There is something special about sweet family gatherings where a table is filled with comforting dishes that stir up tasty food memories, tradition and shared moments.
From her family table to ours, primary school teacher and food content creator Tamara Reddy whisks new life into everyday home treats and classic SA holiday confectionery favourites through her vibrant social media platform, Tasty On My Table, just in time for Easter.
Rooted in her rich, blended heritage, Reddy’s recipes draw on her nostalgic cultural influences from Diwali sweetmeats to playful Easter-inspired creations, all reimagined with a fresh, modern twist.
“I grew up in a multi-faith home - my dad is Hindu but my mom is Catholic, and even though we had two religions, my mom was still invested in our Hindu traditions, and around Easter she would also fast for Lent. I would also celebrate Easter and it became a time when our family would come together,” says the 35-year-old from Durban.
“So my mom has a tradition, although I don’t eat it, but it’s pickled fish, and she would make it every year without fail. One of my biggest things is I love just taking Easter treats and turning them into desserts and puddings.
“I would take used hollow Easter eggs and put cheesecake in them or use Speckled Eggs and make a milkshake - I’ll try to take the things that are quite popular around Easter time and then bake something special for my family. So that’s usually what I do.”
Reddy’s easy-to-follow, home-cook recipes are a confectionery lover’s dream. From indulgent sweet treats like Lunch Bar sheet cake to jam doughnut muffins, Rolo caramel fridge fudge, milk tart cake squares and peppermint crisp pudding.
Her decadent creations are designed to satisfy every sweet tooth and add the perfect finishing touch to any family table.
“My love for baking comes from my mom and she would bake for special occasions and events like Diwali, which was something that I would often do with her,” Reddy says.
“One of the things that became a tradition for us was during Diwali, we would make all these sweetmeats, Indian desserts and baked goods. It was a week-long of us baking and spending time in the kitchen together – so my grandmother’s cooking and my mom’s baking shaped how I see food today.”
Reddy started her digital platform in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic when she began sharing recipes on TikTok.
“People commented and began recreating the recipes, telling me that they tried them with their families and they and their families loved them - that’s when it actually clicked for me,” she says.
“Tasty on my Table isn’t about hosting food. It was about me sharing things from my table to theirs [followers] and I think that’s when I thought, okay, well, yeah, it looks like this could be something and I want others to be able to share that love of food with their families.”
Fresh cream cake with strawberry jam and fresh strawberries
Ingredients
For the vanilla sponge cake
- 3 eggs (room temperature)
- 250ml sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 125g butter (melted)
- 250ml milk
- 500 ml cake flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
For the strawberry jam
- 250ml whipping cream
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 100g fresh strawberries (sliced)
Method
- In a large bowl, cream your sugar and eggs until pale and fluffy.
- Add in the vanilla essence, the cooled melted butter and milk. Whisk all the ingredients until combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift your flour and baking powder and mix.
- Gently add in the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, a little at a time, mixing in between.
- Gently pour out the vanilla sponge batter into a lined cake tin.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Allow the vanilla sponge cake to cool completely before icing.
- To prepare the topping, in a bowl, whisk the whipping cream until soft peaks have formed.
- Add in your icing sugar and whisk until stiff peaks have formed.
- Layer the tiers of the vanilla sponge cake with strawberry jam followed by the whipped cream.
- Decorate the top tier of the cake with fresh strawberry slices and enjoy!
