Cake - one of the most sensuous of delights. I love the mix of textures in cake - soft, billowy cream, sweet icing, tender sponge with fruits and flavours mixed together to create a delicious delight.
I love all kinds of cake and never need an excuse to try out a new one! Summer lends itself to berries, flowers and other fruits being incorporated with vanilla, chocolate, rose, lavender, elderflowers.
One of my favorite recipes is a soft, tender sponge that you can fill with fresh cream, berries, jam or some kind of fruit compote. It's simple to make and uses very little sugar. Here's the recipe:
Serves 6: 11 tablespoons butter, softened 1 1/2 cups white spelt flour, sifted 2 large free range eggs 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Small squeeze of lemon juice
Filling: 2/3rds cup of heavy cream (double cream), 3-4 heaped tablespoons of jam, berries or compote Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line two 6-inch loose-bottomed layer cake pans. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the flour and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Continue to beat until you have a light, fluffy mixture. (If it looks as if it's curdling, add another tablespoon of flour). Add the remaining flour and the baking powder, then the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Fold everything together very lightly and gently. Add a small squeeze of lemon juice and fold again.
Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared pans, level the tops with a palette knife or back of a spoon and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or so until the centers spring back to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes in the pans before turning out and transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
When the cakes have cooled completely, place one layer on a beautiful serving plate, spread with the jam, fruit compote or berries and then spread the cream over the jam. Place the top layer over the cream, and either dust with confectioners sugar and scatter with flower petals or add another layer of cream and berries on top.
Enjoy with your finest tea and your finest china. (Recipe inspired by Amber Rose's book, Love, Bake, Nourish).
A very special cake was made for me for my 60th Birthday. Three tiers of my three favorite flavours - Rose, Lemon and Pistachio. Made by Kate in her kitchen and then hand finished with each polka dot added in situ with such care, it was a marvel to behold and tasted amazing. Kate is known for her gluten free pastries and cakes https://www.mabolton.co.uk/. I decorated it with fresh roses of course!