ANCIENT SPICED LOAF CAKE

Hello, it's been a while.  I've had a break from blogging but now I'm back and kicking off with this delicately spiced drizzle loaf.  I have to admit that the inspiration came from a slice of cake that I had in the John Lewis Cafe, I loved it and savoured every mouthful trying to distinguish each individual flavour.  It was like the palate test on Master Chef. Anyhow, after a couple of not quite rights I got it and now I'm sharing it with you.  The drizzle makes the sponge extremely moist and the almonds add texture whilst the orange flower water gives it a fragrant turkish delight quality.

The cake in the picture was mostly eaten when it was still warm with a bonus glug of cream and was like a sponge pudding but it was just as exquisite finished off a few hours later cold.  Let me know if yours lasted long enough to taste cold.

You can leave the cake with just the drizzle but I've added chopped pistachios, freeze dried raspberries - available in most supermarkets and dried marigold petals - bought on line and usually used in herbal teas.  I think they really add to its spice trail taste.

CAKE BATTER
170g Butter/Margarine
170g Sugar
150g Self Raising Flour
50g Ground Almonds
1tsp Baking Powder
Zest of 1 Orange
1tsp Ground Cardamom
1tbsp Orange Flower Water
1tbsp Milk
3 Eggs

DRIZZLE
Juice of 1 Orange
30g Sugar
1 tbsp Orange Flower Water



It's as you'd expect and pretty straight forward.  Cream together the butter and sugar till it's light and fluffy.  Now add the remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.  Pour the mix into a lined 2lb loaf tin and level out the surface.  Bake in a preheated oven at 160C fan for 40-50 minutes till cooked, firm to touch and a skewer comes out clean.

While it's baking make the drizzle. Stir the sugar into the orange juice with the orange flower water.  Once the cake is cooked, spoon the drizzle over the loaf while it is still hot, this helps it soak in better then add any decoration you decide on.

PLUM FRANGIPANE TART

 

I remember my mother making jam with all sorts of fruits and sometimes vegetables, marrow being one! We must have known someone with a plum tree because that seemed to be a particular favourite of hers to make.  The only down side was that she seemed averse to removing the stones which ment it was something you have to be mindfull of doing when spreading it on your toast.  So I was only too pleased to be the recipient of a jar of plum jam from my sister which, not only lacked the bothersome stones but had the added luxury of being spiced with cinnamon and star anise, fancy!  

I've been eating it on toasted crumpets but decided to make it go that bit further adding it to a  frangipane tart topped with more plums.  If you can't get plum jam, damson is a good alternative.  I've finished mine with a scattering of sugar nibs but flaked almonds would also work well.

Pastry:

150g Plain Flour

30g Icing Sugar

75g Butter

Frangipane:

150g Butter

150g Sugar

3 Eggs

50g Self Raising Flour

150g Ground Almonds

1 tsp Almond Extract

300g Plum Jam

4 Ripe Plums

2 tbsp Sugar Nibs (Optional)

Make the pastry by rubbing the butter into the flour and icing sugar, add enough water to make the dough come together.  Add the water a little at a time stirring it in with a knife.

Roll out the pastry and line a deep 8.5 inch fluted flan tin.  Line the pastry with parchment and fill with baking beans.  Bake blind for 15 minutes at 160C fan.  Remove the parchment and beans and return the pastry case to the oven for a further 5 minutes to dry out.










Spread the jam over the base, this is easier to do whilst the pastry is still warm. Now make the frangipane.  Cream the  butter and sugar together then add the eggs, flour, ground almonds and extract and mix well.  Top the jam with the frangipane mix and spread it over the tart to completely cover the jam.

Cut the plums into quarters and remove the stones.  Arrange the plums on top skin side down then scatter over the sugar nibs or flaked almonds if using.


Bake for 40-50 minutes till its golden brown and the frangipane is set.

Don't forget you can use your pastry scraps to make jam tarts, who doesn't like a jam tart?

The Perfect Weekend

I've just had the loveliest weekend, baking, seeing friends and being out and about with my family.  It almost sounds too perfect doesn't it.  I'm not saying this happens every weeekend so when it does I feel compelled to tell everyone.

My eldest son is a keen cook and for his birthday I got him a 'proper' cook book.  He's 11 now and outgrown those children's ones that teach you to make smiley face pizza and fish shaped fish cakes although I am rather partial to both.  He has decided to make dinner at least once a week (fine by me) and started this week with a goats cheese frittata and a chocolate mousse cake.  Both were a success and I can't wait for his next culinary achievement 

Chocolate Mousse Cake with a shortbread base

We spent Sunday in Formby, just north of Liverpool and had a grand time searching for Red Squirrels at the National Trust Squirrel Reserve.  Then I met with my pal Janet from GBBO 2.  She's as lovely as ever, just like old times.  It's such a shame that the friendship and comradery between all the contestants does not really come across on the show, but we're all still in touch and still laughing together.  

Now, it's Sunday and what happens today? - cake and Little House on the Prarie.  It's been a tradition since I made a new years resolution a couple of years ago that we should all sit down together to have tea and cake on a Sunday.  Last year for christmas I got a box set of  Little H' on the P' and it has become an integral part of this ritual.

Todays cake was a bit retro purely because it included glace cherries.  I'm not that enamoured with them but onced chopped and added to ground almonds they're not half bad.  Glace cherries have a tendency to sink to the bottom of cakes when baking.  The trick is to give them a good rinse under a tap, pat them dry, coat in a little flour then add them to your mix.

CHERRY & ALMOND SLICE

150g Glace Cherries chopped, washed and floured

250g Self Raising Flour

200g Sunflower Margarine

180g Sugar

3 Eggs

1/2 tsp Almond Essence

100g Ground Almonds

4 tbsp Milk

Heat the oven to 160C Fan.

Put everything apart from the cherries in a free standing mixer and mix well.  If you're doing it by hand, cream the butter and sugar, then add the flour, eggs and almond essence.  Next add the ground almonds then when it's all combined add the cherries. If you've used a mixer fold the cherries in by had as they can get a little smooshed by the whisk.

Pour into a lined baking tin.  Mine measured  25cm  x 19cm, then bake for 35-40 minutes, turning round after the first 20 minutes to get a nice even bake.

I've covered mine with icing sugar mixed with lemon juice then topped with cherries for that proper 70's cake shop look but you could also have it warm with a bit of custard (or evap Sean say's)