by Jane Brocket
variations
• Meringues are aiready sweet, but using cream sweetened with icing sugar makes them extra delicious. Sift a couple of teaspoons of icing sugar over the cream and whip normally.
• Sweetened cream is particuiariy good when you add a few raspberries or siiced strawberries into the cream sandwich.
• Aiternativeiy, make individuai mini paviovas and top with cream or sweetened cream and fresh fruit (strawberries, raspberries, nectarines and redcurrants all go well with meringue).
• Coffee meringues are very vintage and have a ioveiy paie-beige coiour. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of coffee powder or granules in 1–2 teaspoons of hot water, and add to the eggs and sugar when whisking.
• Hazeinut meringues have an extra nutty chewiness. Gentiy foid 25–30g of ground toasted hazelnuts into the whisked egg and sugar mixture just before spooning it out onto the baking sheet.
éclairs
No one quite knows how éclairs got their name. The word means ‘lightning’ in French so it may refer to the long shape and the streak of white cream, or the lightning speed with which they are eaten. What is known, though, is that they originated in France in the 19th century, with some food historians speculating that they might be the creation of the legendary chef Antonin Carême. They have been popular ever since, and a plate of fresh éclairs will always disappear in a flash.
FOR THE ECLAIRS
150g plain flour
a pinch of salt
120g butter
250ml water
4 eggs, lightly beaten
TO FINISH
300ml double or whipping cream
1–2 tablespoons icing sugar
150g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
YOU WILL NEED
1 or 2 baking sheets, lined with baking parchment (or use an éclair baking tray, brushed lightly with melted butter)
a piping bag with a large plain nozzle (optional)
makes 16–20 éclairs
1/ Preheat the oven to 220°C (gas mark 7).
2/ Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Put the butter and water into a large, heavy-based saucepan. Place over a medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture begins to bubble. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add all the flour and salt. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon or electric whisk until there are no lumps, and the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan.
3/ Gradually add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. The mixture should be smooth and glossy, with a thickness similar to wallpaper paste.
4/ Once the mixture is cool enough to handle, either transfer to a piping bag and pipe out lengths of pastry onto the baking sheet, or use a dessertspoon and your fingers to achieve the same effect, creating strips or circles as desired. Make sure you leave plenty of space between the éclairs to allow them to expand during baking. Make in batches if necessary.
5/ Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown. Reduce the temperature to 180°C (gas mark 4) and bake for a further 10–15 minutes. Baking times will vary according to the size of your éclairs, so check during baking.
6/ Remove from the oven and, with a sharp knife, make a small slit in the side or near the base of each éclair to release the steam, and then return to the oven and bake for 3–4 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and leave the éclairs to cool completely.
7/ Fill the éclairs just before serving to prevent them going soggy. Put the cream and 1–2 tablespoons of sifted icing sugar (according to taste) into a large mixing bowl. Whip until soft and billowing, but do not over-whip as this makes the cream too stiff. Split each éclair horizontally with a sharp knife and, using a knife or spoon, fill with the sweetened cream.
8/ Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water, stirring occasionally and taking care not to get any water in the chocolate. Once melted, spread or drizzle over the éclairs and leave to set.
STORAGE: Eclairs are at their best when fresh and on the day of making.
chocolate butterfly cakes
Butterfly cakes are one of the great little cakes of childhood. They are small enough to be held in the palm of a young hand, yet sufficiently substantial to constitute a proper treat. With their whimsical connotations of butterfly lightness and prettiness, they have an in-built appeal for every new generation of children who will also love making them. They are simply fairy cakes whose tops have been sliced off, cut in two and reapplied as ‘wings’ on top of a good filling of vanilla or chocolate buttercream. If you add some butterfly ‘markings’ in the form of favourite little sweets or sprinkles, they are perfect for parties and special occasions.
FOR THE CAKES
105g self-raising flour
30g good-quality cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
135g soft butter
135g caster sugar
2 eggs
FOR THE ICING
175g icing sugar
30g cocoa powder
65g soft butter
2–3 tablespoons milk, to mix
TO FINISH
sweets or sprinkles, to decorate (optional)
YOU WILL NEED
a 12-hole cake or muffin tin and 10–12 paper cases
makes 12 average or 10 large butterfly cakes
1/ Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4). Put 10–12 paper cases in a bun or muffin tin. Measure the flour, cocoa, and baking powder into a small bowl.
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 dry ingredients and fold in gently with a large spoon until well mixed. Spoon the mix into the paper cases about two-thirds full, taking care to put the same amount in each so the cakes cook evenly.
4/ Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until risen and springy to the touch and a metal skewer or sharp knife inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for 5 minutes before taking the cakes out of the tin.
5/ When the cakes are cold, make the buttercream icing. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl and add the butter and a little milk (start with a tablespoon). With a handheld electric whisk, wooden spoon or round-ended knife, beat all the ingredients together until thoroughly combined, adding enough milk to make the icing smooth and spreadable.
6/ With a small, sharp knife, slice the tops off the cakes at a slight downward angle, making a little hollow as you do so (rather than cutting straight as you would a boiled egg). Cut each top in half to make 2 ‘wings’.
7/ Spread each cake with buttercream and replace the wings, right side up, to look like butterflies. Decorate as desired.
STORAGE: Butterfly cakes are delicious when fresh, but can be stored in an airtight tin in a cool place for 1–2 days.
tipsy cake
Tipsy cake is a traditional English dessert dating from the 18th century when it was popular at ball suppers. It’s an old-fashioned name for what is, essentially, a loose trifle that uses up cake sponge (any of the plain sponges in this book would work). For a truly tipsy effect, add a generous pouring of alcohol such as brandy, sweet sherry or Madeira, or Marsala.
FOR THE TRIFLES
1 x Victoria sponge cake layer (made with 125g each butter, sugar and flour, and 2 eggs) – see page 54 for recipe
medium-dry sherry, Madeira or Marsala, for soaking the sponge
fresh fruit or tinned fruit of your choice
custard (optional) – use ready-made OR make with custard powder OR make crème patissiere (see Boston Cream Pie, page 165)
whipped cream
decorations, such as silver balls, sprinkles, jellied sweets, chocolate drops and grated chocolate
YOU WILL NEED
6 trifle dishes or bowls
serves 6
1/ Cut the sponge cake into
fingers, or use a biscuit cutter to make shapes, such as stars, flowers or hearts. Arrange them in the base of the trifle bowls.
2/ Pour a generous glug of alcohol over each set of sponges and leave to soak for at least 30 minutes.
3/ Arrange the fresh or tinned fruit on top of the sponges, and pour over a layer of custard (if using). The tipsy cakes can now be kept in the fridge until needed (they will keep a day or so).
4/ When you are ready to serve, whip the cream until it is soft and billowing and spoon over the fruit (and custard, if using). Top with your chosen decorations. If using sprinkles, remember that their colours begin to run once they are damp, so don’t add them until just before serving.
STORAGE: Eat tipsy cake immediately.
boston cream pie
Boston cream pie is not a pie at all: it’s a soft sponge cake filled with a layer of vanilla pastry cream or custard and covered with a bittersweet chocolate ganache filling. The ‘pie’ in the name comes from the fact that in the mid-19th century American home-bakers often used pie tins when baking cakes. With its generous proportions and irresistible combination of textures and tastes, it has become a well-loved fixture on the baking landscape.
FOR THE CAKES
225g plain flour
2 level teaspoons baking powder
175g soft butter, plus extra for greasing
175g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla exract
2 eggs
150ml milk
FOR THE FILLING
150ml double or single cream
150ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50g caster sugar
3 egg yolks
2 slightly heaped tablespoons cornflour
a pinch of salt
15g butter
FOR THE TOPPING
150ml double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10g soft butter
150g good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces
YOU WILL NEED
two 23cm round sandwich tins, lightly greased with butter and lined with baking parchment
makes 1 large cake (serves 8–10)
1/ Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4). To make the sponge: sift the flour and baking powder into a small bowl and set aside. Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. With a wooden spoon or electric mixer, cream until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla plus the eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition.
2/ Add the flour mix and the milk in batches, folding in with a large spoon after each addition until you have a well-combined, light mixture. Divide the mix equally between the 2 tins and gently level the surface.
3/ Bake for 25–30 minutes until a metal skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for 10–15 minutes before turning out. Leave to cool completely before filling and covering.
4/ Make the custard filling. Measure out the cream and milk in a jug and add the vanilla extract. Put the sugar, egg yolks, cornflour and salt in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the cream mixture and whisk lightly to a smooth consistency. In a small saucepan, gently warm the rest of the cream mixture until bubbles appear round the edges, but do not boil. Pour onto the ingredients in the bowl and whisk well until smooth and lump-free.
5/ Return to the pan and heat gently, stirring to prevent lumps, until the mix thickens to a spreadable consistency. Take off the heat and beat in the butter. Transfer to a small bowl, cover the surface with clingfilm and leave to cool at room temperature. When cool, use to sandwich the two sponge layers.
6/ To make the topping, put all the ingredients in a pan and gently heat until the chocolate has almost melted, stirring occasionally. Take off the heat, leave the chocolate to melt fully and then whisk until thick and smooth. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then spoon over the top of the cake and very gently spread with the back of the spoon so that it covers the surface.
STORAGE: This cake is at its best when freshly made, but will keep for 1–2 days if stored in a cool place (but not the fridge).
sponge kisses
These little discs of soft sponge filled with whipped cream and perhaps a smidgen of jam or lemon curd have been popular at tea-time with generations of children and adults in Australia and New Zealand. They are also known as ‘powder puffs’ on account of their shape and softness, and they are sometimes coloured pastel pink to enhance the comparison. This has the effect of making them even prettier, especially if you put them out on matching china. It’s important to let them soften before serving, as this is an integral part of their charm.
FOR THE CAKES
90g plain flour
15g cornflour
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
2 eggs
120g caster sugar
FOR THE FILLING
about 200ml double cream
lemon curd (see page 141) or jam
icing sugar, to decorate
YOU WILL NEED
2 or 3 baking sheets, lined with baking parchment
makes 30 cakes (15 kisses when sandwiched together)
1/ Preheat the oven to 200°C (gas mark 6).
2/ Sift the dry ingredients, except the sugar, together twice onto a plate and then into a small bowl.
3/ In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with an electric mixer or whisk for 4–5 minutes until pale, thick and moussey. Add the caster sugar in 2 or 3 batches, beating well for 1–2 minutes after each addition. Sift in the dry ingredients. With a large metal spoon or flexible spatula, fold in very gently and carefully until combined.
4/ Make circles of batter by dropping a dessertspoonful at a time onto the lined sheets, keeping the circles well apart. Try to ensure all circles are more or less the same size. Bake in the preheated oven in batches for 6–8 minutes until well risen and pale gold in colour. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for a minute, then lift off the paper with a spatula and leave to cool completely on the rack.
5/ At this point, the cakes can be stored in an airtight tin for 2–3 days. If you are planning to serve them on the day of making, store them for a couple of hours in a tin before filling. This allows them to soften, which is what you want.
6/ To finish the kisses, whip the cream until softly billowing (do not over-whip). Match up the kisses to make pairs. Spread a little lemon curd or jam on one side, cover one side of the other half with whipped cream, and sandwich the two together. Dust with icing sugar when all the kisses have been filled. Make sure you leave 30 minutes between filling the kisses and serving them, as they need time to soften again (this is part of their traditional appeal).
STORAGE: Sponge kisses are best eaten on the day of filling while the cream is still fresh.
Throughout history, cakes have been associated with celebrations and red letter days. Whether it’s a birthday or anniversary, a street party, jubilee, or special date in the calendar, there is a cake to match the occasion. Some, like festive cakes, are made to recipes that have been unchanged for decades or centuries, and others, such as birthday cakes, are constantly evolving in appearance, but still serve the same purpose: to bring people together, to share, to celebrate. It’s always worth buying the best ingredients you can afford, and to allow plenty of time for preparing the cakes, so that you enjoy the process and have something delicious to show for your time and effort. When it comes to looks, forget minimal, pale and stylish, and think vintage with generous proportions and plenty of lavish decorations. Brightly coloured icing, piped flowers and messages, glacé fruits, hundreds and thousands and silver balls will all bring a sense of glamour and fun to any occasion; they will light up faces, and tell someone they are very special.
simnel cake
Simnel cake was not always associated as it now is with Easter. It used to be eaten on the fourth Sunday of Lent, which was known as Simnel or Mothering Sunday. Simnel cake has now moved to a later point in the calendar, bu
t still retains a deep significance, with its 11 balls of marzipan to represent the 12 disciples, minus Judas. It’s a celebration of fruit and marzipan; a true family cake. If you omit the marzipan balls, it is a delicious light fruit cake for any time of year.
FOR THE CAKE
500g marzipan
icing sugar, for dusting
400g mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants)
50g dried mixed peel
50g glacé cherries, rinsed, drained and halved
finely grated zest of 1 lemon and
1 orange (unwaxed or well washed)
175g plain flour
1 level teaspoon baking powder
½–1 teaspoon spice mix (mixed spice, or a mix of spices, such as ground allspice, grated nutmeg and ground cinnamon
175g soft butter
175g soft light brown sugar
3 eggs
1–2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons apricot jam
YOU WILL NEED
a 20cm round cake tin, greased with butter and lined with baking parchment
makes 1 medium–large cake (serves 8–10)
1/ Preheat the oven to 150°C (gas mark 2).
2/ Take 200g of the marzipan and roll out on a work surface dusted with sifted icing sugar into a 20cm disc. To do this, lightly press a 20cm cake tin on the marzipan as your size guide and cut out the circle just inside the line so the disc fits easily on the cake mix when it is in the pan. Keep any leftovers; press and return to the block. Wrap in clingfilm until needed.
3/ Measure out the dried fruit and place with the zest in a bowl. Sift the flour, baking powder and spice(s) into a second bowl. 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 mix and the fruit mix, and fold in with a large metal spoon or flexible spatula, adding a little milk to give a smooth consistency. Spoon half the mix into the tin and level the surface with the back of the spoon or spatula. Place the disc of marzipan on top, then spoon in the rest of the cake mix, gently spreading it evenly over the marzipan.