Vintage Cakes
Page 17
decorating variations: white icing with a cherry on top
1/ Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually add the liquid sparingly while mixing. Take care not to add too much liquid too soon or you will have to add large amounts of icing sugar to compensate and end up with vast quantities of icing. With a knife or flexible spatula, mix well adding more liquid or icing sugar if necessary to achieve a thick, shiny, lump-free, spreadable icing.
2/ If you prefer, make the tops of the cakes flat by slicing off the rounded top before icing (taking care that the sponge crumbs do not get mixed up in the icing).
3/ Using a round-ended or small palette knife, spread the icing on the cakes and decorate each fairy cake with half a bright-red glacé cherry.
TO FINISH
200-250g icing sugar
water, lemon juice or orange juice, to mix
food colouring paste
hundreds and thousands, sprinkles, sweets, sugar flowers, candles, to decorate
coloured icing with sprinkles & sweets
1/ Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually add the liquid (water, lemon juice or orange juice) to mix. Take care not to add too much liquid too soon. Using a knife or spatula, mix well, adding tiny amounts of food colouring paste to get the shade and depth of colour you require. Add more liquid or icing sugar if necessary to achieve a thick, smooth, shiny, spreadable icing.
2/ Using a round-ended or small palette knife, spread the icing on the cakes and decorate each one with your choice of sprinkles and/or sweets.
cook’s tip
Lemon or orange juice will give a very pale tinge of colour to icing, which won’t show if you plan to colour the icing with food colouring.
stollen
Stollen is a traditional fruity, spicy German bread baked at Christmas, although it’s too good to be restricted to just one time of the year. It’s a heavyweight bread packed with fruits, peel, spice and marzipan. It looks very festive dredged in snowy icing sugar, but as it is light in sugar, it is not over-rich. It takes some time to make, but the end result is spectacular, and suitably good for sharing or giving.
FOR THE CAKE
225g mixed dried fruit (such as 125g sultanas, 75g raisins and 25g mixed candied peel)
30g almonds, chopped (or use flaked almonds, chopped)
grated zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons rum
75g caster sugar
375g strong plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 x 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
1 teaspoon salt
spice (optional and to taste), such as a good grating of nutmeg plus a pinch of ground cardamom OR ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, OR ½ teaspoon mixed spice
150g lukewarm milk
75g melted butter
1 egg
250g marzipan
TO FINISH
65g melted butter icing sugar, for dusting
YOU WILL NEED
1 baking sheet, lined with baking parchment
makes 1 large stollen (serves 10–12)
1/ In a bowl, mix the dried fruit, chopped almonds, orange zest and rum. Leave to stand while making the dough.
2/ Put the sugar, flour, dried yeast, salt and spice into a large mixing bowl. Add the milk, butter and egg, and the dried fruit and almond mix. Combine well with your hand or a flexible spatula to form a sticky dough, adding a little more milk if the mix is too dry (although this is very unlikely).
3/ Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface, and knead gently for 3–5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Form into a ball. Lightly oil the mixing bowl (it doesn’t need to be washed before you do this), put the dough in and cover with clingfilm or a damp tea towel. Leave in a warm place to rise for 2–3 hours until it has doubled in size.
4/ Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead a few times to knock out the air. Roll out into a rectangle, about 28cm long and 20cm wide. Place the rectangle of dough on the baking sheet.
5/ Roll the marzipan into a tube or sausage shape, about 26cm long. Press down on it gently to squash into an oval shape. Place the marzipan roll on the dough, slightly to one side of the centre. Fold the wider side of the dough over the marzipan, and press it down on the other side to make a seam. Cover with lightly oiled clingfilm and leave to rise for 1 hour. While the stollen is rising, preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4).
6/ After 1 hour, remove the clingfilm and bake for 30–40 minutes until risen and golden brown. As soon as the Stollen comes out of the oven, brush it with 50g melted butter. Leave to cool.
7/ Once it is completely cool, brush again with the remaining melted butter and dust thickly with icing sugar.
STORAGE: Wrap in foil and store in a cool place. Stollen is delicious fresh, but keeps well for 3–4 days.
valentine's cake
Although there is no authentic Valentine’s cake as such, it’s a time-honoured occasion that can be celebrated with a heart-shaped cake. Inspired by pretty vintage cards featuring hearts and roses, this cake can be dressed up as little or as much as you like with coloured icing, floral decorations, or even hand-piped declarations of love. The sponge contains buttermilk and keeps well for several days, so the cake can be made in advance. It also works well as a birthday cake.
FOR THE CAKE
275g plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon salt
finely grated zest of 1 lemon (unwaxed or well washed)
125g butter
220g caster sugar
3 eggs
200ml buttermilk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
a small amount of pink or red food colouring paste (optional)
sugar flowers, sprinkles, sweets, silver balls, to decorate
FOR THE ICING
200–250g icing sugar lemon juice or water, to mix food colouring paste (optional)
YOU WILL NEED
a springform heart-shaped tin, about 24cm wide and 7cm deep, greased with butter and base lined with baking parchment
makes 1 large heart-shaped cake (serves 18–20)
1/ Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4).
2/ Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl. Add the grated lemon zest and stir to mix.
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 half the flour mix, half the buttermilk, plus the lemon juice and a little food colouring (if using), and fold in gently with a large metal spoon. Add the rest of the flour and buttermilk and continue to fold in until thoroughly and evenly combined, adding more pink or red colouring paste to get the shade you require. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface with the back of the spoon.
5/ Bake in the preheated oven for 50–55 minutes, but check the cake after 30–35 minutes to make sure it is not browning too quickly. If it is, place a double thickness of aluminium foil over the tin. The cake is ready when a metal skewer or sharp knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. Remove from the tin, and leave to cool completely before icing.
6/ To make the glacé icing: sift 200g icing sugar into a bowl. Add a small amount of liquid and colouring paste (if using). With a knife or spatula, begin mixing, gradually adding more liquid until you have a smooth, not-too-runny icing that drops slowly off the spoon. Add more icing sugar and food colouring if necessary to obtain the required consistency and shade.
7/ To finish the cake, place it on a plate, stand or board and carefully level the surface of the cake by cutting off any excess, domed sponge with a serrated knife. (This is not essential and only needs to be done if you want a flat top to your cake.)
8/ With a palette knife, carefully spread the icing over the top of the cake, pushing it gently towards the edges and allow
ing it to run over the side if liked.
9/ As soon as you have finished icing the cake and before the icing or buttercream begins to set, decorate as desired.
STORAGE: Buttermilk cake keeps well for 2 days after making and can be made in advance and decorated just before serving. Wrap in foil and store in an airtight tin in a cool place.
red velvet cake
You may not guess from its extravagant appearance, but red velvet cake is deliciously light and extremely moreish. Already a classic in America, especially in the southern states, it’s now becoming more widely known as more people realise that its looks, taste, and keeping qualities make it a fabulous birthday or celebration cake. Although these days the deep-red colour is achieved with food colouring, it was originally the product of the reaction of the acidic vinegar and buttermilk with the colouring compounds in the cocoa, all of which made baking the cake a fascinating chemistry lesson. It’s important to be brave with the food colouring as the mix is meant to be wickedly red.
FOR THE CAKE
120g soft butter
300g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
300g plain flour
10g cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
220g buttermilk
1–2 teaspoons red food colouring paste (or more)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 heaped teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
FOR THE FROSTING
110g soft butter
400g icing sugar
220g soft cream cheese
a few drops of vanilla extract
pink and/or red sprinkles (optional), to decorate
YOU WILL NEED
two 20cm round sandwich tins, greased with butter and lined with baking parchment or greaseproof paper
makes 1 large cake (serves 10)
1/ Preheat the oven to 160°C (gas mark 3).
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.
3/ Add the eggs one by one, and a few drops of vanilla extract, beating well after each addition.
4/ Sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt into the bowl in batches and fold in gently with a large metal spoon, adding the buttermilk gradually in between the batches of flour.
5/ Now add the red colouring until you have a deep-red batter – do not be tempted to stay pale, this needs to be truly red. But be careful not to overdo it as it will darken and brown in the oven. Fold in gently until the mix is all one colour.
6/ Mix together the vinegar and bicarbonate of soda and add to the mixture, folding in and combining the ingredients thoroughly.
7/ Divide the mixture between the 2 tins and bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes (mine were done after 27 minutes) until the cakes are firm, springy and pulling away from the sides of the tin, and a metal skewer or sharp knife inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean.
8/ Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Remove from the tins after 5–10 minutes and leave to cool completely before icing.
9/ Now make the frosting. Put the butter in a mixing bowl, and sift over the icing sugar. Cream together with an electric whisk or wooden spoon until smooth. Add the cream cheese and a few drops of vanilla extract and mix thoroughly until pale, smooth and spreadable. Check the taste and adjust if necessary.
10/ Place one of the cake layers upside down on a plate or cake stand so you have a nice, flat surface. Spread with the frosting. Put the other cake layer on top, the right way up. Carefully slice off the dome with a long, sharp knife if you want a flat surface. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides.
STORAGE: Red velvet cake is delicious on the day it is made, but also keeps extremely well for 2–3 days if stored in an airtight tin in a cool place.
index
almond slices 102, 104
banana bread 72–73
Battenberg cake 122–23
beating 18
Black Forest gateau 138–39
Boston cream pie 165
brownies 98–99
bûche de noël 176–77
butter 8
cake tins, lining 16
cake-tin cakes 20–51
carrot cake 48–49
cherry cake 34–35
coffee & walnut cake 45
Dundee cake 24–25
fresh apple cake 37
gingerbread 28–30
lavender cake 50–51
maple & walnut cake 42–44
marmalade cake 22–23
nutmeg cake 36
orange sandwich cake 32–33
parkin 27
parsnip cake 41
plum streusel 38–39
polenta cake 40
rich seed cake 31
simple chocolate cake 46–47
sticky date cake 26
carrot cake 48–49
celebration cakes 168–89
bûche de noël 176–77
celebration cake 178–79
fairy cakes 180–83
iced Christmas cake 172
jewelled Christmas cake 173, 174–75
red velvet cake 188–89
Simnel cake 170–71
stollen 184–85
Valentine’s cake 186–87
Chelsea buns 103, 105
cherry cake 34–35
chocolate butterfly cakes 162–63
chocolate roulade 126
chocolate tiffin 64–65
Christmas cake
iced 172, 175
jewelled 173, 174–75
coconut cake 127
coffee & walnut cake 45
colour, adding 19
condensed milk 10
creaming 17
cupcakes 114–15
whipped cream cupcakes
with vanilla frosting 115
curd cheesecake 89
dairy products 11
decorations 11
devil’s food cake 132–33
Devonshire splits 96–97
doneness, testing for 19
doughnuts 68–69
dried fruits 11
Dundee cake 24–25
Eccles cakes 107
éclairs 160–61
eggs 8
English madeleines 155, 157
equipment 12–16
everyday cakes 52–89
banana bread 72–73
chocolate tiffin 64–65
curd cheesecake 89
doughnuts 68–69
Genoa cake 66–67
Kugelhopf 82–83
lardy cake 78–79
lemon drizzle cake 86–87
Madeira cake 76
malt loaf 88
muffins 60–61
pain d’épices 80
pancakes 84–85
scones 56–57
sour cherry muffins 62–63
sticky toffee pudding
cake 70–71
Swedish tosca cake 77
tea loaf 74–75
treacle cake 81
Victoria sandwich cake 54–55
Welsh cakes 58–59
fairy cakes 180–83
cherry-topped iced 183
coloured icing with
sprinkles & sweets 180, 183
iced 181
iced fairy cakes with
silver balls 182
fancies & frivolities 148–67
Boston cream pie 165
chocolate butterfly cakes 162–63
éclairs 160–61
English madeleines 155, 157
fondant fancies 150–51
French madeleines 154, 156
macaroons 152–53
meringues 158–59
sponge kisses 166–67
tipsy cake 164
fat rascals 100–101
flavourings 11
flour 10
folding in 19
fondant fancies 150–51
food colouring paste 11
French madeleines 154, 156
fresh apple cake 37
friands 108–9
Genoa cake 66–67
gingerbread 28–30
glacé fruits 11
golden syrup 10
Griestorte with pears 136–37
hazelnut meringue cake 128, 130
honey 10
iced Christmas cake 172, 175
ingredients 8–9
jewelled Christmas cake 173, 174–75
Kugelhopf 82–83
lamingtons 92–93
lardy cake 78–79
lavender cake 50–51
lemon chiffon cake 120–21
lemon drizzle cake 86–87
lemons 11
little cakes 90–117
almond slices 102, 104
brownies 98–99
Chelsea buns 103, 105
cupcakes 114–15
Devonshire splits 96–97
Eccles cakes 107
fat rascals 100–101
friands 108–9
lamingtons 92–93
maids of honour 111
orange teacakes 116–17
poppy seed bundt cakes 110
queen cakes 112–13
raspberry jam cakes 106
rock buns 94–95
whipped cream cupcakes
with vanilla frosting 115
macaroons 152–53
Madeira cake 76
maids of honour 111
malt loaf 88
maple & walnut cake 42–44
marble bundt cake 129, 131
marmalade cake 22–23
meringues 158–59
mocha cake 142–43
muffins 60–61
sour cherry 62–63
nutmeg cake 36
nuts 11
orange sandwich cake 32–33
orange teacakes 116–17
oven temperature 17
pain d’épices 80
pancakes 84–85
parkin 27
parsnip cake 41
plum streusel 38–39
polenta cake 40
poppy seed bundt cakes 110
posh cakes 118–47
Battenberg cake 122–23
Black Forest gateau 138–39
chocolate roulade 126
coconut cake 127
devil’s food cake 132–33
Griestorte with pears 136–37
hazelnut meringue cake 128, 130
lemon chiffon cake 120–21
marble bundt cake 129, 131
mocha cake 142–43
Sachertorte 124
silver & gold cake 146–47
strawberry shortcake 144–45
Swiss roll 140–41