Posts tagged icing

Bakewell Tart

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Bakewell Tart

I

 love a traditionally made bakewell tart but its seems that those who don’t agree seem to have a tainted opinion founded into their childhood from thier experiences of Mr Kipling’s overly sweet and synthetic offerings. Found overdosed with grainy icing in your packed lunch that should ideally inspire and energise!? That said, on baking this tart over the weekend for my family his holy name was referenced three times without provoking! But I assure you that a homemade bake well is a good way to convince those haunted by Mr.K’s recipe and being such a traditional recipe I felt it needed a proud place on my blog archive.

I do already have a Rhubarb bake well tart recipe but this arguably this is not ‘traditional’ as is my style. And in fact this one is in my style also using some leftover homemade blackcurrant jam from the summer. But feel free to use a jam of choice here, traditional raspberry or strawberry, apricot or even marmalade!

Makes 1 tart

  • 1 pastry case (see here)
  • 100g unsalted butter
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 75g ground almonds
  • 50g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • Splash almond extract (optional)
  • 100g jam (raspberry, blackcurrant, strawberry etc)
  • Handful of flaked almonds
  • 6 tbsp icing sugar
  • Juice 1/2 lemon
  1. Make the pastry case – instructions here
  2. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar together
  4. Then gradually beat in the eggs and the almond extract until the mixture is combined
  5. Gently fold in the ground almonds and flour until well combined.
  6. Spoon the jam evenly over the base of the pastry case.
  7. Cover with the almond frangipani mixture and use a palate knife or spatula to smooth out the surface until even and the jam is completely covered.
  8. Scatter over the flaked almonds
  9. Bake for 30 minutes until golden and the middle is set. Leave to cool completely.
  10. Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl. Add the lemon juice drop by drop being careful you don’t add to much to fast. You’re aiming for a really thick paste consistency that you can pipe.
  11. Spoon into a piping bag and snip a small end off. Pipe the icing in your desired pattern over the top.
  12. Serve with creme fraiche!

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Coffee and Date Drizzle Cake

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Coffee and Date Drizzle Cake

 

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This cake is moreish, moist and had me (who has the most pathetic of sweet tooth) eyeing up my second piece as I licked the crumbs clean from my greedy fingers after my first piece. Its not as ‘coffee-ey’ as a traditional coffee and walnut sponge but the use of this Percol fine powdered espresso coffee works wonderfully to create a deep coffee background hum. Super fine and smooth and a good way to get your coffee cake hating friends to relish the joys of this treat.

Feel free to experiment a little here with the icing flavour or dried fruit. Figs or prunes would be effective for example instead of dates. Try soaking them in brandy, cognac or even rum first! Try flavourng your icing with cinnamon or cocoa for a mocha effect. However, I feel the icing needs to be coffee flavoured to really bring out the flavour in this cake!

1 small Cake

  • 110g unsalted butter
  • 220g caster sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 small eggs
  • 75g ground almonds
  • 100g self raising flour
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 12g cocoa powder
  • 160ml strong coffee (I used Percol espresso powder), cooled slightly
  • 65ml buttermilk
  • 80g dates, sliced (reserve a few for decoration)

Icing

  • 250g mascarpone
  • 80g sieved icing sugar
  • 1 tsp coffee mixed with a splash of boiling water.
  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line and grease 2 cake tins. I used 2 small 6inch tins so the sponges were fairly thick. Make up the coffee and soak the dates in the hot liquid briefly if you like.
  2. Cream the butter and caster sugar together until fluffy. Whisk the eggs and vanilla and add, a bit at a time, until combined with the buttercream.
  3. Sieve together the bicarbonate, flour, almonds and cocoa and fold in to the egg mixture.
  4. Mix in the cooled coffee and the buttermilk to form a smooth batter and divide equally between the tins.
  5. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes and then turn the temperature down to 180C°. Bake for a further 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
  6. Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large bowl beat the mascarpone with the icing sugar and add the coffee. Chill until needed.
  7. Make the syrup by mixing together about 1 tbsp of coffee with 50ml hot water and a tbsp of caster sugar.
  8. Once the cakes have cooked, remove from the oven and leave in their tins to cool for 10 minutes or so. Prick the cakes and spoon over the syrup and leave to cool completely.
  9. Once cooled, they are ready to ice. I could have got away with cutting each of my sponges in half horizontally to make a 4 tiered cake but do as you please. Divide the icing over the sponges.
  10. Decorate with some slices of dates and some crushed cocoa nibs if you like!

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Elderflower Drizzle with Basil Icing

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Elderflower Drizzle with Basil Icing

A little experiment with elderflower yesterday. Lemon drizzle cake is a classic favourite but I thought I’d try it with some elderflower and a subtle basil flecked icing. Fell free to leave out the basil or replace it with something more dessert-familiar like mint. I think this cake needs a bit more testing to get the exact measurements to balance the flavours (see note at the bottom) but this was what I started with and it tasted great anyway!

  • 115g butter
  • 165g sugar
  • 165g self raising flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 lemon, zest
  • 4 tbsp milk
  • 150ml elderflower cordial (and a little more for the icing)
  • 100g icing sugar
  • 1 tbsp chopped basil (or mint if you prefer)
  1. Cream the butter and sugar. Then add the eggs, milk and lemon zest and sieve in the flour and baking powder. Mix.
  2. Spoon into a lined cake tin and bake for 35-40 minutes at 180 until cooked.
  3. Once the cake is cooked and it comes out the oven, while still warm, prick the surface all over and pour over the cordial and allow it to sink in and absorb. Leave to cool.
  4. To make the glaze, mix the sieved icing sugar, the mint/basil and enough cordial to get a runny but thick consistency (about 1-2 tbsp)
  5. Pour over the cake!

NOTE: I scattered some rose petals for presentation but to be honest they are very pungent and can be overpowering (if using a weak cordial I suggest not using them). The amount of cordial can be increased but I was nervous about drowning the cake. The cordial I used was unfortunately quite weak so I would suggest increasing the volume if you find the taste too subtle. Use a homemade or good quality one such as ‘bottlegreen’ for a really big elderflower hit.

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Triple Ginger Cake with Lime Icing

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Triple Ginger Cake with Lime Icing

It goes without saying….if you don’t like ginger, turn away now. This has three different ginger kicks with a cheeky splash of rum for good measure. This icing is lovely and sharp in contrast to the ginger but replacing the lime for rum wouldn’t go amiss! (Adapted from Delia Smith)

  • 4 pieces of stem ginger, diced
  • 2 tbsp dark rum OR ginger syrup
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp puree/grated ginger root
  • 175g unsalted butter
  • 175g caster sugar
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tbsp molasses
  • 225g self raising flour
  • 1 tbsp ground almonds
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • ½ lime
  • 150g icing sugar
  • Crystallised ginger to garnish
  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a cake tin (about 25cmx14cm or so) with parchment
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale a fluffy. Add the 3 beaten eggs, bit by bit, until combined.
  3. Stir in the molasses and the rum (or ginger)
  4. Next sieve the flour and ground ginger and fold into the mixture
  5. Add the almonds and milk and mix.
  6. Finally fold in the pureed/grated ginger root and the diced stem ginger pieces.
  7. Pour into the lined cake tin and even out. Cook in the preheated oven for about 40-50minutes until springy to touch and cooked. Leave to cool.
  8. For the icing, mix the sieved icing sugar and lime juice until a thick double cream consistency. When the cake is completely cold, drizzle generously and randomly over the cake. Garnish with small diced pieces of crystallised ginger.

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