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.

 

'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas......'

Guinness Gingerbread

Oh my gosh......December is here and I don't know how that has happened. Where this year has gone, I have no idea. I think I blinked and missed it. Christmas is just around the corner and the next couple of weeks are going to be focused on getting ready for it. Braving the crowds to find the perfect present, wrapping, and writing cards. It doesn't really stop. Come the big day (and not wanting to sound like the Grinch), I am rather relieved that it is almost over. And happy to have a couple of days where all I am expected to do is peel a few potatoes and not much else.
I love Gingerbread because it is the most perfect cake for this time of year. Not only is it chock-full of ginger, cinnamon and cloves, those warming and wintry spices that you can't help but associate with Christmas, but it is also super quick to make and is therefore brilliant if you are short on time and still want to whip up a sweet treat. The smell that permeates the home while baking can't help but make you feel a little bit festive. It is the cake that I turn to if I need a quick bake, because, to be honest, by the time I have finished all of my traditional baking, I am all baked out.

I have a friend, Miss B, who each time I feed her cake, always loudly and with great gusto proclaims that it is her new favourite. This always amuses me, because although I know she is being absolutely genuine, I am not sure how that is possible. However, one thing I do know, is that she absolutely loves Gingerbread, and that has always remained a constant. This recipe is therefore dedicated to her so now she can make and enjoy it at any time she likes.

I hope you find this Gingerbread just as it should be; damp and sticky and full of spicy flavours. Don't be put off by the Guinness. Even if it not your favourite tipple, you don't actually taste it. I think it adds a richness and an ever so inviting deep, dark colour.
This cake is also versatile. Cut it into small squares and enjoy it as is, or cut the squares larger and drown in custard for a delicious pudding. After a roast. On a Sunday.
 

For the Cake

(from Nigella's Kitchen by Nigella Lawson)

150g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the tin

300g golden syrup

200g dark muscovado sugar

250ml Guinness

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

300g plain flour

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

300ml soured cream

2  medium eggs

Square baking tin 23cm square, greased and lined with baking paper, or a foil tray tin 30 x 20 x 5 cm, greased and lined as before.

1. Preheat the oven to 170C / 325F / Gas 3. 

2. In a large pan put in the butter, syrup, muscovado sugar, Guinness and spices, and melt over a low heat. When melted, take the mixture off the heat.

3. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda together in bowl and then add to the melted mixture, whisking until no lumps of flour remain.

4. Mix the soured cream and eggs together in another bowl, pour into the mixture and whisk again until you have a smooth batter.

5. Pour into your prepared tin, and then bake for about 45 minutes, until it is risen in the centre, and the sides are coming away from the tin.

6. Leave the gingerbread to cool before removing from the tin and cutting into as squares. I used the square tin and it made 36 fairly small but quite deep squares.

Baking Notes

There is no reason why you couldn't adapt this recipe and add some extra goodies. I have made this before with some chopped stem ginger mixed into the cake to add texture and a little extra heat. Chopped walnuts or pecan nuts would add crunch. In addition, drizzle with a simple icing made with icing sugar, ginger syrup and a little water, and sprinkle liberally with some more chopped ginger or nuts for decoration.

If you want to make this in advance, then do so as it keeps brilliantly in an airtight tin for (in my case) five days.

Just a little note re the styling of my photographs. I would love to lay claim to their originality but unfortunately I can't. I watched Nigella Lawson make this cake and decorate it like this on one of her programmes. I loved it so much I that I just had to re-create it for myself. I can't resist a bit of retro kitsch, especially at Christmas, and these decorations take me back to when I was a child and my mother and I would decorated the cake with very similar. 

 

A Pumpkin is not just for Halloween

Chocolate, Pecan and Pumpkin Cake

Pity the poor old pumpkin. Abundant and plentiful in the two weeks before Halloween when everybody wants to be its friend, only to be granted 'billy no mates' status the day after, and disappearing into the great pumpkin graveyard in the sky.

It did make me think that surely we, and I, could do more with a pumpkin at than just turning it into a lantern. With perfect timing a few weeks ago when pumpkins were everywhere, I came across this unusual spiced chocolate cake by accident, and it immediately intrigued me. Pumpkin I have used to make soup (yum) and pie (not that fussed, to be honest), but never cake. I love chocolate in all its forms and am always drawn to rich, dark chocolate cakes which are a little out of the ordinary. 

Chocolate, pumpkin, and cinnamon are all flavours that work in any combination, so it makes sense that they all work together. Pumpkin adds a richness and sweetness, as well as moisture to what is quite a solid, but not heavy, cake. Pecans add crunch, while cinnamon lends a spicy and exotic warmth that is so right and comforting at this time of year. 

This is a proper, dark, grown up chocolate cake and I think a slice of this is best served on a cold afternoon, cosy under a blanket, watching a black and white movie, with a cup of tea, and as always, a dollop of whipped cream.

For the Cake

(adapted from Chocolat by Eric Lanlard)

125g pecan nuts

225g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped

150g unsalted butter

3 medium eggs

275g dark muscovado sugar

275ml water

3 tsp vanilla extract

250g self-raising flour, sifted

3 tsp cinnamon

100g peeled, deseeded pumpkin, grated

To Decorate

extra whole pecan nuts (optional)

Cocoa powder or icing sugar for dusting

You will need a 23cm / 9in diameter springform cake tin, greased and lined with baking paper

 
1. Preheat the oven to 170C / 150C fan / 325F / Gas 3.

2. Toast the pecan nuts in a dry frying pan over a low heat for about 10 minutes until they have deepened in colour slightly and begin to release their nutty fragrance. Keep an eye on the nuts during this time as they can easily burn. A little moving around with a spoon or shaking the pan from time to time doesn't hurt. Leave them to cool, and then roughly chop.

3. Put the chocolate and butter into a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of barely simmering water until melted (make sure that the surface of the water does not touch the bowl). Beat the melted mixture until combined.

4. In a bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together for about 5 minutes until thick and creamy. Continue whisking while adding in the melted chocolate and butter, and then add in the water and vanilla.

5. Stir the cinnamon into the sifted flour, and fold into the chocolate mixture until smooth, followed by the grated pumpkin and chopped pecan nuts.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and decorate with whole pecans if you wish.

7. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. When the cake is cold, wrap it in cling film and foil and keep at room temperature for at least 24 hours before eating, and before serving, dust with cocoa powder or icing sugar.

Baking Notes

The original recipe calls for a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to be stirred into the pecan nuts before toasting, but I actually omitted this, mainly because it didn't really appeal. However, when I make it again, I will be brave and add it. You never know, it might be a 'taste sensation'!

Noted in the ingredients list is that you can use butternut squash as an alternative to pumpkin. It does exactly the same job, and the bonus is that it is more readily available than pumpkin, and so much more easy to cut.

If you decide to try this cake I would love to know what you think of it. And if you do add the cayenne pepper.....well done!

A Taste of Provence

Lavender, Lemon and Honey Cake
(adapted from Love, Bake, Nourish by Amber Rose)

Lavender. I have bathed in it. I have scented my house with it. I have even spritzed my laundry with it, but, I had never tasted it. It is a flavour that had always intrigued me as I thought that it might be akin to eating a bar of soap. Which, when I recently tried some (bought) lavender shortbread, it was. I have to say that it was a flavour that I didn't think that I would be hurrying to try again as I found it quite unpleasant. So much so that my biscuit remained unfinished. 

However, that opinion changed when I saw this cake. Although lavender, the lure of the other ingredients proved strong enough for me to want to give it a try. There is something about cakes that include almonds that I love. Perhaps it is the taste, or maybe it is the squidgy dampness that they impart that I am addicted to. I don't know what it is, but if a cake is heavy on almonds then I am a fan. Polenta is used in place of flour in this cake which, being made from corn, makes this cake gluten free, and therefore perfect for those who cannot eat wheat or are trying to reduce it in their diet. 

This cake is my first foray into a beautiful book called 'Love, Bake, Nourish' by Amber Rose, which had been on my radar for a while, and which I finally acquired only recently. If you like cakes and baked goodies that use seasonal ingredients and healthier and nutritious alternatives to refined sugar and wheat flour then this book is for you. 

The recipes are not vegan as they do use butter and eggs, but instead of white sugar you will find honey and maple syrup, and in place of wheat, nut, buckwheat, and spelt flours.

It is an amalgam of two recipes, the cake being from one, and the icing, another. Of course there is nothing to stop you from just making the cake au naturel, but I just think a little adornment stops it from looking naked.

So, how did the cake turn out? Very well indeed! It is very soft and moist, which is to be expected  from all of those almonds, and the polenta adds an unusual crumbly grainy texture, which I found rather moreish. It is also beautifully light and two pieces are easily wolfed down without realising it (or feeling guilty).

However, I cannot say that I really tasted the lavender. Perhaps I chopped it too small, or maybe I should have been brave and used a little more. I am not sure until I make it again and tweak the amount. What does come through though is the lemon (which is always a good thing in my opinion) and there is no reason why you couldn't replace the lavender with extra lemon zest, or replace the lemon with orange zest and juice. You could even go one step further and use a mixture of both to make a super-citrusy cake.

 

For the cake

2 teaspoons dried lavender, finely chopped

100 g golden caster sugar

225g unsalted butter, softened 

225g ground almonds

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

Grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons

Juice of half a lemon

75g honey

110g polenta

1/2 tsp baking powder (Dr. Oetker make a gluten free option if wheat cannot be eaten)

Pinch of salt

For the icing

30 ml lemon juice 

3 tsp honey

125g icing sugar

1 - 2 tsps dried lavender, chopped

Preheat the oven to 160C.

Grease and base line a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment.

1. Cream the butter, sugar and lavender in a large bowl until very pale in colour and fluffy in texture. I usually whisk with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes for the mixture to get to this stage.

2. Add in the ground almonds and vanilla extract and stir until incorporated.

3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until well mixed, and then gently fold in the zest, juice, honey, polenta, baking powder and salt with a metal spoon.

4. Pour into the prepared tin, and with the back of a spoon level the surface.

5. Put in the oven and bake for 45 minutes until a cocktail stick comes out clean when inserted in the centre.

6. If you think the cake is becoming a little brown, cover the surface for the last 10 minutes of cooking with a circle of greaseproof paper.

7. Take the cake out of the oven and leave in the tin for about 15-20 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Remove the baking parchment layer.

8. To make the icing, mix the lemon juice and honey in a medium sized bowl, and add in the icing sugar in two batches. What you are aiming for is a thick icing that can be poured and drip prettily down the sides.

9. Spoon over the cake and sprinkle with the chopped lavender.
10. If you wanted to, make this the day before you need it and wrap it in greaseproof paper and foil, un-iced, and it will be even better for it.

 

 

From my Grandmother's Table

Kirsch Kuchen (Cherry Cake)
I was recently in Germany for a whistlestop family visit. As is usual with my family (and I am sure, many others) no sooner had we walked in the door on the afternoon of our arrival, then we were sitting down drinking coffee and eating cake. And no sooner had we finished that, we were sitting down to a traditional, and very delicious, Bavarian meal prepared by my cousin. Sausages, cucumber salad, warm potato salad (the German kind made with hot vinaigrette, not the American version. Far too heavy on the mayonnaise for my liking), rye bread and German mustard were on the menu, all washed down with a beer. It was a very wonderful welcome.
I only tell you this as it reminded me of all the times I spent visiting my Bavarian grandparents, when every day revolved around food. First there was breakfast, then elevenses, lunch, a spot of kaffee und kuchen in the afternoon, and if we were still hungry after all of that, there was a light supper. Not surprisingly, I always came back from my German holidays a few pounds heavier.
However, although we ate cake, pudding was rare. Maybe occasionally some gelato from the Italian ice cream parlours that are on every corner during the summer, but mostly we always had fruit, and it was no different during my recent visit.
On the table was a large dish of the biggest, plumpest, reddest and juiciest cherries I have seen in a long while. This got me very excited as I absolutely love cherries. They are by far my favourite summer fruit, and I can happily chew (and spit) my way through a punnet or two with ease.

Seeing these cherries reminded me of a recipe for Cherry Cake that I had seen in my grandmother's handwritten cookery book. She was a fantastic cook, and at some point in the early sixties she wrote her own personal recipe book. All categories were covered, from cakes, puddings, and Christmas baking, to savoury starters, main courses and drinks, all written in her beautiful handwriting.
My mother now has the book in her possession but I have borrowed it for inspiration. It is funny, but in all the years I have been baking, I don't think I have ever baked anything German, other than the goodies I bake at Christmas. Perhaps it is because my mother always made her mother's recipes, and so I never felt the need to.

However, I don't think she ever made this one, and as we are in cherry season, it was the perfect time to give this cake a try. I have made a couple of changes to the recipe and added a few more details that were missing from the original version. My grandmother wrote a wonderful book, but reading it, well, you can tell that she wrote it for herself, as on occasion the methods are a little vague. For example: make the batter, put in a cake tin, bake for an hour.
Yes, that is all very well, Granny, but HOW do you make the batter? WHAT size should the tin be?, and at WHAT temperature?! You see, vague.
This is a super cake, very light, and not at all dry. There is a background note of lemon, but this could easily be replaced with almond extract if you wish since almonds and cherries are perfect partners. I was tempted to do this, but as this is my grandmother's recipe, it is only right that to do it justice I should follow the recipe as written. What did surprise me about this cake is that in my opinion, it has a 'German' flavour. I wish I could explain what that means, but I don't think I can. Perhaps it is just knowing the cake's history that it makes sense that it should taste of her homeland.  

For the Cake

200g unsalted butter, softened and at room temperature

200g icing sugar, sifted

200g self raising flour

4 large eggs

zest of 1 lemon (or 1 tsp of almond extract)

450g cherries, stoned and kept whole if possible (see the notes below)

Icing sugar for dusting

You will also need a 22cm (8 1/2") springform tin, greased and base lined with baking parchment

1. Preheat the oven to 160C / 150C fan / 325F / Gas 3-4.

2. Beat the butter and icing sugar together until very fluffy and pale in colour, about 4-5 minutes.

3. Beat in the eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of the sifted flour to prevent curdling.

4. Beat in the lemon zest and then fold in the flour gently. Don't over beat as you want to keep in as much air as possible. Once all of the flour is incorporated, stop mixing.

5. Put half of the mixture in the prepared tin, and then lay the cherries in one layer over it. They will sink to the bottom but don't worry about this.

6. Cover the cherries with the remaining mixture and level the surface. 

7. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour. My grandmother says to bake for an hour, but mine was ready in 50 minutes. Therefore you could open the oven door after 50 minutes if you wish, to check if it is done, and if not, then every 5 minutes or so until a skewer or cocktail stick comes out clean.

8. Take the cake out of the oven and leave it in the tin for 15 minutes. Remove from the tin and put onto a cooling rack. I would add to be careful with the cake as it is quite delicate while warm.

9. When the cake is cold, drench in sifted icing sugar and devour. I recommend with some whipped cream!

 

  

 

 

Baking Notes
Stoning cherries is very laborious and very dull, and unless you have time on your hands I would strongly suggest that you use a cherry stoner. I cannot say that it makes the job any more interesting, but it certainly makes light work of it, and keeps the fruit whole, which adds to the look of the cake when cut. Feel free to use tinned cherries (in juice, not syrup), or those in a glass jar, but do make sure that they are very well drained before you use them, and any excess liquid removed with kitchen paper. 
 

A Taste of Eastern Promise

Pistachio and Rosewater Cake
(adapted from RedOnline here)

I cannot tell you how excited I am to share this Middle Eastern inspired cake with you. I think it is one of the prettiest cakes that I have seen for a while and it is my way of heralding the start of Summer.

When I found it amongst my recipe file, I just thought, 'oh hello.....you look tasty, come into my kitchen!'
I love all things pistachio (its ice cream is my favourite), and I love the rose flavour of Turkish Delight. Throw in some pink from the rose petals, and combined in a cake, it just had my name written all over it. However, I have never baked with this classic combination before so I was intrigued to find out if it would live up to my expectations.
It did, and I was so pleased. While the cake was baking, the most delicious scent of rose and lemon filled my kitchen, and when cut into it, that same scent was intoxicating.
The rose flavour was very delicate, (not at all like ingesting a mouthful of  perfume) and mixed with the sharpness of lemon, the cake was so moreish. The pistachio nuts give a slight green hue to the cake, and a creamy nuttiness. You will find this cake very moist because of the oils in the ground almonds, and its taste and texture improves with age. Therefore, if you make this cake, I would recommend that you do so a day or two in advance for maximum impact! 

 For the cake
225g butter, softened (and a bit extra with which to grease the tin)

60g corn flour (I was a bit sceptical about this, but its addition gives a lovely crumbly lightness) 

1 tsp baking powder

100g blanched almonds

125g unsalted shelled pistachios

225g caster sugar (I used white instead of my usual golden because that is what I had in the cupboard)

3 large eggs

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp rose water

To decorate

Icing sugar

25 - 50g chopped pistachios 

2 tbsp edible dried rose petals (I found mine in Waitrose, but they are available online)

To serve
Greek yogurt mixed with lemon curd

23cm 9" springform cake tin, greased with butter and base lined with a circle of baking
parchment

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas mark 3

2. In a dry frying pan toast the almonds and pistachios in a until they have gained a little colour and the and you can begin to smell them. Do be careful to keep an eye on them and stir them occasionally as the almonds can easily get too brown and burn. Don't be tempted to miss out this step as the toasting really helps with developing the nutty flavour.

3. Put into a food processor and grind very finely.

4. Mix the butter and sugar in a bowl until very light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one, and then add the lemon juice, zest and rosewater.

5. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add to the butter, sugar and egg mixture and fold in gently until well combined. 

6. The mixture should be a soft dropping consistency. If not, add a little more lemon juice until it is.

7. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 40 - 50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean and the top is golden brown. If you think that the top of the cake is becoming too brown while baking, just put a layer of greaseproof paper over it. 

8. Take the tin out of the oven and leave to cool down for about 10 to 20 minutes for before removing from the tin and placing on a cooling rack. Do be careful at this stage though, because the cake is quite delicate and liable to break in half if you pick it up on either side. I would recommend a fish slice to slide under the bottom of the cake to help move it.

9. Dust with icing sugar, sprinkle either delicately, or liberally with the chopped pistachios and dried rose petals.

 If you try this cake I would really like to know how you like it. Or, do you have a recipe that you make that says 'Summer' to you?

My my, at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender.......

Next weekend sees the yearly extravaganza that is the Eurovision Song Contest. Love it or hate, you can't escape it. Personally, I love it. It is my absolute guilty pleasure and every year nothing will stop me from settling down in front of the television and giving up 3 hours of my life to revel in both its weird and wonderfulness. I even find all the cheeky block voting that goes on (regardless of how rubbish the song), and hardly anyone voting for the UK entry anymore, quite amusing.

You might well be wondering what place Eurovision has on a baking blog. Well, I will tell you. Eventually. 

It is 40 years since the Swedish group Abba won the competition with 'Waterloo'. On the the 6th April 1974, in Brighton, to be exact.

I can't believe that it was that long ago that, in shiny flares and platforms, they entered our consciousness. I was only small at the time and I suspect my knowledge of Eurovision was non-existent. However, a couple of years later, while living abroad, the power of the BBC World Service was such that I soon became aware of this Supergroup, and I have been a fan ever since. Can I add though, that in my opinion, Mamma Mia (the film version, that is) was shocking, and I wish I'd known that all of the best bits were in the trailer before I got excited and paid good money to see it.  

To celebrate this anniversary, I wanted to revisit 'The Nordic Bakery' book, (by Miisa Mink) and whip up a cake that caught my eye. Here is the classic Swedish cake, 'Tosca Cake', or, in Swedish, 'Tosca Kaka'. I actually hadn't heard of it before but when I saw it in the book I knew that one day I would bake it. It is a whisked vanilla sponge with a caramel and almond topping and is absolutely my kind of cake. Simple, not showy, but with a little added interest. A lot like my favourite clothes, in fact.

This cake definitely goes under the header of 'new favourite', and one to be made again and again. Light, moist, buttery, with a hint of vanilla. The nutty caramel topping adds crunch, and is very, very moreish.

I cut myself a slice while it was still slightly warm, and poured over some cream (only because I had some leftover, and I hate waste you understand!). It was so good. If you were to add some berries, and Scandinavians do love a berry or two, it would make a delicious pudding. 

Or, just have it cold. Either way you won't be disappointed.

For the cake

4 medium eggs
170g caster sugar (I used my preferred golden caster sugar)
200ml double cream
100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
260g plain flour 

Tosca topping
75g unsalted butter
75 g caster sugar (again, I used golden)
50ml double cream
3 tbsp plain flour 
75g flaked almonds, toasted

29cm/11inch springform cake tin greased, and  base lined (I used a 25cm/10inch tin because that is what I have)

Serves 6 - 8

Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6

1. Put the eggs and sugar into a large mixing bowl and whisk with a handheld electric whisk until the mixture is very thick, pale, doubled in size, and there is a trail in the mixture when you lift the beaters out of the bowl. This should take about 10 - 15 minutes. Do not rush this part, however bored you may become. It is imperative that the mixture is whisked for this long because it is the air that gives the cake its lightness.
2. Add the cream, melted butter and vanilla extract and fold in gently using a metal spoon.
3. In a separate bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together then fold into the egg mixture with a metal spoon again. Do this gently so that you don't knock out the air that you took so long to whisk in.
4. Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the pre-heated oven in middle of the oven for 30 - 35 minutes.
5. While the cake is cooking make the Tosca topping. Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil over a low heat, stirring all the time.
6. Remove the baked cake from the oven, spread the Tosca topping evenly over the top and 
return it to the hot oven for a further 10 - 15 minutes or until the topping is golden and slightly caramelised.
7. Leave the cake in the tin for about 10 minutes before turning out and leaving to cool completely.

Spring has Sprung

Spring has sprung, the grass is ris,

I wonder where the birdies is?

Some say the bird is on the wing,

But that's absurd
The wing is on the bird. 

(anon, or Spike Milligan, depending on which Google entry you want to believe)

This little piece of nonsense was taught to me by my father when I was a child, and I have remembered ever since at the onset of Spring. To get the full effect of its silliness though, you have to say it in a faux 'noo yoik' accent. Funny, the things that make you smile.

I digress.

Spring has arrived, and to that, I say, Hurrah! The cold dark days of winter are behind us, there is a warmth in the air, flowers are emerging from their winter hibernation, and Summer is not so far away. And, of course, there is Easter, which is just around the corner.  

To celebrate, why not mix up a Simnel Cake for your tea time table? This is the fruit cake which is traditionally eaten at Easter in England and Ireland, and is often likened to Christmas Cake simply because it contains fruit, and involves marzipan. That, for me, though, is where the similarity ends.





It is lighter than Christmas cake. It doesn't have to be made weeks in advance nor does it have to be doused in alcohol. And, if you are short on time, the recipe below uses the all-in-one method, although at least two hours are needed to bake it.

The cake is made with two layers of marzipan. One is baked into the middle (which gives a gorgeous almondy dampness) and one is placed on the top, and toasted. To decorate, eleven marzipan balls (which represent the twelve apostles of Jesus, excluding Judas) are placed around the top edge of the cake. 
Simnel cake has been around since at least medieval times, and it was made for the middle Sunday of Lent, when on this day the Lenten fast was relaxed. In more recent times however, it became the tradition for young girls in service to make a Simnel cake for their mothers when they visited on Mothering Sunday.
The name 'simnel' possibly comes from the Latin word 'simila', meaning fine, wheaten flour.

I hope that you give this cake a try. I think there is something special about eating food that 
has a history and is tied into the feast for which it is made. Try to make and eat it at any other time of year, and it doesn't quite taste the same!

For the cake

(from Mary Berry)

100g glacé cherries
225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
225g light muscovado sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
225g self-raising flour, sifted
225g sultanas
100g currants
50g chopped candied peel
2 lemons, grated zest only
2 tsp ground mixed spice

For the filling and topping

450g marzipan
1-2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed and sieved 

1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 150C / 280F / Gas 2. Grease and line a 20cm/ 8in cake tin with baking paper.

1.Cut the cherries into quarters, and rinse under running water in a sieve. Drain well, and dry thoroughly on kitchen paper.

2. Put the cherries in a large bowl with remaining cake ingredients and beat well until thoroughly mixed. Pour half the mixture into the prepared tin.

3. With one-third of the marzipan, roll it out to a circle the size of the tin and then place on top of the cake mixture. Spoon the remaining mixture on top and level the surface with the back of a spoon.

4. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 2½ hours, or until well risen, evenly brown and firm to the touch. (If you think the top is browning too quickly, cover with a layer of foil or baking paper after one hour). Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out, peel off the paper and finish cooling on a wire rack.

5.When the cake is cool, brush the top with a little of the apricot jam and roll out half of the remaining marzipan to fit the top. Press firmly on the top and using a fork, crimp around the edges.

6. Roll the remaining marzipan into 11 balls.

7. Brush the marzipan with beaten egg and arrange the marzipan balls around the edge of the cake. I like to press down lightly on them with a fork. This not only ensures that the balls are stuck down properly, but I think it adds a nice touch.
8. Brush the tops of the balls with beaten egg and then place the cake under a hot grill until the top is lightly toasted. I would recommend that you watch the cake like a hawk, because this doesn't take long, and lightly toasted can easily become burnt!