Vintage Cakes

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Vintage Cakes Page 2

by Jane Brocket


  As long as it is airtight, any tin can be used for storing cakes. Vintage tins are always attractive; if they are a little worse for wear on the inside, line them with baking parchment. A large deep tin is invaluable for special cakes, and it’s now possible to buy cake boxes and containers that double as cake-carriers.

  AND HERE IS A LIST OF SPECIALIST BAKING EQUIPMENT:

  • Two soiid, nonstick baking sheets.

  • A 20cm nonstick deep round cake tin.

  • Two 20cm nonstick round sandwich tins.

  • A 23cm nonstick round springform or cake tin.

  • A 20cm nonstick deep square cake tin.

  • A 20cm nonstick shaiiow square tin (for brownies, gingerbread, various cakes).

  • A 30 x 20cm Swiss roii tin.

  • A coupie of muffin trays for making muffins, cupcakes and fairy cakes.

  • A shaiiow jam tart tin is usefui for Maids of Honour (see page 111).

  • A medium ioaf tin about 20–22cm iong, 10–12cm wide and 7cm high.

  • A iarge ioaf tin about 24cm iong, 14cm wide and 7cm high.

  • Two sturdy rectanguiar wire cooiing racks that can hold a baking sheet or two cakes each.

  • A roii of baking parchment for iining tins, roiiing up Swiss rolls, catching drips of icing and wrapping up cakes. The usefulness of baking parchment cannot be overstated (it is much better than greaseproof paper).

  • An assortment of cake and muffin paper cases – or just use plain white.

  • A paiette knife or a knife with a round end is the best thing for icing cakes, and for running round the edges of cakes in tins to loosen them to get them out.

  • A roiiing pin is very good for roiiing out dough and breaking up biscuits, but a clean bottle will do just as well for the former and you can use your foot for the latter.

  OPTIONAL EXTRAS:

  Once you have established that you enjoy baking, there are plenty of lovely extra baking accessories and pieces of equipment you can spend your money on. These include:

  • Bundt tins and beautifuiiy shaped cake tins.

  • A 24–25cm tube tin (aiso known as an Angei Food cake tin – see page 120).

  • A madeieine tin. This couid be ciassed as essentiai if you make a iot of Madeieines (see pages 156–57).

  • Darioie mouids (but a muffin tin wiii work).

  • A iarger coiiection of round, square and ioaf tins in a variety of sizes.

  • A roiiing pin.

  • A tin of round cutters in various sizes. Itʹs possibie to use any round implement in the kitchen to cut out, but these do the job very well.

  • A sugar thermometer is essentiai for Doughnuts (see page 69) but is not widely used elsewhere in the making of vintage cakes.

  • A piping bag and set of icing nozzies are worth buying if you feel your talents and interests lie in the field of cake-decorating. Otherwise, all the cakes in this book can be covered and decorated without special equipment, and when a piping bag is needed, it can be improvised from a polythene bag.

  HOW TO LINE CAKE TINS

  Modern nonstick cake tins and baking equipment really are nonstick, so in theory it’s not absolutely necessary to line them. However, in practice, it pays to line a tin, especially for cakes that are very damp or require a long baking time. It only takes a few moments to line a tin and it means that your cakes will come out of their tins quickly and easily, and without any sponge sticking to the base. Even if you only line the base, it will make a difference.

  To line a tin, use baking parchment (buy it by the roll). The easiest way is to stand the cake tin on the paper, draw round it and cut it out just inside the lines so that it will be able to fit snugly in the tin. Then cut out strips to line the sides. To line a loaf tin, brownie tray or Swiss roll tin, place the tin on the paper and draw round the base. Cut out the rectangle or square allowing enough paper to cover the sides. Then cut out a square at each outside corner so that you can cover the base and fold the side sections up the sides of the loaf tin.

  essential techniques

  What rules there are in baking are very simple and sensible. Baking works when recipes are followed; it’s not like cooking where it’s possible to improvise endlessly. Of course, you can substitute flavours, change sugars, alter fruit mixes, but ultimately you should stick closely to the quantities of ingredients specified and bake at the given temperature. While this adherence to a set of instructions may restrict creativity, it does make baking very easy. And once you have mastered a few simple techniques, you will be able to make everything in this book, no matter how inexperienced a baker you are.

  OVEN TEMPERATURE All the temperatures given in the recipes are for conventional ovens. However, temperatures can vary from oven to oven, and if you are not sure of the exact temperature your oven is reaching on any given setting, it is worth buying an oven thermometer to check and to monitor, so that you can make suitable adjustments. In vintage recipes there were usually directions for which shelf to use, but as modern ovens are much more consistent, the middle is generally the best place to bake all cakes.

  USING YEAST When you are working with yeast for recipes such as Doughnuts (see page 69) and Chelsea Buns (see page 105), there is a basic method to foiiow as you will need to make a yeast starter to begin with. Put the yeast and sugar in a medium bowl. Gently heat the milk or water to blood temperature (no hotter) and pour over the yeast. Mix, then add 100g of the flour and mix again. Leave for 20 minutes until gently frothy. If it does not froth, the yeast is not working and you should start again with a fresh batch. Now carry on with the recipe as instructed.

  CREAMING When a recipe says to ‘cream butter and sugar together’ this means mixing them well to make a smooth, creamy mixture, which turns paler in the process. A wooden spoon does the job well, but it’s much easier and faster with an electric mixer.

  RUBBING IN ‘Rubbing in’ is the process of mixing butter and flour (and sometimes sugar) until it looks like sand or breadcrumbs, usually to make pastry or crumble toppings. Cut the butter into cubes, pick up a couple of cubes at a time with a small quantity of flour and rub quickly and gently between your fingers, letting the ingredients fall back into the bowl. Repeat until all the fat has been rubbed into the dry ingredients. For best results, use cold butter, but if you have no cold butter available, it’s very easy to rub in soft butter as long as you work quickly and lightly.

  SCRAPING DOWN While you are mixing, beating, whisking and folding, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula so that all the ingredients are evenly combined. If you are using an electric mixer, switch off the power a couple of times during mixing in order to scrape down. Make sure you run the spatula over the bottom of the bowl as there can sometimes be a layer of unmixed ingredients there.

  BEATING The aim of beating or creaming is to introduce as much air as possible into a mix. So it should be done vigorously, whether by hand or with an electric mixer. It helps enormously if you stop a couple of times in the process to scrape down the sides of the bowl (a flexible silicone spatula is the best way to do this) to ensure all the ingredients are incorporated evenly.

  SIFTING Sifting has two purposes: to remove lumps and to increase the amount of air in a mix. Nowadays, it is not always necessary to sift flour as it is much finer and better quality. However, sometimes it pays to sift, especially if you are making a very airy, fluffy cake such as Swiss Roll (see page 140), French Macaroons (see page 152) or Chiffon Cake (see page 120). It is always worth sifting icing sugar; no matter how fine it is, it tends to clump when liquids are added.

  WHISKING Whisking is another way of incorporating air into a mix or ingredients, such as egg whites, egg yolks or cream. A simple metal whisk does the job well, although it takes a lot of wrist action and energy. For fast and even results, a handheld electric or free-standing mixer is invaluable.

  Don't worry too much about ‘peaks’ but concentrate instead on the texture of the whisked mix and whether it holds a so
ft, billowing shape (i.e a ‘soft peak’). Most of the time, this is all you need to achieve with egg-white mixes as over-whisking can make the mix dry and gritty. Similarly with cream, it is very easy to over-whisk and end up with stiff cream that is hard to spread, so it is better to stop as soon as you find the cream is holding its shape nicely without being too runny or too firm.

  FOLDING IN Once you have carefully beaten and maybe sifted, you want to retain all the air in the mix while adding the rest of the ingredients. ‘Folding in’ is the method of mixing very gently to maintain the air content. With a large metal spoon or flexible spatula, simply scoop up spoonfuls of mix and fold them over gently, repeating the action until all the ingredients are combined. Some people use a figure-of-eight motion, others simply turn the bowl as they work. Use the same utensil to spoon the mix carefully into the tin then level the surface lightly with the back.

  ADDING COLOUR Use a cocktail stick or toothpick to add small amounts of food colouring paste to a mix. Discard the toothpick or cocktail stick and use a new one for each addition.

  TESTING FOR DONENESS Although some bakers can tell a cake is done just by touching the surface, it’s better to judge by a combination of factors. Generally speaking, a cake that is done will be golden brown on top, feel firm and springy to the touch, and the edge will be pulling away from the tin. However, the most reliable way to test it is with a metal skewer or small, sharp knife. Open the oven, pull the cake towards you on the shelf (don’t take it out of the oven completely or it may sink) and insert the skewer or knife into the centre. If it comes out clean, with no trace of uncooked mixture on it, the cake is done. If the centre is not yet cooked, return the cake to the oven and check at intervals until done (setting a timer if necessary to remind you).

  It’s not so long ago that there were such things as ‘baking days’ when ranges and ovens were fired up and the cake-maker of the house would spend a day baking in order to fill battered, oft-opened tins with big, spicy, fruit-filled cakes that would keep all week. We may not have the time or inclination to go back to full-on baking days, but there is a great deal to be said for having a cake in a tin, ready to slice, ready to share. There is also something terribly comforting and unfrantic about baking cakes to keep; our time is being invested in one of the nicest ways possible, and is repaid with dividends when we have the pleasure of cutting and knowing there is more for later. These keeping cakes, some of which improve with time, are often hearty cakes made to old, time-honoured recipes using classic ingredients that defy any thoughts of updating and modernisation. Although some are light, zesty, all-year-round favourites, many have associations with historical events and traditional, seasonal baking, and are truly a taste of vintage cake.

  marmalade cake

  Vintage recipes for marmalade cake have been in circulation for a long time. However, they tend to be rather plain and dry, so this is a softer, tastier, modern version. It makes a subtly orangey cake, not at all bitter, with a good texture and the occasional bite of candied peel, while the icing offers a contrasting hint of citrus to balance the sweetness. The style of marmalade is a matter of personal taste, so use whatever type you prefer, and if you can find it, traditionally made candied peel adds an extra touch of vintage flavour.

  FOR THE CAKE

  175g soft butter, plus extra for greasing

  175g light soft brown sugar

  3 eggs

  grated zest of 1 orange (unwaxed or well washed)

  juice of ½ an orange

  25g candied orange peel, chopped (optional)

  3 rounded dessertspoons or 2 rounded tablespoons orange marmalade

  200g self-raising flour

  FOR THE ICING

  150g icing sugar

  juice of 1 orange

  YOU WILL NEED

  a 20cm round deep cake tin, greased with butter and base lined with baking parchment

  makes 1 large cake (serves 8–10)

  1/ Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4).

  2/ Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. With a wooden spoon or an electric whisk, cream them together until they are pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.

  3/ Add the grated orange zest and juice, candied orange peel (if using) and the marmalade and mix in gently with a large metal spoon. Sift the flour into the mix and fold in gently.

  4/ Spoon the mix into the prepared tin, levelling the surface with the back of the spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for 40–50 minutes, but check after 30–35 minutes to make sure the top is not browning too quickly. If it is, cover the cake loosely with a double thickness of aluminium foil to prevent it burning. The cake is done when a metal skewer or sharp knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

  5/ Transfer the tin to a wire rack and leave the cake to cool for 5–10 minutes before turning out. Do not begin to ice the cake until it is completely cool.

  6/ To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add half the orange juice. Mix thoroughly with a knife, gradually adding as much juice as necessary to give a spreadable, smooth but slightly runny consistency. Using a blunt-ended knife or palette knife, spread the icing over the surface of the cooled cake, allowing the icing to drip down the sides.

  STORAGE: Marmalade cake is delicious on the day it is made, and will keep for a couple of days if wrapped in foil and stored in an airtight tin in a cool place.

  dundee cake

  The Scottish have a knack for creating very tasty exportable goods such as shortbread, marmalade and the classic Dundee cake. Lighter and crumblier than most rich fruit cakes, it’s traditionally topped with a pattern of blanched almonds (although these are optional when making at home). It’s an ideal cake-tin cake, one that will bring good cheer in the dark, cold days of winter when it can be brought out in the afternoon and enjoyed with a steaming-hot cup of tea.

  FOR THE CAKE

  170g plain flour

  120g self-raising flour

  ½ teaspoon mixed spice

  ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, grated

  60g ground almonds

  150g glacé cherries

  350g sultanas

  250g raisins

  grated zest of 1 lemon

  250g soft butter, plus extra for greasing

  250g light soft brown sugar

  4 eggs

  whole blanched almonds (optional), to decorate

  YOU WILL NEED

  a 20cm round cake tin, greased with butter and lined with baking parchment. Wrap a double or triple layer of newspaper or brown paper round the outside of the cake tin and tie tightly with string to prevent the cake burning while cooking. Use long strips of paper that are 1–2cm taller than the tin.

  makes 1 large cake (serves 12–14)

  1/ Preheat the oven to 140°C (gas mark 1).

  2/ First, prepare the dry ingredients. Sift the flours and spices into a bowl and stir in the ground almonds.

  3/ Next, prepare the fruits. Rinse the glacé cherries in warm water, pat or shake them dry, slice in half and put in a second bowl with the sultanas, raisins and grated lemon zest.

  4/ Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. With a wooden spoon or an electric whisk, cream them together until they are pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.

  5/ Tip in the flour mix and fruit and fold in gently with a large metal spoon, making sure all the ingredients are incorporated.

  6/ Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Wet one hand with cold water and use the back of your hand to level the surface by pressing gently. Arrange the whole almonds on top (if using).

  7/ Bake in the preheated oven for about 2¼–2½ hours or until a metal skewer or sharp knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave the cake in its tin on a wire rack to cool before turning it out and wrapping it in foil.

  STORAGE: Dundee cake keeps well for 7–10 days if wrapped in foil and stored in an airtight container.

  sticky da
te cake

  Dates are a winter delight and a staple ingredient of that season’s rich, dark fruit cakes. But they are at their best when they are allowed to shine on their own, and a cake dedicated to dates is a marvellous showcase for the fruit’s sweet stickiness and thick, grainy texture. Cake-bakers have been making the most of these qualities for years, but now that the large, soft, sugary medjool dates are sold in supermarkets, we no longer have to rely on the small, papery dates that came in a wooden box with a little fork and were such a treat at Christmas.

  FOR THE CAKE

  275g medjool dates, halved and chopped into sixths or eighths

  175g raisins

  225g sultanas

  250g butter, plus extra for greasing

  275ml water

  1 x 397g tin condensed milk

  300g plain flour

  1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

  1 tablespoon orange marmalade

  YOU WILL NEED

  a 20cm round cake tin, greased with butter and lined with baking parchment

  makes 1 large cake (serves 10)

  1/ Put the chopped dates, raisins, sultanas, butter, water and condensed milk into a large, heavy-based saucepan. Heat gently until the butter has melted, stirring from time to time. (Do not overstir as this breaks up the dates.) Bring the mixture to the boil and then continue to boil over a medium, but not fierce, heat for 3 minutes, stirring from time to time to stop the mix sticking. After 3 minutes, it will turn a deeper colour and smell of caramel. Set aside in a cool place and leave until lukewarm or cool.

  2/ When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 160°C (gas mark 3).

  3/ Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into the saucepan of cooled fruit mixture and add the marmalade.

 

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