Raspberry, cardamom and almond cake

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

Pad thai chicken

So quick, so noodlycrunchyfreshtangysweetsavoury, so so tasty! Feeds 2

  • 250g wide rice noodles
  • 50ml tamarind paste
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 spring onions, sliced lengthways and cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 chicken breast, sliced into very thin pieces
  • 1 carrot, cut into 2 inch lengths and julienned
  • 100g crispy tofu pieces
  • Handful of beansprouts
  • Large handful roasted unsalted peanuts, crushed into coarse meal/small pieces
  • Fresh coriander, chopped
  • Couple of lime wedges

Word to the wise – do ALL your prep beforehand because this one moves fast once you start!

  1. Cook the noodles for 2 mins less than the packet says and then drain, rinse in cold water and leave them submerged in cold water until you need them (or soak them in cold water for an hour – I am never this organised)
  2. Combine the tamarind, water, fish sauce, sugar and lime juice
  3. Heat 1 tbsp veg oil in a wok, swirl it round and add the egg. Cook without breaking up for a couple of mins, then flip it for a moment and tip it out of the wok. Cut it into small pieces
  4. Re-heat the wok scorching hot, add the other 1 tbsp oil. Add the garlic and spring onions, stir together briefly
  5. Add the chicken and stir cook for 1 min. Then add the tofu pieces and julienned carrot, stir cooking for 2 mins more
  6. Turn the heat down to medium, add the drained noodles and stir in, then pour in the tamarind sauce
  7. Continue to cook and stir until the noodles are soft and the sauce has mostly been absorbed
  8. Stir through the bean sprouts and half the crushed peanuts
  9. Serve immediately in 2 big bowls, topped with fresh coriander, the rest of the crushed peanuts and a lime wedge on the side. Tuck. In.

Chocolate brownies

A magical concoction gifted by Katherine, whose recipe writing style is quite different from mine! But the results speak for themselves – brilliantly rich, chocolatey brownies – and super-simple to make.

  • 150g dark chocolate
  • 170g butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 150g soft light brown sugar
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Pre-heat oven to 170C fan (190C) and line a baking tin
  2. Melt the chocolate and butter, stir together
  3. Whisk eggs for 2 mins until pale and fluffy
  4. Add the sugar and whisk for another 3 mins
  5. Fold in the ground almonds, vanilla, salt, melted butter and chocolate
  6. Scrape into the lined tin
  7. Bake for 40 mins until the top is cracked
  8. Cool in the tin, then turn out and cut into squares
  9. Store in the fridge if you’re not going to eat them straight away