The Cake of the Summer

Raspberry and Orange Polenta Cake
Summer 2015.....it was all a bit.....meh. Apart from a few "phew, what a scorcher" days, the weather in my part of the world didn't quite know what to do with itself. Apart from rain. Which it has done in biblical proportions over the past few days. So much so that had I seen Noah and his Ark, I would not have been surprised.
Which brings me on to this cake - my absolute favourite bake of this summer. A cake full of almonds, citrus flavours and a seasonal berry is always going to have the potential to be a winner in my eyes. Drenched in a sticky orange syrup, and studded with whole raspberries, this golden hued polenta cake is so reminiscent of sunshine that it can't fail to cheer a person up on a miserable day, or bring joy when the skies are blue, and the weather warm. It is altogether a win-win situation of a cake.
I think I am in love with polenta in a cake. Not only does it bring such an unusual crumbly and crunchy texture, but it also has the benefit of being gluten free. Use gluten free baking powder as well, and this cake becomes a treat for those who are gluten intolerant or those just trying to reduce it in their diet. 
I enjoyed this cake plain, with a few extra raspberries, but a dollop of creme fraiche or mascarpone cheese would be very acceptable with it. 

For the Cake

(adapted from the Waitrose website)

200g unsalted butter, with a little extra for greasing the tin

200g golden caster sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature 

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g polenta

200g ground almonds

1 tsp baking powder

Finely grated zest of 2 oranges

165g raspberries, plus extra to decorate

2 tbsp flaked almonds

For the Syrup

Juice of 2 oranges

100g golden caster sugar

You will also need a 23cm springform tin, greased and the base lined with baking parchment 

1. Preheat the oven to 150C / 300F/ Gas mark 2

2. Beat the butter and the 200g of golden caster sugar in a bowl until very light, fluffy, and pale in colour. 

3. Next, add in the vanilla extract and then the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Stir in the polenta, ground almonds, baking powder, and the orange zest until combined.

5. Gently fold in the raspberries so as to try and keep them whole. However, don't worry if a few get broken up while doing this.

6. Transfer the mixture into the prepared tin, and scatter the ground almonds evenly over the top.

7. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes until the cake is golden on top, and a skewer comes out clean when inserted. You might find that the cake sinks in the middle. Don't worry about this as the dip will be covered up by the extra raspberries.

8. While the cake is in the oven, make the syrup. Put the orange juice and sugar into a small saucepan and simmer gently for about 10 minutes until the liquid has thickened.

9. Take the cake out of the oven and prick it all over with a skewer. Spoon over the orange syrup, making sure it goes into all of the holes, and leave to cool in the tin.

10. Remove from the tin, and decorate with the extra raspberries, before serving.

Baking Notes

When I made this cake the result was quite wet since my oranges were particularly juicy, and I used all of the syrup. Your oranges might not be as juicy, or you might not want a cake that is so wet. In that case, just use as much of the syrup as you feel is right.

When Life gives you Lemons......

.....there are 3 options:

a. Make lemonade
b. Have a gin and tonic
c. Make a cake

Lemon Drizzle Cake
I don't know anyone who doesn't love Lemon Drizzle Cake. Those people may be out there, but I can honestly say that I haven't met any of them. In a survey I read many moons ago, the nation's favourite cake was found to be this one. That, plus a glut of lemons that seemed to be accumulating at the bottom of my fridge, was all the encouragement I needed to get baking this simple, classic, zesty delight.

Why is this cake is so loved, I wonder? I can't say I have any profound theories on this subject; I am a baker, not a philosopher, after all. But I know why I love it.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, I think you will have gathered that I am not about the elaborate cake. I am about the cake that is relatively simple to make, but is full of good ingredients and most importantly, flavour. There is something about the flavour of lemons that brightens any  cake, and makes it sing. If you like some cake with your drizzle then, in my opinion, the holes you make for the syrup must go all the way to the bottom. Not only does this impart the whole cake with the most delicious lemon flavour, it also makes it incredibly moist. 

You could just leave the cake there, and you wouldn't be disappointed. But the addition of some icing and candied lemons makes this cake really special and worthy of any afternoon tea table.

  

For the Cake
(adapted from Nigella Lawson How to be a Domestic Goddess)

125g unsalted butter, at room temperature 

175g golden caster sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

zest of 1 lemon

175g self-raising flour, sifted

pinch of salt

4 tbsp milk

For the Syrup

4 tbsp lemon juice (1 1/2 lemons)

100g icing sugar

For the Icing (optional)

140g icing sugar, sifted

juice of 1 lemon

You will also need a small loaf tin, size 23 x 13 x 7cm, greased and lined with baking paper

1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F/ Gas 4.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes until they are light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition, and then add the lemon zest.

4. Fold in the flour and salt gently until well mixed in, followed by the milk.

5. Transfer the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted.

6. While the cake is cooking, make the syrup by putting the icing sugar and lemon juice into a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.

7. When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and straightaway using a skewer, or cocktail stick, prick all over the surface and spoon over the syrup. 

8. Leave to get completely cold in the tin before turning out onto a cake rack.

9. To make the icing, put the icing sugar in a bowl, and stir in enough lemon juice to make an icing that is thin enough to pour over the cake.

10. Leave the icing to set.

11. Make the candied lemon slices according to the method below and use to decorate the cake.

 

Baking Notes

I decorated the cake with candied lemon slices, which are very easy to make. Cut 1-2 lemons in slices (but not too thin because they have a tendency to fall apart whilst being candied). Put 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water into a saucepan and heat until dissolved, stirring. Place the lemon slices in a single layer in the sugar syrup and boil for 5-7 minutes until they are soft and translucent.

When ready remove from the syrup and place on a sheet of baking parchment on a wire rack, until cold, and then use to decorate the cake.

 

I Heart This

Flourless Chocolate Cake
'If chocolate be the food of love, munch on', wrote William Shakespeare.......never.
Excuse my play on the Bard's opening line from his play, 'Twelfth Night', but as Valentine's Day is here again, I couldn't resist.
I can't say I get terribly excited about this 'Day of Love', but I do like to mark an occasion by mixing up a treat that I can share with my loved ones.
I did want to try and avoid the obvious chocolate recipe to celebrate this occasion, but this (and I admit not very pretty) cake is so delicious and so special that it was my only choice. Plus, I was actually craving it. Therefore, based purely on my greed, I hope you love this cake as much as I do and it becomes a staple in your repertoire for when you need a truly celebratory dessert. This is no delicate, light sponge, but rather a very rich, dense, fudgy pudding, which simply melts in the mouth. Think of the richest, darkest chocolate truffle you have ever eaten, and it is like that. But in cake form.
As in the recipe, you can cover the cake with crème fraiche or cream, before piling the berries on top, but I prefer to serve it separately. A mixture of strawberries, redcurrants and raspberries would be lovely in summer, and in the autumn, blackberries and blueberries. But whatever fruit you choose, the only rule is to not be shy. This is a decadent pudding so be decadent.
When I made this cake I used just raspberries, and replaced the crème fraiche with double cream simply because they are my personal favourite. The sour tang of crème fraiche would of course cut through the richness of all of this cake, but call me old fashioned, I do like a bit of cream with my chocolate. The Cajuns have their 'holy trinity' of bell peppers, onions and celery, and I have my classic 'holy trinity' of chocolate, raspberries and cream.

For the Cake
(adapted from Sophie Dahl's Voluptuous Delights)

300g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, (plus extra to decorate, but this is optional)
225g golden caster sugar
180ml boiling water
225g salted butter, cubed
6 medium eggs, at room temperature and separated
1 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

To Decorate
250g of your choice of berries
200ml crème fraiche, or double cream

You will also need an 8in / 20cm square, or a 9in / 23cm round cake tin

1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas 4.
2. Grease and line the base and sides of the tin with baking parchment.
3. Break up the chocolate into small pieces and put it in a food processor with the sugar and pulse until fine.
4. Add the boiling water, butter, egg yolks, coffee powder and vanilla extract and give it another mix. The chocolate and butter should melt so that you have a molten chocolate mixture. Transfer into a large bowl.
5. Whisk the eggs whites in a glass bowl until stiff and fold a quarter into the chocolate mixture using a metal spoon, to slacken it. Fold in the remaining egg whites until they are thoroughly mixed in. You will need to do this gently in order not to knock the air out of the egg whites.
6. Pour the mousse like mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 45 - 55 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
7. The top of the cake will crack and the centre will collapse. This is entirely normal, so don't worry.
8. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin and place in the fridge for a few hours, or better still, overnight.
9. When you want to serve the cake, remove from the tin and take off the paper. At this stage I would also put the cake on the serving plate before decorating.
10. If you are using the double cream give it a bit of a whisk so that it has thickened up enough to hold its shape, but is not stiff, and dollop on top of the cake. The crème fraiche doesn't need whisking so you can just spoon that on top as is.
11. Put the fruit on top of the cream or crème fraiche, and grate over some extra chocolate if you fancy it.
12. Devour. Greedily.

Baking Notes
For this cake use the best chocolate you can afford, and do make sure it contains 70% cocoa solids. If you don't want to make such a dark, bitter cake and want something is a little sweeter, use a mixture of dark and milk chocolate, but with the dark being the in the greater proportion.