Читать книгу Lily Vanilli's Sweet Tooth - Lily Jones - Страница 9

SPONGE CAKE

SPONGE recipes began to appear in the 1600s, when ovens were improving and new types of leavening were being experimented with. Before that, the closest thing to cake was a sweetened, enriched, spiced bread. A sponge recipe generally contains flour, sugar, fat, eggs, a raising agent and some liquid, and is made using the ‘creaming method’. Understanding this method and the basic ingredients for a sponge should give you a good intro to the ‘ins and outs’ of baking cakes. You may want to skip this part and go straight to the recipe: you will still get a good result. I have always been fascinated by the science behind every step and measure and have found that understanding it (or trying to) makes the whole process more involving and leads to much better results. There are more rules for a baker than for a chef, and whether you follow them or not, it can be really useful to try to understand them.

BALANCING THE CORE INGREDIENTS Flour and eggs are the backbone of a cake; they give it structure, but can also dry it out. Sugar and fats make it soft and moist but can destroy its structure. A good sponge cake needs a careful balance of the core ingredients. A NOTE ON FAT IN CAKES Oil greases the proteins found in flour much better than butter does and makes for a more moist, tender cake; however, there is a difference in flavour. Experiment with replacing some of the butter in cake recipes with oil.

STEP 1: CREAMING THE FAT AND SUGAR ‘Creaming’ involves beating together the fat (butter) and the sugar and ensures that your cake will have a fine, even texture. Beating drives the sugar crystals into the butter, and their rough edges catch lots of tiny regular pockets of air that are trapped in a coating layer of fat. These pockets form the basis of the cake. (Caster sugar is best here, as its smaller crystals result in a higher number of smaller air pockets.) Eventually each of those little pockets of air will fill up with expanding gas and steam in the oven, making it rise with a texture that’s soft and light. How long this stage takes will vary according to your mixer – I recommend approximately 5 minutes, but you’ll know it’s ready when it looks lighter and increased in volume; this is what a recipe refers to as ‘light and fluffy’. TIP: Starting the mixer on low and then gradually increasing the speed allows the air bubbles to form and strengthen. Starting at too high a speed could break the fragile air bubbles, which will cause the finished cake to be heavy and dense. STEP 2: BEATING IN THE EGGS The next step is to beat in the eggs, which will seal the buttery air pockets and help prevent them from collapsing when the butter melts in the oven. Egg whites also contain proteins that set to hold the structure of the cake, and the yolks add tenderness and a creamy texture. Only beat to incorporate eggs; there’s no benefit to the cake in extra beating once they have been added. Over-beating at this stage can lead to a separated cake with a shiny ‘crust’. STEP 3: ADDING FLOUR, BAKING POWDER AND LIQUID Flour contains the makings of the gluten which, along with egg white, will form the foundation of the cake’s structure | see notes on on page 19 |. Once flour has been added, beating should be kept to a minimum, to restrict the development of too much gluten (enough will support your cake, too much will give it a heavy, fibrous texture – more like bread). BAKING POWDER: Should be whisked evenly into the flour before it’s added to the batter | see note on chemical leaveners, below | – I find sifting them together is not enough to combine them evenly. LIQUID: The right balance of liquid will give the cake structural support by helping to form gluten, add tenderness and convert to steam once in the oven, allowing more air to be released into the batter. I usually carry out this stage in three parts, adding half the flour, then the liquid, then the remaining flour – this keeps the batter from splitting but prevents too much gluten forming. Just remember not to over-beat. STEP 4: BAKING Once exposed to the heat of the oven, the volume of your cake will increase and its structure will set. This is due to multiple events that take place in the batter. First, the heat causes the gases in the air pockets to expand, which in turn stretches out the gluten structure. At the same time the acid and alkali in the baking powder will react, releasing carbon dioxide, which will expand these pockets even further. Then, as the temperature creeps up, the liquids begin to steam and expand the air pockets once again. Eventually the egg in the batter will set (coagulate) and the gluten will lose its elasticity, sealing the structure of the cake. The sugar will then caramelise and give it a lovely brown finish. The temperature of your oven is key here – if your temperature is right, the timing of the expanding air pockets and melting of the fat should coincide with egg film coagulating and seal the air pockets in the cake’s structure. If the temperature is out, these events might not sync so smoothly and your cake will be spoiled.

BICARBONATE OF SODA OR BAKING POWDER? Bicarbonate of soda and baking powder are two kinds of chemical leavener or raising agent. When bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate) is combined with moisture and an acidic ingredient (e.g. cider vinegar, yoghurt, soured cream, chocolate, buttermilk, honey) the resulting chemical reaction releases carbon dioxide bubbles that expand in the oven and help your bakes to rise. This will start to happen as soon as you mix the bicarbonate of soda and the acid together in a batter, so try to get it into the oven quickly. Baking powder is a blend of acid (cream of tartar) and alkali (sodium bicarbonate). Although the acid and the alkali are already combined, they will only start to fully react when exposed to the heat of the oven. Which of the two leaveners you should use will depend on your other ingredients: bicarbonate of soda needs an acid to balance it (and to react with) so it’s best used in a recipe containing an acidic ingredient – if you ever accidentally substitute bicarbonate of soda for baking powder in a recipe with no acid ingredient to balance it, you will notice a very bitter, soapy taste. Baking powder has a more neutral flavour. Don’t try to substitute one for the other without adapting the rest of the recipe. In most cases, if a recipe asks you to use both, the baking powder is likely to be acting as the main leavener, while the bicarbonate of soda will be there to neutralise an excess of acid from the other ingredients. NOTE: Measure chemical leaveners carefully; a little goes a long way. As a general rule you should use 1 teaspoon of baking powder or ¼ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda per 130g of plain wheat flour.

IF YOUR OVEN IS TOO HOT the edges of the cake will crust before the middle has a chance to fully bake, leaving a soggy centre full of gases that continue to expand late in the baking process and cause your crust to crack. IF YOUR OVEN IS TOO COLD the fat will melt, releasing its air and leavening gases before the other elements in the batter set to hold them in place, and the cake won’t rise. COOLING You should generally leave a cake to cool in the tin for at least 10 minutes after removing it from the oven, placed on a wire rack so that air can circulate. Cakes are softer and more fragile before they are fully cooled – the cooling process allows the flour’s gelatinised starch to gel and firm up the cake, and if you try to remove it too soon, it will likely stick to the tin. If you leave the cake in the tin too long, the steam it releases will be trapped and make it soggy. After 10 minutes, remove it from the tin and leave it on the wire rack to cool. It’s best to wait until the cake is completely cool before peeling away any baking paper, otherwise you might take chunks of cake off with it. STORING Cakes generally keep well at room temperature for a few days, thanks to the moisture-retaining properties of the butter and sugar they are made with. Icing a cake will help to preserve it for longer, as less of the cake is exposed to the air. Putting cakes into the fridge tends to dry them out, but you can freeze most cakes. Just wrap the un-iced cakes tightly in a thick layer of clingfilm and defrost at room temperature.

CAKES MADE WITH WHIPPED EGGS

OCCASIONALLY a recipe will call for whipped egg whites, and in this case the cake batter is getting some or all of its leavening from air trapped in the beaten whites. This process requires beating the whites to a rich white foam, filled with air bubbles. These expand in the oven until the egg sets and seals the air in place. When it comes to whipping egg whites for a cake the rules are strict, but don’t be put off – it’s actually very simple and you’ll probably nail it first time. As with making meringues, you need to use room temperature eggs and separate them carefully, as fat from the yolks will spoil the process | see page 20 for how to separate eggs |. In fact any fat or grease is your enemy here, so make sure everything is really clean.

WHIPPING EGG WHITES Ideally use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or hand-held electric whisk to beat egg whites, and a mixing bowl large enough to hold up to eight times the volume of the whites you start with. Add a pinch of salt and start beating on a medium speed, gradually increasing to high as the whites start to foam. The beating time will vary depending on how many whites you are using so keep a close eye on them. The whites are ready when they reach ‘stiff peaks’ stage – they should be smooth, moist, shiny and the tips will stand up straight as you lift the beaters out of the bowl. NOTE: Add a pinch of cream of tartar or a drop of lemon juice to the mix to help increase volume and stability. FOLDING WHITES INTO A BATTER When the whites are beaten to stiff peaks, you need to fold them carefully into your batter right away – as soon as you stop beating they will start to lose air. A metal spoon or rubber spatula is best for doing this. Start by making a well in the centre of your batter or dry ingredients. If it’s a wet batter, stir a small spoonful of whites in, just to introduce it to the mix. Now spoon the whites into the centre – use your spatula to cut through the middle, scoop up towards the edge of the bowl and ‘fold’ back over the top of the whites. Turn the bowl slightly and repeat until all the foam is incorporated. It may look like it’s never going to happen, but it will. Just keep folding. Your aim here is to preserve as much of the trapped air as possible while incorporating the foam evenly. Try to handle gently and be patient.

NOTE: Yolks or whole eggs can also be beaten to trap air, but it’s only a fraction of what the whites alone will do. When making cakes with whipped egg whites I like to whip up the yolks as well, separately, for extra volume.

CAKE RITUALS

Ever since I started learning about baking I have been obsessed with the history of cake. Its image is so wholesome, unassuming and sweet, yet all around the world its history has mythological, religious, even macabre associations and fantastic stories. It has been assigned magical properties, great symbolism and powers of divination. Cakes have long been tied to ceremonial occasions – we still eat them on significant dates like weddings, birthdays, funerals – but the further back you look through history, the more prominent their role in ritual. Cakes were offered to gods or consumed as part of ceremonies intended to appease them, to encourage good harvests or to ensure the continued rotation of the sun. Here is a collection of just a few cake-related mythologies from around the world.

SOUL CAKES were historically eaten on All Souls’ Day. For pagan people, All Souls’ Day was the day the dead arose and walked the earth, and they believed they needed to be fed in order to persuade them not to harm the living. The Japanese and Mexicans also make cakes for their dead. People in Germany and Austria would often leave cakes at graves, and the Ancient Egyptians placed them inside tombs.

CHINESE MOON CAKES are still eaten to this day at the Chinese festival for lunar worship. Their symbolism is linked to the mythical Moon Goddess – the Goddess of Immortality, who lives on the moon with a lunar rabbit who makes rice. There is a folk tale that recounts how the overthrow of Mongol rule was once facilitated by messages smuggled in moon cakes, and puzzles printed on their surfaces revealing secret codes that were destroyed when the cakes were eaten.

THE ANCIENT CELTS rolled cakes down the side of a hill to imitate the sun’s rotation and thus ensure it would continue. They also used cakes as a means of divination, even in so far as selecting victims for sacrifice. In a ritual not unlike our tradition of placing a shilling in a Christmas pudding, the Celts would blacken a piece of cake with charcoal; then, when the cake was divided and served, the receiver of the blackened piece would be sacrificed as an offering to the gods. In fact, the Lindow Man – the tar-preserved body of a man killed 2,200 years ago, which currently resides at the British Museum – is thought to have been a victim of just such a ritual. Remnants of his last meal – a partly digested and badly scorched cake – were found in his small intestine.

THE ANCIENT GREEKS left cakes at crossroads to appease Hecate, the testy Goddess of the Underworld. They would leave offerings of ‘Hecate cakes’ for her, sometimes marked by a single candle so that she could find her way in the dark. This practice is thought by some to be the origin of the tradition of putting birthday candles on cakes. Many cultures made cake offerings to deities, and also offered cakes to the spirits of the dead, believing the cakes would nourish them in the journey to the afterworld.

HINDU TURTLE CAKES are paste cakes of flour shaped like turtles and are made for festivals held in honour of a deity in Taiwanese villages. People buy the cakes at the temple and take them home to assure prosperity, harmony and security.

ULTIMATE PILLOW-SOFT VANILLA SPONGE CAKE

There are lots of variations on the basic vanilla sponge recipe and technique, and this is my favourite. Many hours have been clocked up in the bakery perfecting this recipe, and I can guarantee that this is one of the lightest, most buttery, melt-in-the-mouth vanilla sponge cakes you will find. It’s one of the simplest cakes I make, but it’s also one of the most popular and I’m constantly asked for the recipe. It is gravity-defyingly light but has a very buttery, almost chewy top. If you perfect one recipe from this book and use it again and again, I would recommend this – simple but delicious, versatile and impressive.

In this recipe all the flour is coated in butter in the initial stage, which inhibits the development of gluten and produces a very soft crumb. There are far fewer air pockets formed by creaming, but this is compensated for with a larger dose of baking powder. As very little gluten is formed to build structure, this is quite a delicate cake, so mind the baking time carefully and be sure to check your oven temperature. Make sure you whisk the dry ingredients together first, as this is a crucial stage for an even result.

PREP TIME 20 minutes COOKING TIME 30 minutes SERVES: 8–10 330g plain flour, sifted 320g caster sugar 1½ tbsp baking powder Pinch of salt 175g unsalted butter, room temperature 3 eggs 190ml whole milk 1½ tsp good vanilla extract Two 23cm cake tins, greased andlined, or 24 cupcake cases in trays

1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan assisted/gas mark 6.

2 In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Beat in the butter until it is incorporated and the mixture appears to be evenly coated and looks like a fine crumble mix – 2–3 minutes on medium speed.

3 Add the eggs and beat, first on medium, then on high, just until incorporated.

4 Add the milk and vanilla and beat, on medium and then on high, until the mixture is smooth and combined; it will appear a bit lighter in colour – 2–3 minutes.

5 Divide the mixture between the two prepared cake tins and level out to the edges. Bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

TIP: Always scrape down the sides of the bowl in between adding ingredients.

SEVEN WAYS WITH VANILLA SPONGE

Once you’ve perfected the basic vanilla sponge recipe there are dozens of delicious ways it can be adapted and served. Here are some of my favourites.

LAVENDER AND TOASTED ALMOND TEA CAKES

1 batch of Vanilla Sponge, made

with Lavender Milk | see page 257 | 1 batch of Lavender Icing | see page 255 | 2 tsp dried lavender buds, crushed in a pestle and mortar 20g flaked almonds, toasted | see page 257 |

1 Make up the vanilla sponge, substituting lavender milk for the regular milk, then bake and allow to cool completely.

2 Top each cake with buttercream then dust with the crushed lavender buds and the cooled toasted almonds.

PASSIONFRUIT AND TOASTED ALMOND TEA CAKES

batch of Vanilla Sponge

1 batch of Vanilla Buttercream

| see page 254 | Flesh of 4 passionfruit 40g flaked almonds, toasted | see page 257 |

1 Make up the vanilla sponge, substituting lavender milk for the regular milk, then bake and allow to cool completely.

2 Top each cake with buttercream then dust with the crushed lavender buds and the cooled toasted almonds.

VANILLA POMEGRANATE LAYER CAKE

1 batch of Vanilla Sponge

1 ripe pomegranate

1 batch of Vanilla Buttercream

| see page 254 | 50g desiccated coconut

1 Make up the vanilla sponge, then bake and allow to cool completely.

2 Seed the pomegranate, making sure all the pith is removed, and use kitchen paper to absorb any excess liquid from the seeds.

3 Use a palette knife or the back of a dessert spoon to spread some of the buttercream on the base layer, to cover. Sprinkle generously with pomegranate seeds and some of the coconut. Sandwich the layers together and repeat for the top layer.

SEVEN WAYS WITH SPONGE

LAVENDER AND TOASTED ALMOND TEA CAKES

COCONUT TEA CAKES

VANILLA COCOA TEA CAKES

VANILLA POMEGRANATE LAYER CAKE

MIXED BERRY VICTORIA SPONGE

PASSIONFRUIT AND TOASTED ALMOND TEA CAKES

GLITTER CAKE AND COOKIE CANAPES

VANILLA COCOA TEA CAKES

1 batch of Vanilla Sponge, omitting

40g of flour | see step 1 |

40g cocoa, sifted

1 batch of Chocolate or Vanilla

Buttercream

| see page 254–255 | Chopped chocolate, toasted nuts or desiccated coconut

1 Make up the vanilla sponge, omitting 40g of the flour and folding in the cocoa just before you transfer the batter into the tins. I prefer to do this loosely, so that there are pockets of cocoa sporadically throughout, rather than beating it through evenly, but it’s up to you. Bake and allow to cool completely.

2 Top each cake with buttercream and sprinkle with chocolate, nuts or coconut.

COCONUT TEA CAKES

1 batch of Vanilla Sponge

50g desiccated coconut

1 batch of Vanilla Buttercream

| see page 254 | Coconut flakes, toasted on a baking sheet in a preheated 180°C fan assisted/gas mark 6 oven for approximately 4 minutes, or until starting to brown

1 Make up the vanilla sponge, folding in 50g of desiccated coconut to the batter. Bake and allow to cool completely.

2 Top each cake with buttercream and dust with the toasted coconut.

VANILLA COCOA TEA CAKES

1 batch of Vanilla Sponge

1 batch of Vanilla Buttercream

| see page 254 | 1 batch of Mixed Berry Coulis or Rhubarb Coulis | see page 256 | 100g fresh summer berries – redcurrants, blackcurrants, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, in any combination, work very well 50g flaked almonds, toasted | see page 257 | or desiccated coconut

1 Make up the vanilla sponge, then bake and allow to cool completely.

2 Spread a thin layer of the buttercream on the base cake layer, drizzle with coulis, and add a smattering of fresh fruit. Sandwich the cakes together and repeat for the top layer, this time using a little more frosting, a drizzle of the coulis, the rest of the fruit and finally the toasted almonds.

GLITTER CAKE AND COOKIE CANAPES

1 batch of Vanilla Sponge

Small amount of Vanilla

Buttercream | see page 254 | 1 batch of Glitter Cookies | see page 134 |

1 Make up the vanilla sponge and split the batter between whatever tins you have so that it sits about 1cm deep | re-use the tins and bake in tandem if necessary |.

2 Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 10–15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool completely, then use a cookie cutter to cut rounds from the sheet of cake.

3 Assemble by piping a dab of buttercream in the centre of two rounds and sandwiching them as you would a layer cake. Pipe another dab of buttercream on top and top with a glitter cookie. Serve in mini cupcake cases, or just as they are.

NOTE: Make up a batch of cookies using any recipe you like – gingerbread works well | see page 144 | – then use the method on page 134 to coat them in edible glitter.

BITTER CHOCOLATE ORANGE CAKE

I made a version of this cake for Veuve Clicquot that was huge, many-tiered, painted bright gold and topped with chocolate curls laden with popping candy and candied blood oranges. The sparkling bitter chocolate, orange and popping candy make this cake delicious with champagne, but it’s delicious with almost anything.

PREP TIME 20 minutes COOKING TIME 25 minutes, plus cooling time SERVES: 10 270g plain flour, sifted 130g caster sugar 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda Pinch of sea salt 270g dark chocolate | minimum 70% cocoa solids | broken into pieces 270g unsalted butter, cubed 270g light brown sugar Finely grated zest of 1 large orange 4 eggs 100ml natural yoghurt 100ml whole milk ½ batch of Popping Candy Chocolate Shards | see page 209 | 1 batch of Chocolate Ganache Glaze | see page 259 | 1 batch of Candied Orange Slices | see page 226 | Three 18cm round cake tins, greased and lined

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C fan assisted/gas mark 6.

2 In a bowl, whisk together the flour, caster sugar, bicarbonate of soda and salt and set aside.

3 Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler | see page 196 | over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Beat the chocolate and butter mix into the flour mix, then beat in the brown sugar and orange zest. Now beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just incorporated. Finally, beat in the yoghurt and milk.

4 Divide the mixture between the three prepared cake tins and level out to the edges. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cocktail stick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5 When the cakes are cool, transfer them to a plate one at a time, using a palette knife to spread a thin layer of the ganache glaze between the layers, over the top and all around the edges of the stacked cakes | pour into the centre of the cake, then work down the sides and around the base |. Refrigerate the cake to set the ganache, then repeat the process with a thicker layer of ganache until the cake is evenly covered.

6 Top the finished cake with chocolate shards and orange slices and serve any that remain alongside.

CHERRY AND SEED MADEIRA CAKE

Madeira cake was very popular in the Edwardian era, and I first made this for a project called Salon du Thé, with the theatre company Gideon Reeling. We recreated an Edwardian high tea ceremony – from the food and tea on the menu, to the dress code and interactive performances. This cake made up the centrepiece cutting cake.

PREP TIME 30 minutes COOKING TIME 30 minutes SERVES: 8 180g unsalted butter, room temperature 180g caster sugar 3 eggs 250g self-raising flour, sifted 3 tbsp milk 75g mixed seeds – pumpkin, sesame, poppy Small handful of fresh pitted cherries | about 100g | each sliced into 3 pieces Small amount of granulated sugar infused with Lapsang Souchong tea | optional – see tip | 120ml Mixed Berry Coulis | see page 256 | or raspberry jam 150g double cream, whipped 150g icing sugar, sifted Small amount of lemon juice Handful of flaked almonds, toasted | optional – see page 257 | Fresh flowers to decorate Three 18cm round cake tins, greased and lined

1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan assisted/gas mark 6.

2 Cream the butter and sugar together for 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until just incorporated. Fold in the flour, then add the milk slowly – you need just enough to ensure that the mixture falls slowly from the spoon. Fold in the seeds and cherries.

3 Divide the mixture between the two prepared cake tins and level out to the edges. Sprinkle the top with some of the Lapsang-infused sugar, if using. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4 Spread the base layer with the coulis or jam and pipe the whipped cream on top. Sandwich the two halves of the cake together.

5 Mix the icing sugar with enough lemon juice to give it a pouring consistency – or add a dash of coulis, which will also give it a nice pink colour – and pour over the top of the cake. Decorate with toasted almonds and garnish with fresh flowers, if using.

TIP: To infuse granulated sugar with Lapsang Souchong, simply leave an unused tea bag in 400–500g of caster sugar overnight. You can use a small amount for this recipe, then store the rest in an airtight container to use another time.

HOW TO WHIP CREAM

YOU WILL NEED A chilled bowl | large enough to hold at least double the volume of cream you are whipping | An electric hand whisk Very cold double cream 1 tsp caster sugar and ¼ tsp vanilla extract per 200ml of cream | optional |

Pour the cream into the bowl and whip thoroughly and evenly, beginning on a medium speed. Ensure that you run the beaters around the edge of the bowl to keep it all evenly mixed. When the cream starts to thicken and you see the first sign of soft peaks, add the sugar and the vanilla, if using. Now reduce the speed to medium-low and watch carefully – it’s almost done. Continue just until you have very soft peaks. Using an electric hand mixer this should take under 2 minutes.

ZEBRA CAKE

This is a version of the ‘rainbow cake’ recipe that appeared in my last book, but uses the classic combination of chocolate and vanilla sponge. It looks amazing when it’s cut into – the striped effect is made with two separate batters that are layered on top of each other in the tin before they go into the oven

PREP TIME 25 minutes COOKING TIME 30 minutes SERVES: 8 260g unsalted butter, room temperature 420g caster sugar 4 eggs 430g plain flour, sifted 1 tbsp baking powder Pinch of salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 240ml whole milk 30g cocoa powder, sifted 1 batch of Chocolate or Vanilla Buttercream | see pages 254–255 | Three 15cm round cake tins, greased and lined

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C fan assisted/gas mark 6.

2 Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy – approximately 4 minutes. Add the eggs and beat slowly at first, then on medium, until just evenly incorporated, scraping down the bowl after each stage. Remove half the batter and set aside.

3 In another bowl, whisk together half the flour, baking powder and salt. Add half these dry ingredients to the batter | so a quarter of the total | and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Add the vanilla and half the milk, then the rest of the dry ingredients. This is your vanilla batter. Set aside.

4 Clean your mixing bowl and put in the second half of the batter.

5 In your second bowl, whisk the remaining flour, baking powder and salt with the cocoa powder. Repeat the process, adding half the dry ingredients to the batter, then the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients, making sure you scrape down the bowl with each addition and be careful not to over-beat. This is your chocolate batter.

6 To make the zebra stripes, spoon about 3 tablespoons of the vanilla batter into the centre of each of your prepared cake tins. Then add 3 tablespoons of the chocolate batter into the centre of that. The vanilla batter will spread out. Continue alternating the batters, adding to the centre each time. Once you are done, don’t be tempted to level the top or merge the layers in any way!

7 Bake for approximately 25–30 minutes, or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean | or just with a few crumbs, and no liquid |. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

8 Spread buttercream on both layers, sandwich together, and spread more buttercream around the sides.

BEETROOT CAKE

I first made this cake for someone who had food intolerances that meant they could hardly ever eat cake. It’s virtually savoury and contains no butter or flour, but still has a beautiful colour, texture and flavour. The original version had no added sugar, but I’ve adapted it slightly with honey and brown sugar to complement the natural sweetness of the beetroot. This cake is delicious with the mascarpone frosting on its own, or you could add some icing sugar to it if you like. Warning: this is a cake for grown-ups.

PREP TIME 40 minutes COOKING TIME 30 minutes SERVES: 8–10 500g raw beetroots, peeled and grated very fine 120ml olive oil 60ml freshly squeezed smooth orange juice 80g root ginger, peeled and finely grated 150g raisins 6 tbsp runny honey 1½ tsp vanilla extract Finely grated zest of 2 lemons ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 2 tsp baking powder 360g polenta | instant coarse polenta will do | 4 eggs, separated 50g light brown sugar Fresh fruit, such as berries or sliced peaches, to decorate Handful of chives, chopped FOR THE FROSTING 400g mascarpone A dash of beetroot juice to colour | optional | 100g icing sugar, sifted | optional | Two 18cm cake tins, greased and lined

1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan assisted/gas mark 6.

2 Combine the beetroot, oil, juice, ginger, raisins, honey, vanilla, lemon zest and spices in a bowl. Put the baking powder and polenta in a separate bowl and stir to combine.

3 Beat the egg yolks with the brown sugar until creamy and increased in volume – approximately 4 minutes. Stir into the beetroot mix.

4 In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form | see page 35 for how |. Stir the polenta evenly into the beetroot mix, then fold in the egg whites | see page 35 |.

5 Divide the mixture between the two prepared cake tins and level out to the edges. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

6 Beat the beetroot juice and icing sugar into the mascarpone, if using. Spread the cake rounds with the frosting, then add the fruit, sandwich together and sprinkle with the chopped chives.

TIP: If possible, use a food processor with a fine grating attachment to grate the beetroot – you can do it by hand, but it’s hard work, and be prepared for stained hands.

FLOURLESS OREO CAKE

This cake came about when a customer called to order a gluten-free Oreo cake. A slight language barrier coupled with a crackly line meant I couldn’t explain that Oreos themselves contained gluten. In the end I gave up and conceded, went to the kitchen and made this cake – the cocoa powder combined with the dark colour and crunch of the poppy seeds make for a convincing Oreo texture and flavour, especially when married with a dollop of vanilla buttercream. This recipe works well for a dozen fairy cakes too.

PREP TIME 25 minutes COOKING TIME 30 minutes SERVES: 8 130g unsalted butter, room temperature 140g light brown sugar 4 eggs, separated 150g black/blue poppy seeds 130g ground almonds 40g cocoa powder, sifted Pinch of salt 1 tsp baking powder 300g batch Vanilla Buttercream | see page 254 | 20g dark chocolate, roughly chopped | optional | One 23cm round cake tin, greasedand lined

1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan assisted/gas mark 6.

2 Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy – approximately 4 minutes. Add the egg yolks gradually and mix until combined.

3 Mix together the poppy seeds, ground almonds, cocoa, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl.

4 Beat the egg whites in a very clean bowl, first on slow, then on medium and finally on high, until they form stiff peaks | see page 35 |.

5 By hand, stir half the poppy seed mix into the batter, then fold in half the beaten egg whites, the rest of the poppy seed mix and finally the remaining egg whites. Use the folding technique to incorporate everything | see page 35 |, adding very gently with a metal spoon or spatula and taking care not to knock too much air out of the egg whites. Don’t worry if there are still white streaks or lumps – just try to fold in so that everything is roughly evenly distributed.

6 Transfer the mixture to your prepared tin and level out to the edges. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until risen and firm. Press the top of the cake gently with your fingertips to see if it feels baked through. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

7 When cool, spread the buttercream on top and dust with roughly chopped dark chocolate, if desired.

SUMMER CARROT CAKE

Feel free to change the spices and fruit as the seasons change. Summer is citrussy, with passionfruit and light cream cheese frosting.

PREP TIME 30 minutes COOKING TIME 20 minutes SERVES: 8 175ml runny honey 75ml water 120ml thick mango or citrus smoothie 125g unsalted butter 250g peeled and trimmed organic carrots, grated 90g raisins or stoned and chopped dates, or a mix of both Flesh of 2 passionfruit Juice and finely grated zest of 1 orange Pinch of cinnamon 225g wholegrain spelt flour, sifted 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 100g nuts | walnuts and pecans are good | toasted | see page 257 |, then broken into pieces ½ batch of Cream Cheese Frosting | see page 255 | 50g flaked almonds, toasted, for topping Flesh of 2 passionfruit Sprinkling of desiccated coconut Two 18cm round cake tins, greased and lined

1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan assisted/gas mark 6.

2 Heat the honey, water, smoothie or brandy, butter, carrot mix, dried and fresh fruit, citrus zest and juice, and spices together in a pan, stirring gently to melt the butter. Bring to the boil, then boil for 6 minutes. Take the mixture off the heat, remove the cloves if using, and allow to cool completely to room temperature – transfer to another bowl to speed up this process.

3 Meanwhile, in a bowl whisk together the flour and bicarbonate of soda and stir in the crushed nuts.

4 Fold the wet mix into the dry. Divide the mixture between the two prepared cake tins and level out to the edges. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5 Sandwich the cake layers together with cream cheese frosting | add a teaspoon of brandy for the winter version |, spread a layer on top, and sprinkle with the toasted nuts and any other toppings you are using.

WINTER CARROT CAKE

Winter is lots of nutmeg, cardamom, brandy and dried fruit.