by Jane Brocket
3/ Roll out the puff pastry (if not using ready-rolled) to a thickness of about
4–5mm. Using the cutter, cut out as many circles as you can from the pastry, making sure you have an equal number. Place half the circles on the baking sheet(s), spaced well apart.
4/ Spoon a heap of the currant filling onto each of the circles on the sheet(s). Top with a second circle of pastry and press and pinch the outer edge to seal. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle generously with caster sugar. Make 2 or 3 cuts in the top of each Eccles cake with a sharp knife or pair of scissors.
5/ Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes until puffed up and the tops are a deep, caramelised golden-brown, taking care not to let them burn. Serve warm or cold, but do not eat straight from the oven as the filling will be blisteringly hot.
STORAGE: Eccles cakes are at their best on the day of making, but will keep well for a day or two if stored in an airtight tin in a cool place.
friands
These little almondy cakes originated in France where they are better known as ‘financiers’, a name derived from the traditional long, rectangular shape that resembles a bar of gold, and from the cakes’ historical link with the financial district of Paris. These days you are more likely to find them labelled ‘friands’ and made in a distinctive oval shape. They are extremely à la mode in Australia and, unsurprisingly, their popularity is spreading.
FOR THE FRIANDS
175g butter, plus extra for greasing
200g icing sugar
60g flour
120g ground almonds
a pinch of salt
finely grated zest of 1 lemon (unwaxed and well washed)
5 egg whites
1 or 2 raspberries per friand
YOU WILL NEED
an 8-hole silicone friand mould, brushed with melted butter, placed on a baking sheet for ease of carrying. Alternatively, use a muffin tin and grease well with butter
makes 16–18 friands
1/ Preheat the oven to 200°C (gas mark 6).
2/ Put the butter in a small saucepan and heat gently to melt. Allow to simmer and sizzle for several minutes until the liquid has turned golden brown and smells nutty. Take care not to burn the butter. Set aside to cool.
3/ Sift the icing sugar and flour into a medium bowl, preferably one with a lip (see cook's tip below). Add the ground almonds, salt and lemon zest and stir to mix.
4/ Put the egg whites in a small bowl and whisk with a fork until they break up and start to foam on the surface. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon or flexible spatula. Pour in the melted butter and mix until fully combined. If you are not using a bowl with a lip, pour the mix into a large jug.
5/ Pour the mix into the prepared moulds, filling each one half full. Top each one with 1 or 2 raspberries. Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes until golden brown and well risen. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool before gently turning out of the moulds. Repeat until all the mixture has been used. STORAGE: Friands are delicious when absolutely fresh, although they are still almost as good the day after if stored in an airtight tin.
cook’s tips
For this recipe, a mixing bowl with a lip is ideal as it helps with pouring the mix into the mould later on. If not, transfer the mix to a jug when it is ready to be poured.
Adjust the baking time if making larger or smaller friands, depending on the size of your mould or tin.
poppy seed bundt cakes
Poppy seeds are a feature of Central and Eastern European baking where you can find a vast array of darkly speckled cakes and breads that use the seeds as a filling or a topping. This recipe marries the poppy seed with another European baking tradition, that of the circular Bundt cake which is baked in a special tin with a central tube. Both traditions have been adopted enthusiastically elsewhere, and since the 1960s there has been a proliferation of fabulously shaped tins, especially in the US. This recipe can be used to make mini Bundt cakes in moulded shapes (or in plain muffin cases), or one large, gracefully shaped cake.
FOR THE CAKES
30g poppy seeds
200ml milk
225g soft butter
225g caster sugar
3 eggs
325g plain flour
2 heaped teaspoons baking powder
YOU WILL NEED
2 mini Bundt trays or 1 large 20cm
Bundt tin, brushed with melted butter
OR two 12-hole muffin trays lined with
paper muffin cases
makes 20–24 mini Bundt cakes or muffins or 1 large Bundt cake (serves 10–12)
1/ Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4).
2/ Put the poppy seeds in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, gently heat the milk until almost boiling. Pour over the poppy seeds and set aside.
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/ Sift in half the flour and baking powder, and add half the milk with poppy seeds. With a wooden spoon or flexible spatula, fold in gently. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue folding in until fully combined and smooth.
5/ Spoon into the prepared tin(s) or cases. If using a large Bundt tin, level the surface with the back of the spoon or spatula. Bake in the preheated oven until well risen, pale golden brown, and a metal skewer or sharp knife inserted into the centre of a cake comes out clean (15–20 minutes for small cakes or muffins and 55–60 minutes for a large Bundt cake).
6/ Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for a few minutes before gently turning out of the tin(s). Leave to cool completely.
STORAGE: Poppy seed Bundt cakes are delicious on the day of making, although they will keep for another day if kept in an airtight tin. They also freeze well.
maids of honour
Maids of honour cakes are a dainty taste of Tudor history – delightful little sweetmeats that were served to Anne Boleyn and her maids of honour, until Henry VIII appropriated the recipe for himself, or so the story goes. Today, there is an Original Maids of Honour tea room in Richmond, near London, that uses a closely guarded secret recipe, but in fact they are very simple to make at home, and are a direct line to baking history.
FOR THE CAKES
flour, for dusting
375g pack chilled all-butter puff pastry
225g curd cheese (or a 227g tub)
50g caster sugar
30g ground almonds
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)
2–3 tablespoons lemon curd (see page 141, optional)
YOU WILL NEED
two 12-hole jam tart tins a 7–8cm round cutter
makes 18–20 cakes
1/ Preheat the oven to 220°C (gas mark 7).
2/ On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry to a thickness of 2–3mm, large enough to cut out 18–20 circles with a 7–8cm cutter. Line the tins with the pastry circles.
3/ Now make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, put the curd cheese, caster sugar, ground almonds, egg, egg yolk and lemon zest (if using). Combine with a wooden spoon or flexible spatula until smooth and evenly mixed.
4/ If using lemon curd, spoon half a teaspoon into each pastry case (but no more as it expands dramatically during baking). Spoon a dessertspoonful of the curd mixture into each case.
5/ Bake in the preheated oven in two batches for 20–22 minutes until puffed up and golden brown on top. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for a few minutes before lifting them out of the tin. Leave to cool completely, or serve while still just faintly warm.
STORAGE: Maids of honour do not keep well and should be eaten fresh and on the day of making.
queen cakes
Recipes for queen cakes date back as far as the 18th century, and are surprisingly consistent. They are all made with honest-to-goodness butter, sugar, flour and eggs,
and while currants are obligatory, rose water or orange flower water are optional. They are simple and good, and were of course patriotically popular when Queen Victoria was on the throne. They have always been baked in small, individual tins (or ‘patty pans’), sometimes heart-shaped, which is why they are also often called heart cakes. (Now that we have nonstick silicone moulds, it’s easy to replicate this.) It’s the kind of recipe that children love making: simple and with a delicious mix to lick out of the bowl, plus very pretty results.
FOR THE CAKES
125g soft butter
125g caster sugar
2 eggs
150g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
finely grated zest of 1 lemon (unwaxed or well washed)
125g currants
a splash of milk
YOU WILL NEED
a 6 or 8-hole heart-shaped silicone mould OR a 12-hole bun tin, lined with paper cases
makes 12 cakes
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/ Sift in the flour and baking powder and add the lemon zest and currants. With a large metal spoon or flexible spatula, mix in gently, adding a splash of milk to give a soft, gently dropping consistency. Spoon the mixture into the heart-shaped cases, filling each one two-thirds full.
4/ Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until well risen and springy to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for 5–10 minutes before removing the cakes from the mould or tin to cool completely. Repeat if necessary to use up any remaining cake mixture. Serve immediately.
STORAGE: Queen cakes are delicious when fresh, and will keep for a day longer if stored in an airtight tin in a cool place.
cupcakes
As long ago as the late 18th century, cakes were often baked in small, individual cups, giving rise to the name ‘cupcake’. In America, the name fell into common use, whereas in Britain it only caught on more recently. Modern cupcakes are larger, deeper, fancier and more colourful than their altogether more dainty British counterparts, fairy cakes (see page 180), and in recent years have wooed cake-eaters everywhere with their good looks and exuberance. Today’s cupcakes are a minicelebration in a single cake, a sweet little gift or a delicious indulgence.
FOR THE CUPCAKES
200g plain flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
4 eggs
350g dark soft brown sugar or dark muscovado sugar
30g butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
FOR THE FROSTING
175g dark soft brown sugar or dark muscovado sugar
60ml double cream
50g soft butter
a pinch of salt
175g icing sugar
TO DECORATE (OPTIONAL)
edible glitter (gold looks particularly fetching) or sprinkles of your choice
YOU WILL NEED
a 12-hole muffin tin, lined with paper muffin cases
makes 12 cupcakes
dark brown sugar cupcakes with brown sugar frosting
1/ Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4).
2/ You will need a good-size mixing bowl set over a saucepan of just-simmering water. Make sure the bowl fits and bring the water to the boil before beginning the preparation.
3/ Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl. Off the heat, put the eggs in the mixing bowl and whisk lightly with a fork. Add the sugar and butter and stir to mix. Set the bowl over the pan of water on a gentle heat (take care not to let it boil over). With a wooden spoon or flexible spatula, stir constantly until the mix is very warm.
4/ Remove the bowl from the pan of water, and add the dry ingredients. Mix well, adding the vanilla extract, until smooth and well blended.
5/ Spoon the mix into the muffin cases, dividing it equally and filling each case about half full. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–22 minutes until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the touch, and a toothpick or fine skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
6/ Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool before removing the cupcakes from the tin. Leave the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
7/ To make the frosting: put the sugar, cream, butter and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil slowly over a medium heat, stirring constantly. Then boil gently for 5 minutes without stirring at all. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool for 20–30 minutes.
8/ Sift in the icing sugar and with a wooden spoon or flexible spatula, beat well until smooth and spreadable. Add a little more cream if necessary in order to get a consistency that will spread or pipe well.
9/ Working quickly, as this frosting sets quite rapidly, either spread the frosting over the cupcakes with a palette knife, or pipe on using a star-shaped nozzle. Decorate as desired.
STORAGE: These are best eaten fresh as they do not keep well, although these particular cupcakes will keep for a day before or after they have been iced.
FOR THE CUPCAKES
300g plain flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt
200g caster sugar
125ml water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 egg whites
275ml double cream
FOR THE FROSTING
250g icing sugar
75g soft butter
20–30ml milk
a few drops of vanilla extract (optional)
sprinkles, silver balls, edible glitter, to decorate (optional)
YOU WILL NEED
two 12-hole muffins tins, lined with 16 paper muffin cases
makes 16 cupcakes
whipped cream cupcakes with vanilla frosting
1/ Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4).
2/ Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the caster sugar and stir to mix. Measure out the water in a jug and add the vanilla. In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the cream until fluffy and billowing.
3/ With a large metal spoon or flexible spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the cream until fully combined. Now pour in the water/vanilla mix and stir lightly to just combine. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time, folding in gently and thoroughly after each addition until you have a cake batter with no flecks of flour.
4/ Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases, dividing it evenly and filling each case about half full. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes until risen and golden brown, and a fine toothpick or metal skewer inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for a few minutes before turning out of the baking tins. Leave to cool completely before covering with frosting.
5/ To make the frosting, sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl and add the butter. Pour in a little milk and a few drops of vanilla extract (if using), and start beating with a wooden spoon or electric mixer. Gradually add more milk until you have a smooth, spreadable mix. Continue beating vigorously for 2–3 minutes until pale, light and fluffy; the longer you beat, the lighter the frosting.
6/ Ice the cakes with the frosting. Either spread with a knife, or use a piping bag with a star-shaped nozzle. Decorate as desired.
STORAGE: Whipped cream cupcakes keep well for a couple of days if stored in an airtight tin in a cool place. Once iced, they should be eaten within a day.
orange teacakes
Orange teacakes, with their multi-layer offering of sponge, fruity orange jelly filling and dark chocolate are without doubt one of the culinary highlights of childhood. What’s less well known is that they are easy and a lot of fun to make at home, where you can also experiment with jelly flavours and different types of chocolate toppings, should you dare to meddle with a cl
assic combination.
FOR THE JELLY LAYER
500ml boiling water
2 x 135g packs orange jelly, broken into cubes
FOR THE CAKE BASES
2 eggs
60g caster sugar
60g plain flour
TO FINISH
250g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
YOU WILL NEED
two 12-hole nonstick muffin tins OR one or two flat, shallow baking sheets or dishes.
two baking sheets, lined with baking parchment
makes 20–24 cakes
1/ First make the jelly layer, allowing enough time for this to set firmly before assembling the teaakes. Pour the boiling water into a measuring jug and add the jelly cubes. Leave to melt, stirring occasionally until fully dissolved.
2/ There are two ways of making the jelly discs. To create ready-made discs, pour the jelly liquid into the bases of muffin tin moulds to make a layer 7.5mm deep (or as deep as you like). Alternatively, pour a 7.5mm layer (or any thickness you like) of jelly into 1 or 2 flat dishes or trays, and use a round cutter to create circles of jelly when set. Leave the jelly to set in the fridge until it is very firm and can be handled.
3/ While the jelly is setting, make the cake bases. Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4).
4/ Put the eggs and sugar into a large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric mixer for 4–5 minutes until pale, thick and moussey. Sift in the flour a little at a time, folding in gently with a large spoon after each addition until all the flour has been incorporated.
5/ Drop spoonfuls of the mix onto a baking sheet to make circles, leaving plenty of space between the circles. Bake in the preheated oven for 7–9 minutes until pale gold and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for a few minutes before carefully lifting them off the sheet. Cool completely before finishing.
6/ To finish, turn the cake bases upside down and place a disc of jelly on top. Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a saucepan of just-boiled water. Line up the cake and jelly bases on a wire rack standing on a large piece of baking parchment or greaseproof paper (to catch the drips). Spoon the melted chocolate over the cakes, gently smearing it with the back of the spoon to push it to the edges. Collect any drips with a palette knife, re-melt and reuse. Leave the chocolate to set fully at room temperature before serving.