Vintage Cakes
Page 6
3/ Place half a teaspoonful of honey in the base of each muffin hole, and place a slice of orange in each one. You may need to trim the slices to fit.
4/ Now make the muffin batter. In a small saucepan, heat the butter until just melted. Set aside to cool.
5/ Put the flour, baking powder, salt, oatmeal, sugar and reserved orange zest into a large mixing bowl and mix with a fork to distribute the ingredients evenly.
6/ Measure the milk in a measuring jug. Add the lightly beaten egg and the melted butter, and mix well with a fork or small whisk until thoroughly combined.
7/ Pour the liquid onto the dry ingredients and quickly stir with a wooden spoon or flexible spatula until just combined. Do not overwork the mixture.
8/ Spoon the mix over the orange slices in the muffin tin, filling each hole about two-thirds full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and springy to the touch, and a metal skewer or sharp knife inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
9/ Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for a couple of minutes. To turn the muffins out of the tin, turn the tin over swiftly in one movement to allow the muffins to slide out onto the cooling rack. Give the tin a gentle shake to dislodge any that are sticking. Do not leave the muffins too long before turning them out as they can become very sticky and difficult to remove.
10/ Serve these muffins upside down so the orange slices can be seen and admired. The muffins are best served warm (but not immediately as hot honey can burn mouths) with butter and/or marmalade, or simply on their own.
STORAGE: Eat on the same day, within a couple of hours of baking as these muffins do not keep well.
FOR THE MUFFINS
100g dried sour cherries
finely grated zest of 1 orange (unwaxed or well washed)
2–3 tablespoons gin or fresh orange juice
60g butter, plus extra for greasing
280g plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
70g caster sugar
150ml milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
YOU WILL NEED
a 12-hole muffin tin, greased with butter or lined with paper muffin cases
makes 12 large muffins
sour cherry muffins
1/ Start these muffins the night before they are needed. Put the dried cherries in a small bowl, add the orange zest and pour over the gin or orange juice. Stir to mix. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight until you are ready to bake. (If you forget to start the night before, just mix the cherries and gin or juice and carry on. The cherries won’t be as plump, but they will still taste good.)
2/ Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4).
3/ In a small saucepan, heat the butter until just melted. Set aside to cool. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, and stir to mix. Measure the milk in a measuring jug. Add the lightly beaten egg and the melted butter, and mix well with a fork or small whisk until thoroughly combined.
4/ Pour the liquid ingredients onto the dry ingredients. Add the soaked cherries and their syrupy liquid. Stir with a wooden spoon or flexible spatula until just combined – do not overwork the mixture.
5/ Spoon the mix into the muffin tin, filling each paper case two-thirds full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and springy to the touch, and a metal skewer or sharp knife inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
6/ Transfer to a wire rack, leave to cool for a few minutes and then remove the muffins from the tin. These muffins are delicious eaten warm with butter and/or morello cherry jam.
STORAGE: Eat within a few hours of baking.
cook’s tip
When you are ready to bake, make sure you have all the ingredients measured out and ready before you start mixing. When making muffins, speed is of the essence once you mix wet with dry ingredients.
chocolate tiffin
No official history exists for this ultra-rich, addictively sweet ‘fridge cake’, although it is hard to overlook the connection to ‘tiffin’, the name for a light meal or a between-meal snack in India. For generations of thrifty bakers, tiffin was a way of using up broken biscuits left at the bottom of the tin and any of the leftover dried fruits lurking in the larder. These days it’s often made with ever-more expensive and exotic ingredients, but the fact remains that plain, old-fashioned, economical tiffin is a great treat and a delicious taste of the past.
FOR THE CAKE
100g butter, plus extra for greasing
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons golden syrup
200g digestive biscuits
150g raisins and 100g undyed glacé cherries (rinsed and halved) OR a total of 250g of your chosen fruits which could also include sultanas, dried sour cherries, blueberries, apricots, pear, candied peel or ginger, coconut, or chopped nuts such as pistachios, pecans or hazelnuts
200g good-quality milk chocolate
YOU WILL NEED
a 20cm square cake tin, greased with butter and lined with baking parchment
makes 16 squares
1/ Put the butter, cocoa powder and golden syrup in a large, solid saucepan. Warm gently over a low heat until the ingredients have melted, stirring frequently to combine. Set aside.
2/ Crush the digestives into fine crumbs. The easiest way is to put them in a sealable plastic bag, place the bag on a hard surface (such as the floor) and crush with a rolling pin or your bare or stockinged feet.
3/ Add the dried fruit and the biscuit crumbs to the saucepan and mix well with a wooden spoon or flexible spatula until everything is combined and well covered.
4/ Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and press down with the back of a metal spoon or the palm of your hand to give a smooth surface, making sure the corners are filled. Cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge to start cooling while you melt the chocolate.
5/ Break the chocolate into pieces and put it in a heatproof bowl over a pan of just-boiled water (the water should come about two-thirds up the side of the bowl). Take care not to get any water in the chocolate. Leave for a few minutes to melt, stirring only occasionally.
6/ Pour the melted chocolate over the cooled mixture in the tin, shaking and tipping it gently to ensure the chocolate covers the surface evenly.
7/ Return the tin to the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours before eating, or overnight if possible.
STORAGE: Chocolate tiffin keeps for several days in the fridge, but melts quickly once it is taken out.
genoa cake
Genoa cake needs to be rescued from its plastic wrapping and replaced where it belongs: in the canon of favourite vintage cakes. For too long it has been associated with slabs of cake, sliced to display the fruit content, sold in garden centres and farm shops, when in fact it is at its best when baked at home. The name may very well come from an association with the Genoese fruit bread, or pandolce, which is made with plenty of sultanas, and is less dense and dry than other traditional, festive Italian cakes. The Genoa cake that was so popular in Victorian times was, and still is, suitably light, soft and crumbly, and has a crunchy topping of demerara sugar. This is a family-friendly cake that keeps well and is perfect for tea-breaks.
FOR THE CAKE
250g sultanas
150g glacé cherries, washed and halved
75g mixed peel
50g flaked almonds
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons rum or brandy
230g soft butter, plus extra for greasing
230g caster sugar (unrefined is preferable)
4 eggs
320g self-raising flour
demerara sugar, for sprinkling
YOU WILL NEED
a 20cm round cake tin, greased with butter and lined with baking parchment
makes 1 large cake (serves 10)
1/ Preheat the oven to 160°C (gas mark 3).
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nbsp; 2/ Measure out the fruits and flaked almonds into a small bowl. Add the grated lemon zest and rum or brandy. Stir to mix. Set aside until needed.
3/ 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.
4/ Add the flour and the fruit and nut mix. Fold in gently and thoroughly with a large metal spoon. Spoon into the prepared cake tin and level the surface with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle generously with demerara sugar.
5/ Bake for 1½–1¾ hours until the surface is golden brown and slightly cracked, and a metal skewer or sharp knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool before turning out of the tin.
STORAGE: Genoa cake keeps well for 4–5 days if wrapped in greaseproof paper or foil and stored in an airtight tin in a cool place.
doughnuts
Despite their many associations with North America, in fact no single country or region of the world can lay claim to inventing doughnuts. The practice of deep-frying a ball or ring of dough in hot fat is as historically long as it is geographically widespread. However, in popular culture and imagination, the doughnut’s spiritual home is the USA, although it’s possible to argue that its holiday home is firmly established in the traditional British seaside town. Crisp and chewy on the outside, soft and yielding on the inside, with perhaps a smooth, runny, jammy centre and a crunchy, sugary topping, doughnuts offer a festival of texture.
FOR THE DOUGHNUTS
1 x 7g sachet fast-action yeast or 1½ teaspoons dried yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
250ml milk
500g strong plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
50g butter
50g caster sugar
1 egg (if halving the quantities, still use 1 egg)
TO FINISH
200g white or golden caster sugar
2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam (or raspberry jam warmed then strained to remove lumps and pips) if making jam-filled doughnuts
YOU WILL NEED
a large, deep, solid saucepan, one-third full of light vegetable or sunflower oil for deep-frying
a sugar thermometer
a kitchen syringe or piping bag with long thin nozzle
2 baking sheets lined with baking parchment
kitchen paper
makes 16–24 doughnuts (depending on size)
1/ Start by making the yeast starter following the instructions on page 17. Put the remaining 400g flour and the salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles very fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and stir to mix.
2/ Pour the yeast starter onto the flour, add the egg, and with your hand, bring the ingredients together into a soft, rough dough. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead for 4–5 minutes until the dough is smooth and pliable. Form into a ball. Lightly oil the mixing bowl and return the dough to the bowl. Roll the ball round the bowl to ensure it picks up a very light coating of oil. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm, draught-free place for 1½–2 hours or until doubled in size (the time taken depends on the room temperature).
3/ With floured hands, punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead for a minute until all the air has been knocked out. Divide the dough into as many doughnuts as you wish to make, bearing in mind that each doughnut will expand to double its size. Shape into balls or rings and place the doughnuts well apart on a baking sheet. Cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise again for 45 minutes. Put the sugar into a wide-bottomed bowl ready to cover the doughnuts.
4/ Towards the end of the rising, heat the oil in the pan to 180–190°C. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the temperature by dropping in a small cube of bread – if it turns golden brown within a minute, the oil is hot enough. Fry 2–3 doughnuts at a time, gently lowering them into the fat on a slotted spoon. Exact cooking times will vary according to the size of the doughnuts, but generally it takes 2–3 minutes on each side. Check the temperature of the oil after each batch.
5/ Remove each doughnut carefully with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate covered with kitchen paper. Leave to drain for 30 seconds, then toss in the caster sugar. If you prefer a lighter coating, simply sift caster sugar over the doughnuts.
6/ If filling with jam, spoon the jam into the syringe and inject into the side of the doughnut. If using a piping bag, make a small hole in the side with a skewer, press the nozzle in and squeeze jam inside.
STORAGE: They are at their best when still warm and fresh on the day of making.
sticky toffee pudding cake
The legendary John Tovey of the Miller Howe Hotel in the Lake District is credited with creating this wildly popular pudding cake in the 1970s. There is nothing minimal about it; it’s a marriage of dark sponge, sticky dates and toffee sauce that could have been made in heaven if it hadn’t been thought up in a kitchen next to a lake. It has since become a feature of many a restaurant menu, although it’s a brilliant recipe to make at home – a truly comforting pudding that is much lighter than you might imagine. If you want to, you can double the quantity of sauce and really indulge.
FOR THE CAKE
150g medjool dates (pitted weight)
220ml boiling water
80g soft butter, plus extra for greasing
130g light soft brown sugar or light muscovado sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
200g plain flour
double or whipped cream (optional), to serve
FOR THE SAUCE
100g dark muscovado sugar or dark soft brown sugar
100g butter
150ml double cream
YOU WILL NEED
a 20cm square baking tin, greased with butter and base lined with baking parchment
makes 1 large cake (serves 8–10 as a pudding)
1/ Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4).
2/ Chop the dates and put them in a small bowl. Pour over the boiling water and leave to stand for a few minutes.
3/ 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. Add the vanilla extract and the golden syrup (this is much easier if you first heat the tablespoon by holding it in or under very hot water, then dry it before quickly using it). Stir to mix.
4/ Add the bicarbonate of soda to the dates and water and stir briefly to mix (it will foam very quickly).
5/ Add the flour to the mixing bowl, then the dates and water. With a large metal spoon or flexible spatula, mix the ingredients, stirring well to make a smooth, runny batter.
6/ Pour into the prepared tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 35–40 minutes until well risen and deep brown, and a metal skewer or sharp knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7/ While the cake is baking, make the sauce. Put all the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan. Heat gently until the butter has melted, stirring frequently. Continue until you have a smooth, translucent sauce. Remove from the heat and set aside.
8/ When the cake is ready to come out of the oven, transfer to a wire rack and leave for a few minutes before turning out of the tin. If you are serving the cake immediately, pour some of the sauce over the still-hot cake and cut into squares. Serve with the remaining sauce and cream (if using). If you are making this ahead of time, leave the cake in the tin and pour some of the sauce over it while still hot. Reheat the cake until just warm in a low oven (if you aim to make it piping hot, it will dry out). Reheat the sauce, and serve.
STORAGE: Sticky toffee pudding cake is best fresh, but it can be frozen successfully. The sauce should be made on the day of serving.
Although this is baked in a loaf tin, it’s not a true bread as it uses baking powder and bicarbonate of soda as fast-acting raising agents. Such ‘breads’ were popular in America long before they travelled abroad, but such is their ease of making, reliability and low cost, they have now become part of the vintage cake repertoire all over the world. Banana bread is a classic – a stalwart of the tea table, lunchboxes, picnics and cake tins, as it keeps well and slices beautifully. It’s a wonderful way of using up overripe bananas (it’s worth ripening a couple deliberately) and a cheap way of filling your kitchen with delicious aromas.
FOR THE CAKE
150g soft butter, plus extra for greasing
270g light soft brown sugar
2 eggs
200g very ripe banana (about 2 bananas in peeled weight)
a squeeze of lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
280g plain flour
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 level teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
optional spice: ½ teaspoon cinnamon/ mixed spice/ginger or grated nutmeg, to taste
YOU WILL NEED
a loaf tin, about 23 x 13 x 7cm, greased with butter OR 12–14 mini metal loaf tins, greased with butter OR 12–14 mini disposable cardboard loaf cases
makes 1 large loaf OR 12–14 mini loaves
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/ Put the peeled bananas in a small bowl and add a good squeeze of lemon juice. Mash well with a fork. Add the vanilla extract and mix in. Add this to the butter and sugar mixture and combine well.
4/ Measure out the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt and any spices (if using) in a small bowl, then sift them into the large bowl. With a metal spoon or flexible spatula, mix gently but firmly until the ingredients are fully combined.