An urgent need for cake. An old-fashioned one, studded with dried fruit, or perhaps a slice of something more frivolous, with a citrus filling and iced top and sides. A birthday-style cake looking for a birthday.
Rarely does an afternoon go by without a piece of something sweet on a plate eaten with a cup of tea. This week, a wedge of simple fruit cake. Not as extravagant as the recipe for Christmas cake, this one is more cake than fruit, but has the same deep butterscotch notes from dark muscovado sugar and a comforting whiff of nostalgia. It is the sort of cake no one bakes any more, and it is good to see it again.
The layer cake I made at the same time was as much dessert as cake. A frosting of orange curd and mascarpone; a scattering of flaked almonds toasted until crisp, this felt like a cake for a special occasion, which made its presence on a dull, between-the-seasons week in November even more of a treat. We celebrated even though there was nothing much to celebrate, other than the fact we had cake.
The sponge cake is made in small round tins, so should be gone quickly, but its cream cheese and curd filling won’t come to too much harm if you refrigerate it overnight. It is worth bringing it back to room temperature before eating.
A clear, green or fruit tea works wonderfully with a rich recipe such as this. It slices through the sugar and flatters the citrus notes. My choice was lemon verbena but we could have had Earl Grey with its subtle notes of bergamot.
A teatime fruit cakeThis cut-and-come-again cake will keep for several days in a cake tin or airtight container. It is less densely fruited than a Christmas cake, its texture more akin to a traditional tea-time fruit cake. I use a mixture of raisins, dried cherries or cranberries and golden sultanas, but you could introduce candied peel or chopped, dried apricots if you fancy. The cake needs no further embellishment, but you could stud the surface with whole almonds before baking. Serves 12 or more. Ready in 2 hours
caster sugar 150g
dark muscovado sugar 65g
butter 125g
eggs 2, large
self-raising flour 280g
kefir 100ml
dried fruit assorted 400g
You will need a deep cake tin, 20cm in diameter.
Line the cake tin on the base and sides with lightly buttered baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 4.
Put the caster and dark muscovado sugars in the bowl of a food mixer fitted with a flat paddle beater. Cut the butter into small pieces, add to the sugars, then cream them for about 5 minutes until light and coffee-coloured.
Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork or small whisk until well mixed. Introduce the beaten eggs to the butter and sugar a little at a time, beating well between additions. Incorporate the flour and kefir, in two or three stages.
Stir in the dried fruit, then transfer to the lined cake tin and lightly smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake the cake for about 70 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a metal skewer into the cake. If it comes out with any raw mixture attached, return the cake to the oven for 10 minutes longer then check again. Set the cake to cool in its tin, then remove and leave until cold.
Orange and almond layer cake‘A rather special cake’: orange and almond layer cake. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin/The ObserverA rather special cake, large enough for a celebration. I suggest orange curd, but lemon will work perfectly here, too. I tend to slice the crown off the top of each cake, which makes it even and easier to finish with the mascarpone cream. It also gives me a couple of slices to wolf as I am decorating the cake.
Serves 12 or more. Ready in 2 hours
butter 175g
oranges 2, medium
caster sugar 175g
vanilla extract ½ tsp
eggs 3, plus 1 extra yolk
self-raising flour 180g
ground almonds 75g
For the frosting:
flaked almonds 4 tbsp
mascarpone 250g
orange (or lemon) curd 320g
crystallised clementines 2 (optional)
You will need 2 x 18cm cake tins.
Line the base of the cake tins with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 170C/gas mark 5.
Cut the butter into small pieces and put them into the bowl of a food mixer. Finely grate the zest of the oranges into the bowl, then add the sugar and cream everything together using the flat paddle attachment. Add the vanilla extract.
Break the eggs into a small bowl, add the extra yolk and beat lightly with a fork until well mixed. With the paddle still turning, introduce the egg mixture to the butter and sugar in 3 or 4 stages, mixing thoroughly between each. If the mixture shows any sign of curdling, incorporate a few spoonfuls of the flour.
Introduce the flour and ground almonds, in 2 or 3 stages, beating well between each addition. Divide the mixture between each of the 2 lined cake tins and bake for 30 minutes, until lightly risen and springy to the touch.
Remove the cakes from the oven and leave to settle for 10 minutes before turning out on to a cooling rack.
Toast the flaked almonds in a shallow pan over a low to medium meat, watching carefully, until they are golden brown.
Make the butter cream: put the mascarpone in a mixing bowl and beat briefly with a wooden spoon to loosen it, then gently stir in the orange curd. Take care not to overmix the two. A few stirs is all it takes – a visible trail of curd through the mascarpone is beautiful.
Sandwich the cakes together with some of the curd cream, then spread the rest over the top and sides of the cake. Scatter the almonds over the surface, and if you wish, a few slices of crystallised clementine or orange.
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