at his own expense — and, in the process, reveal a little of what the man behind the glasses is really like as a father and a man who, unusually for a politician, doubles in his spare time as a champion baker of chocolate cakes.
As well as being a potential PM, says his wife Thérèse, Kevin makes "a great, fierce chocolate cake and he really likes to do that as a treat for the family. He's really good at the icing. Sometimes, it's for special occasions, but sometimes it's just so he can unwind".
Kevin says that he has actually won several baking contests in his local area. "I'm quite proud of that," he says. "It's a recipe that I got from my mum."
Read the rest of the interview with Kevin Rudd in our January issue and see his mum's prize-winning chocolate cake recipe below.
Kevin Rudd's Mum's favourite chocolate cake recipe
185g butter, softened
¾ cup (155g) firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 eggs
1¼ cups (190g) self-raising flour
2 tablespoons (30g) cocoa powder
½ cup (125ml) milk
Chocolate frosting
¾ cup (125g) icing sugar mixture
1½ tablespoons cocoa powder
50g butter, softened
1 tablespoon warm milk
NOTE: This recipe was tested by The Australian Women's Weekly Test Kitchen.
Preheat oven to moderate (180°C/160°:C fan-forced). Grease and line a 22cm round cake pan.
Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in sifted flour, cocoa and milk, in two batches.
Spread mixture into prepared pan; bake about 45 minutes. Stand cake 5 minutes; turn top-side up onto wire rack to cool. Spread cooled cake with chocolate frosting.
Chocolate frosting: Sift icing sugar and cocoa into a medium bowl; add butter and milk, beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.
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