Tag: cake

Spiced pumpkin or squash loaf cake

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Think banana bread but autumnal and spicy. And the only excuse you need to eat cake for breakfast.

  • 110g salted butter
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 50g soft light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 350g cooked and mashed pumpkin or butternut squash (or other squash)
  • 110g plain flour
  • 110g buckwheat flour
  • 2½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 100g pecans, roughly chopped
  1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan (180C) and line a loaf tin
  2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then let it foam and cook for ~5 mins, stirring occasionally until flecks of brown form at the bottom of the pan
  3. Transfer the brown butter to a big bowl and whisk to cool it
  4. Whisk the sugars into the brown butter, then add the vanilla.
  5. Crack in the eggs one at a time, whisking between each one
  6. Beat until smooth, then add the squashed squash and combine
  7. Add the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt and pecans. Stir gently to combine into a thick batter.
  8. Scrape into the lined loaf tin and bake 1 hour (+ 5-10 mins as needed) until skewer comes out clean
  9. Leave to cool for 10 mins in the tin before removing onto a wire rack
  10. Leave to cool completely before slicing. Freeze slices and pop into the toaster to revive, spread with butter

Apple and blackberry cake

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Apples, blackberries, hazelnuts, nutmeg and cinnamon make for the the autumn-est of cakes

  • 100g unsalted butter, at room temp
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 50g soft light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 200ml milk
  • 250g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 100g chopped, toasted hazelnuts
  • 2 eating apples, peeled and cored and diced
  • 150g blackberries
  • 2 tsp granulated demerara sugar
  1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan (180C) and lightly grease a 20cm loose bottom or springform cake tin
  2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
  3. Slowly add the eggs, continuing to whisk constantly. Then whisk in the milk
  4. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, hazelnuts, cinnamon and a pinch of salt
  5. Add the diced apple and whole blackberries and stir gently to coat with flour
  6. Gently fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well-combined
  7. Spoon into the cake tin and sprinke over the demerara evenly across the top
  8. Bake for 40-45 mins until the sides just begin to come away from the tin
  9. Run a palette knife around the edges so you can turn the cake out of the tin
  10. Fully cool on a wire rack, and serve at room temp with mascapone (with a little cinnamon and honey mixed through it if you’re feeling fancy)

Raspberry, cardamom and almond cake

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Gorgeous moist, nutty, fruity, gently spiced 2-layer cake

  • 125g unsalted butter, softened + more for greasing
  • 350g ground almonds
  • 225g soft brown sugar
  • 1 tsp flaky sea salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 250g greek yoghurt
  • 6 cardamom pods, shells discarded and seeds finely ground
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 225g raspberries
  • 25g flaked almonds
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  1. Heat the oven to 160°C fan. Butter a 23cm loose-bottom tin and line it with a double sheet of greaseproof paper. This is more important than you might think – learn from my mistakes!
  2. Beat the butter until light and pale, then stir in the sugar, almonds and salt
  3. Spread half this mixture over the bottom of the tin
  4. Lightly whisk the eggs and beat them into the rest of the cake batter. Stir in the yoghurt, cardamom and baking powder, and mix well
  5. Pour into the tin and scatter over the raspberries, allowing them to sink into the batter
  6. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds and caster sugar, and bake for 60-70 mins until an inserted skewer comes out clean
  7. Cool in the tin – it will still be a little soft initially, but it will firm up as it cools – and then turn out to applause and salivation

Cherry and almond cake

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A summery gluten free treat, rich with almonds and riddled with sweet juicy fruit.

  • 60g caster sugar
  • 60g butter, softened
  • 180g ground almonds
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 160g fresh cherries, pitted and left whole (I know, it looks like you murdered someone in the kitchen)
  • Handful flaked almonds
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C fan (180C) and line a loaf tin or a 20cm baking tin
  2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
  3. Break in the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously as you do so
  4. Add the almond extract and whisk in
  5. In another bowl (or in the bowl of the scales to avoid unnecessary washing up), mix together the ground almonds, baking powder and salt
  6. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet, and then add the cherries, stirring them into the mixture
  7. Spoon into the tin, smooth out the top with a spoon and then sprinkle over the flaked almonds
  8. Bake for 40 mins until golden on top and cooked through
  9. Leave in the tin for 10 mins and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely
  10. Serve with vanilla ice cream, custard or cream

Satsuma and almond cake

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As Julia Child said, “a party without cake is just a meeting” and this is just the cake to take a tea party from dull to delightful. It’s not fancy, but it is damply delicious and beloved by everyone who tastes it.

  • Approx 375 g satsumas (4 or so fruit)
  • 6 eggs
  • 220 g caster sugar
  • 250 g ground almonds
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 170C fan (190C). Grease and line a 20 cm springform tin
  2. Put the satsumas in a covered microwave-safe dish (open a crack for ventilation) with a couple of tbsp of water. Cook on high for 9 mins, turning over gently halfway through the cooking time
  3. Drain, discarding the cooking water and leave to one side for 5 mins to cool slightly. If the satsumas have pips, dig in and remove them with a spoon
  4. Put the satsumas into a bowl — skins, pith, fruit and all — and use a hand blender to blitz into a paste and put on one side to cool
  5. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs until frothy and thick, then add the sugar, almonds and baking powder and whisk again
  6. Add the pulped satsumas and whisk together
  7. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for an hour – cover with foil after about 40 mins to stop the top burning.
  8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a rack in the tin. Serve at room temperature.

Apple and honey cake

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A Passover classic but delicious any time of year. Pretty, moist, golden and beautiful, inside and out.

  • 4 small apples, peeled, halved and cored
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 75g sugar
  • 4 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • 140g flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  1. Pre-heat oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. Grease a springform tin and line the bottom with baking paper
  3. Place the peeled, halved and cored apples cut-side-down on a cutting board
  4. Use a sharp knife to cut a series of parallel lines 3-5mm apart to halfway through the apple pieces (so that the halves stay intact)
  5. Toss apple with lemon juice and 1 tbsp sugar
  6. In a scrupulously clean bowl, whisk the egg whites into stiff peaks
  7. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and remaining 75g sugar until fluffy
  8. Add the honey, cinnamon and egg yolks and beat until combined
  9. Add the flour, baking powder and salt half at a time, mixing until just combined
  10. Stir ¼ of the egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the rest
  11. Scrape cake batter into the tin, smoothing the top
  12. Arrange apple halves facedown on the cake batter – you don’t need to press them down, the cake will rise up to encase them 
  13. Bake for 35 mins until golden brown. Rest the tin on a rack for 5 mins before turning out to cool completely

Sachertorte

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Another traditional family recipe, my dad’s birthday cake of choice. Deeply, richly chocolatey. Make it the day before for best results.

For the cake:

  • 175g dark chocolate (60% cocoa)
  • 110g unsalted butter, softened
  • 110g golden caster sugar
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 1 egg white
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 110g plain flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder

For the icing:

  • 175g dark chocolate
  • 150ml double cream
  • 2 tsp glycerin
  • 2 tsp smooth apricot jam
  1. Pre-heat oven to 130C fan (150C)
  2. Grease and line 20cm springform cake tin
  3. First melt the chocolate for the cake, then put to one side to cool slightly
  4. Beat the 5 egg whites in a large, clean bowl to stiff peaks
  5. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
  6. Into this pale yellow puff, beat in the 4 egg yolks one at a time, whisking well after each addition
  7. Whisk the melted chocolate and vanilla into the creamed butter mixture
  8. Sift over the flour and baking powder, gently folding in with a metal spoon
  9. Then add the egg whites, a quarter at a time, folding carefully into the cake batter until no white streaks remain
  10. Pour and scrape the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 50 mins to 1 hour, until firm and well risen
  11. Once cooked, allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 mins before turning out onto a rack. Cool completely before icing
  1. Make the icing by melting together the chocolate and cream
  2. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the glycerin
  3. Gently warm the jam to make it easier to spread evenly
  4. Brush the cake with jam all over
  5. Stand the cake on its rack on a tray or large plate
  6. Pour the icing over the cake to cover the top and the sides completely
  7. Leave to set, which will take 2-3 hours

Ricotta lemon cake

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Beautifully moist sunshine cake. Not at all fancy, but all the better for that. Serve with tart poached fruit. Cherries are AMAZING. Also try plums, apricots, gooseberries, raspberries, greengages, blueberries….

  • 1 egg
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 180g caster sugar
  • 100g ricotta
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 65g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 130g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin
  3. Beat the egg, yolks and sugar together until pale and fluffy
  4. Drizzle in the cooled melted butter, whisking while you do it
  5. Then whisk in the ricotta and the lemon zest
  6. Gently fold in the flour, baking powder and salt
  7. Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth it out on top
  8. Bake for 20-25 mins until golden (and until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean)
  9. Cool in the tin and then serve with poached fruit

Flourless chocolate mousse cake

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The most beautiful celebratory chocolate cake/dessert, managing the extraordinary magic of being both lightly cloud-like and deeply rich. The addition of frangelico makes it ever so slightly nutella-adjacent (although there are many other alcohol choices which work). AND it’s gluten free, just in case that’s important too. Based on Nigella’s amazing chocolate cloud cake recipe.

  • 6 eggs, 4 separated and 2 whole
  • 175g caster sugar
  • 250g dark chocolate
  • 125g unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp frangelico (or dark rum, brandy, amaretto, cointreau)
  1. Pre-heat oven to 170C fan (190C)
  2. Line a springform tin with baking parchment
  3. Snap the chocolate up and cut the butter into pieces, putting both into a heatproof bowl
  4. Heat the chocolate and butter together until only just melted – I use the microwave on 30 second bursts for this. Be careful not to overdo it. Once melted set on one side
  5. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy and starting to hold the bubbles
  6. Tip in half of the sugar a tbsp at a time and whisk into glossy ripples. Set on one side
  7. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, remaining sugar and frangelico
  8. Tip in the slightly cooled chocolate/butter mixture and whisk thoroughly until creamy and thick
  9. Gently fold in the egg white mixture until well combined
  10. Pour the batter into the prepped tin and place in the oven
  11. Bake for 35-40 mins until the cake is risen and cracked with the tiniest wobble in the middle
  12. Cool on a rack in the tin. It will sink in the middle and that’s totally fine!
  13. Only remove from the tin when you’re ready to serve

Serve at room temp with a tumble of ruby raspberries and a dollop of softly whipped cream (150ml double cream, whipped with 1 tbsp sifted icing sugar and 1 tbsp of the same alcohol)

Pineapple upside down cake

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A retro classic, unashamedly sweet and my favourite pudding as a child. My mum always slightly underbaked it (no idea if that was on purpose, I should ask her) so the middle was still gooey. That was my favourite bit.

  • 160g unsalted butter
  • 50g soft dark brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup
  • 1 small tin pineapple rings in juice (drained)
  • 110g unsalted butter
  • 110g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 170g self-raising flour
  • 2 – 3 tbsp pineapple juice from the tin
  1. Grease and line a round 20cm cake tin and pre-heat oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. Cream together the brown sugar and 50g of the butter and then stir in the golden syrup
  3. Spread this sticky conconction over the bottom of the tin and arrange the rings of pineapple on top. If you’re feeling especially kitsch, you can add a glace cherry to the middle of each ring – or just fill the gaps with bits of pineapple
  4. That’s the pineapple upside down bit complete. Now for the cake.
  5. Cream together the caster sugar and remaining butter
  6. Add the egg a little at a time, whisking as you go. Then whisk in the pineapple juice,
  7. Tip in the flour and fold into the mixture,
  8. Scrape into the cake tin over the pineapple rings and smooth out the top
  9. Bake for about an hour, checking from 45 mins. The top should be golden and it should (sorry mum!) be cooked through, so a skewer stuck in the middle comes out clean
  10. Turn the cake out onto a serving plate and serve warm. Try to resist the temptation to just stick your face in it