Vintage Cakes
Page 16
5/ Bake in the preheated oven for 2–2½ hours, until golden brown and well risen. It is not easy to test for doneness because the marzipan sticks to the skewer or knife, so you will have to take an educated guess when inspecting the skewer or knife. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool before turning out of the tin. Make sure the cake is completely cool before you move on to the decorating part.
6/ When you are ready to finish the cake, gently warm 2 tablespoons apricot jam in a saucepan until melted. Brush over the surface of the cake. Now weigh out 110g of the marzipan and roll out 11 balls (10g each) then set aside.
7/ On a work surface dusted with icing sugar, roll the remaining marzipan out into a disc to fit on the top of the cake (use the base of the cake tin as a template, and cut round it with a sharp knife). Place the disc on the cake, pinching the edges to make a pattern if desired. Arrange the 11 balls evenly around the cake, using a tiny amount of apricot jam to help them stick and stay in place. Place under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes to brown, taking care not to let the marzipan burn.
STORAGE: Simnel cake will keep for up to a week if wrapped in foil and stored in an airtight tin in a cool place.
jewelled christmas cake
Christmas cake is so enshrined in the vintage kitchen calendar that it even has its own special baking day: ‘Stir-Up Sunday’ which is the last Sunday before Advent. However, your cake will not suffer if you miss this date, and in fact Christmas cake can be made at any time in the run-up to Christmas – there may not be time to age and 'feed' it with alcohol, but it will still taste good. In the past, Christmas cake was often dry, treacly and bitter, but these days paler, more moist versions are more popular, so this is what this recipe offers. You can use any combination of fruits to make the cake, as long as you keep to specified quantities.
FOR THE CAKE
DAY ONE
1kg of mixed dried fruit (such as raisins, currants, sultanas, candied lemon and orange peel, glacé cherries) – this could be made up from 350g raisins, 350g sultanas, 200g glacé cherries, 50g each lemon and orange candied peel
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
4–6 tablespoons brandy (or your preferred spirit), plus extra for ‘feeding’
DAY TWO
100g slivered almonds, chopped, or chopped almonds
275g plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼–½ teaspoon mixed spice
¼–½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
250g soft butter, plus extra for greasing
250g light or dark muscovado or soft brown sugar or 125g of each
4 eggs
1 tablespoon treacle
TO COVER
3–4 tablespoons apricot jam or orange marmalade
a selection of fruits and nuts, such as glacé cherries, strips or pieces of candied lemon and orange peel, whole almonds, and pecan and walnut halves
TO DECORATE
length of ribbon (optional)
YOU WILL NEED
a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin (approx 9cm deep), greased 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. Make sure the paper stands 1–2cm taller than the cake tin.
makes 1 large cake
FOR THE ICED CHRISTMAS CAKE
1 cooked Christmas cake (see pages 174–175)
2–3 tablespoons apricot jam
icing sugar, for dusing
800g marzipan or almond paste
ribbons, tasteful/tasteless ornaments, silver balls, to decorate
FOR THE ICING
2 egg whites
600g icing sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
day one
1/ If possible, it is best to start the day before you plan to bake the cake in order to allow the fruit to soak overnight. If this is not feasible, try to allow the fruit to soak for at least a couple of hours on the day of making.
2/ In a large bowl, put the dried fruit, fresh lemon and orange zest and the soaking juice and alcohol (if using). Mix well to coat all the fruit with liquid. Cover with clingfilm and leave in a cool place overnight. If you can remember, turn the fruit over occasionally to distribute the soaking liquids.
day two
3/ Preheat the oven to 150°C (gas mark 2).
4/ Add the chopped almonds to the soaked fruit and mix in.
5/ In a bowl, measure out the flour, baking powder, spices and salt.
6/ 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.
7/ Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula to ensure the ingredients are evenly combined. Add the treacle and stir in lightly – it will be fully mixed in when the other ingredients are added.
8/ Now add the dry ingredients, stir a couple of times and tip in the fruit and any syrupy liquid in the bowl. With a large metal spoon, fold and mix gently but firmly until all the ingredients are combined, making a wish as you do so. Anyone else around at the time should also have a stir and make a wish.
9/ Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin, pressing down gently with the back of the spoon to ensure there are no air bubbles, and to smooth and flatten the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for about 2½–3 hours until firm and springy and a metal skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
10/ Transfer to a wire rack. Remove the outer wrapping from the tin and leave to cool. When cold, turn the cake out of the tin and remove the baking parchment. Wrap the cake in greaseproof paper. Store in an airtight cake tin or if you don’t have a tin, wrap again in aluminium foil.
11/ It is traditional practice to ‘feed’ the cake with your chosen alcohol once a week or so until Christmas (less frequently if you have made the cake a long time in advance). To do this, use a metal skewer (people used to use darning or butchers' needles) to make holes over the surface of the cake down to the base. Sprinkle a tablespoon or so of alcohol over the cake, rewrap tightly and store.
covering and glazing the cake
12/ You might want to begin by having a practice session of laying out your fruit and nuts in stripes or concentric circles or a star pattern. When you are happy with your layout, get the glaze ready. Gently warm the jam or marmalade in a small pan over a low heat. Sieve and brush the surface of the cake with the jam.
13/ Arrange the fruit and nuts and then carefully brush with the jam or marmalade glaze, making sure all surfaces are covered and shiny. Finish with ribbon if desired.
STORAGE: A rich fruit cake like this keeps well for several weeks if wrapped in foil and stored in an airtight tin in a cool place.
variation: iced christmas cake
1/ Prepare and cook the Christmas cake as for the previous recipe. Once the cake is ready, it can be covered with marzipan and iced on the same day, whenever you are ready to do so in the run-up to Christmas.
2/ Warm 2–3 tablespoons apricot jam in a saucepan over a low heat until it begins to melt. Remove from the heat, stir until thoroughly melted and, if necessary, sieve to remove the fruit and pulp. Brush the top and sides of the cake with the jam.
3/ On a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, roll out the marzipan or almond paste until you have enough surface area to cover the top and the sides of the cake. Using the cake-tin base as a guide, with a sharp knife cut out a circle of marzipan and place on top of the cake. Now cut out strips of marzipan to fit round the cake, gently pressing into place and joining at the seams.
4/ Make the icing. Put the egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Sift in half the icing sugar and start mixing well with a wooden spoon. When the icing is coming together, sift in the rest of the icing sugar and mix hard again. Add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and beat again until snowy white and glossy
. Leave to rest for a few minutes.
5/ The best way to ice your cake is with a large palette knife dipped in hot water. Place the cake on a covered cake board or stand. Spread the icing as evenly as you can over the top and sides, dipping the knife in the hot water every so often to make the operation smoother and easier. It’s difficult to get a very smooth surface with this icing (ready-to-roll icing is better if that is what you want), so make a snowdrift look by swirling and lifting the knife. Decorate as desired.
STORAGE: Store the finished cake in an airtight tin in a cool place.
bûche de noël
Also known as a Yule or Christmas log but most closely associated with France and other French-speaking countries, this is the edible version of the real Yule log that was once part of the winter solstice celebrations. It’s a light, chocolate sponge filled with buttercream, rolled into a log shape, and iced and decorated to look like a log. It’s very easy to make, and even those with absolutely no cake decorating experience will be able to create a very convincing log.
FOR THE CAKE
butter, for greasing
6 eggs
150g caster sugar
50g cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE ICING
150g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
350–400g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
175g soft butter
YOU WILL NEED
a 31 x 21cm Swiss roll tin, greased with butter and lined with baking parchment so that the parchment stands about 5cm taller than the tin
makes 1 large log (serves 10–12)
1/ Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4).
2/ Separate the eggs, putting the whites in one large mixing bowl, and the yolks in a second large mixing bowl. With a handheld or electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until softly peaking. Add the sugar to the egg yolks, and whisk for 3–4 minutes until pale, light and moussey. Sift in the cocoa powder, add the vanilla extract and fold in gently with a large metal spoon or flexible spatula.
3/ Now add a spoonful of egg whites at a time, carefully folding in until all the ingredients are combined and there are no streaks of white. Handle the mix as gently as possible in order to avoid knocking out the air.
4/ Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, by which time the sponge will be very well risen, pulling away from the edges of the tin and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for a few minutes.
5/ While the cake is cooling, cut out a piece of baking parchment which is larger than the cake and dust with icing sugar. Turn the cake out onto the sheet of parchment, gently pulling at the lining to help it come out of the tin. Peel off the parchment, cover with a tea towel and leave to cool before trimming the edges.
6/ When you are ready, make the buttercream icing. Put the chocolate pieces into a small bowl set over a pan of just-boiled water. Leave to melt, stirring occasionally. Sift 350g icing sugar into a mixing bowl and add the butter and melted chocolate. Mix well, adding more icing sugar to achieve a spreadable consistency.
7/ With a palette knife, spread a layer of buttercream over the surface of the cake. Then, with the wider side of the cake facing you, lift up the parchment and carefully roll up the cake, using the parchment to help pull it into a roll and pressing gently but firmly on the parchment to make it even. Place the cake, seam down, on your chosen serving plate or board.
8/ Now you can be creative with your log. Make sawn-off branches by cutting off one or both ends of the log at an angle and replacing them along the side of the main log. Use the buttercream to ‘glue’ the branch(es) to the log, before covering the entire log, ends included if desired, with the icing. Make bark markings along the log and wood rings at the ends with a metal skewer or fork. The log can be stored in an airtight tin in a cool place for up to 5 days.
9/ When ready to serve, dust generously with icing sugar and decorate if desired, according to taste. Serve with pouring or lightly whipped cream if you wish.
STORAGE: The log is best eaten within a week of making, but should be stored in a cool place at all times.
celebration cake
The importance of a cake in any kind of traditional celebration cannot be underestimated, and even in more straitened times, bakers have always made economies and done their best to ensure that there is something impressive and breathtaking to cut and share. It need not be fancy or difficult to make; more important are the scale and decorations. This celebration cake can be adapted to suit any special occasion, based as it is on a simple sponge recipe which can be multiplied as necessary. Then all you need to do is decide on your theme and colour scheme, and have fun making it.
FOR THE CAKES (makes 3 layers)
375g soft butter, plus extra for greasing
375g caster sugar
6 eggs, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon good-quality vanilla extract
375g self-raising flour
1–2 tablespoons whole milk
FOR THE ICING
200g soft butter
500–600g icing sugar
2–3 tablespoons milk, to mix
food colouring paste (optional)
a few drops of vanilla extract (optional)
TO DECORATE
a mix of ‘vintage’ sweets or cake decorations to suit the occasion
YOU WILL NEED
three 20cm round loose-bottomed sandwich tins, greased with butter and bases lined with baking parchment
makes 1 very large cake (serves 12–16)
1/ Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4).
2/ Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cream them together until very pale and fluffy. Allow at least 2 minutes with an electric whisk for this, more if you are mixing by hand. Every so often, scrape down the sides with a flexible spatula to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
3/ Gradually add the lightly beaten eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well after each addition, until all the eggs have been added. Mix until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
4/ Sift the flour into the bowl. Using a large metal spoon, very gently fold in the flour, gradually adding the milk to give a very light, fluffy consistency.
5/ Divide the mixture between the 3 prepared sponge tins. (Use electronic scales for accuracy.) Smooth the surfaces with the back of the spoon. Bake the cakes, in batches if necessary, in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes. The cakes are ready when they are firm to the touch, are pulling away from the sides and a metal skewer or sharp knife inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean.
6/ Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for a few minutes before turning out. Leave to cool before filling, covering and decorating. If necessary, level the surfaces of the sponge cakes with a sharp knife.
7/ To make the buttercream icing, put the butter into a large mixing bowl and sift in 500g icing sugar. Add 2 tablespoons milk and a small amount of food colouring paste or vanilla (if using) and beat well with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until you have a soft, smooth, spreadable consistency. Add a little more milk or icing sugar if necessary to obtain the taste and consistency you like.
8/ Place the bottom layer of sponge upside down on a cake stand or plate and with a palette knife cover with a layer of buttercream. Place the next layer of sponge on top also upside down and cover with buttercream. Repeat with the third layer, the right way up. Cover with buttercream and decorate as you please.
STORAGE: This cake can be baked and decorated a day in advance and should be stored in a cool place until needed. It will keep well for 1–2 days after baking.
fairy cakes
In Britain, little sponge cakes with pretty icing and decorations have long been known affectionately as ‘fairy cakes’. It’s not a technical term, but rather one befitting children’s birthday parties, balloons and streamers, silver balls and hundreds and thousands, and pastel icing that can be licked off before the sponge is tackled (or, depending on h
ow old you are, discarded). They are delightfully easy to make, and a wonderful way of introducing children to baking. These days we have many more colours, decorations and sprinkles at our disposal to transform simple baking into a colourful, creative activity.
iced fairy cakes with sprinkles
FOR THE CAKES
125g soft butter
125g caster sugar
2 eggs
125g self-raising flour
a few drops of vanilla extract (optional)
1-2 tablespoons milk, to mix
YOU WILL NEED
a 12-hole bun tin, lined with 12 paper cases
makes 12 fairy 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. This will take a couple of minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula to bring the mixture together several times during beating.
3/ Add the eggs one by one, continuing to beat well after each addition. If the mixture starts to curdle or separate you can add a tablespoon of flour and mix again, although this is not strictly necessary.
4/ When the eggs have been beaten in, add the flour and with a metal spoon or flexible spatula, gently fold into the mix until well combined. Add a tablespoon of milk, or more if needed, and mix gently to give a soft consistency.
5/ Use a dessertspoon to spoon the mix into the paper cases, dividing it equally and filling them two-thirds full. Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes until well risen and golden brown on top.
6/ Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for a few minutes before turning the cakes out of the tin. Leave to cool completely before icing. Ice and decorate with your chosen icing and toppings (see page 183).
STORAGE: Fairy cakes are best eaten on the day of making, but will keep for a day or two in an airtight tin in a cool place.
iced fairy cakes with silver balls
TO FINISH
200–250g icing sugar water, to mix glacé cherries, halved