Category: Everyday Cakes

Carrot cake is cake that contains carrots mixed into the better. Most modern carrot recipes have a white cream cheese frosting.

INGREDIENTS

• 175 ml / 6 fl oz Sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
• 175 ml / 6 oz Light muscovado sugar
• 3 Eggs, beaten
• 175 g / 6 oz Grated carrots
• 85 g /3 oz Sultanas
• 55 g / 2 oz Walnut pieces
• Grated rind o f 1 orange
• 175 g / 6 oz Self-raising flour
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Grated nutmeg
• Strips of orange Zest, to decorate

FROSTING

• 200 g / 7 oz Full-fat soft cheese
• 100 g / 3 1/2 oz Icing sugar
• 2 tsp Orange juice

INSTRUCTION

Preheat the oven to 180’C / 350’F / Gas Mark 4. Grease and line the base of a 23-cm / 9-inch square cake tin.

In a large bowl beat together the oil, muscovado sugar and eggs. Stir in the grated carrots, sultanas, walnuts and orange rind.

Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and nutmeg, then stir evenly into the carrot mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch.

Remove the cake from the oven and set on wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, combine the soft cheese, icing sugar and orange juice in a bowl and beat until smooth. Spread over the top of the cake and swirl with a palette knife. Decorate with strips of orange zest and serve cut into squares.

It is sometimes mistakenly thought to originate from the Madeira Islands; however, that is not the case as it was named after Madeira wine, a Portuguese wine from the islands, which was popular in England in the mid-1800s and was often served with the cake.

INGREDIENTS

• 175 g /6 oz Unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 175 g / 6 oz Caster sugar
• finely grated rind of 1 lemon
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 115 g / 4 oz Plain flour
• 115 g / 4 oz Self-raising flour
• 2-3 tbsp brandy or milk
• 2 slices of citron peel

INSTRUCTION

Preheat the oven to 160’C /325’F / Gas Mark 3. Grease and line an 18-cm / 7-inch round deep cake tin.

Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add the lemon rind and gradually beat in the eggs. Sift in the flours and fold in evenly, adding enough brandy to make a soft dropping consistency.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Lay the slices of citron peel on top of the cake.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1-1 1/4 hours, or until well risen, golden brown and springy to the touch.

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely on a wire rack.

Cherry cake is a traditional British cake. The cake consists of glacé cherries evenly suspended within a Madeira sponge. Glacé cherries are used because the moisture within fresh cherries causes them to sink to the bottom of any cake, ruining the cake’s form.

INGREDIENTS

• 250 g / 9 oz Glace cherries, quartered
• 85 g / 3 oz Ground almonds
• 200 g / 7 oz Plain flour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 200 g / 7 oz Unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 200 g / 7 oz Caster sugar
• 3 large Eggs
• Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
• 6 Sugar cubes, crushed

INSTRUCTION

Preheat the oven to 180’C / 350’F / Gas Mark 4. Grease a 20-cm / 8-inch round cake tin and line the base and sides with non-stick baking powder.

Stir together the cherries, ground almonds and 1 tablespoon of the flour. Sift the remaining flour into a separate bowl with the baking powder.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light in colour and fluffy texture. Gradually add the eggs, beating hard with each addition, until evenly mixed.

Add the flour mixture and fold light and evenly into the creamed mixture with a metal spoon. Add the cherry mixture, and fold in evenly. Finally fold in the lemon rind and juice.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and sprinkle with the crushed sugar cubes. Bake in the preheated oven for 1-1 1/4 hours, or until risen, golden brown and the cake is just beginning to shrink away from the sides of the tin.

Cool in the tin for about 15 minutes,then turn out to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Walnut and coffee cake or coffee and walnut cake is a cake made with a normal sponge cake recipe with the addition of coffee, usually either instant coffee or Camp Coffee, and walnut pieces. The cake is often filled with flavoured butter icing and topped with more butter icing and half-walnuts.

INSTRUCTION

Preheat the oven to 180’C / 350’F / Gas Mark 4. Grease and line the bases of two 20-cm / 8-inch sandwich tins.

Cream together the butter and muscovado sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Beat in the coffee.

Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture, then fold in lightly and evenly with a metal spoon. Fold in the walnut pieces.

Divide the mixture between the prepared cake tins and smooth level. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes, or until golden brown springy to the touch. Turn out onto wire rack to cool.

For the frosting, beat together the butter, icing sugar, coffee and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and creamy.

Use about half the mixture to sandwich the cakes together, then spread the remaining frosting on top and swirl with a palette knife. Decorate with halves.

INGREDIENTS

• 175 g / 6 oz Unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 175 g / 6 oz Light muscovado sugar
• 3 Large eggs, beaten
• 3 tbsp Strong black coffee
• 175 g / 6 oz Self-raising flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
• 115 g / 4 oz Walnut pieces
• Walnut halves, to decorate

FROSTING

• 115 g / 4 oz Unsalted butter
• 200 g / 7 oz Icing sugar
• 1 tbsp Strong black coffee
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract