All in One Sponge Cake 

This cake is my go to cake for almost all situations when I just want a quick sponge cake, you can obviously make it in the traditional Victora Sponge cake way by using and beating the butter and sugar first however I find that a cake made using Bertolli is amazing. It gives you a delicious soft sponge, the key is though always se the best eggs you can. Free range will always give you a richer flavour, I always use Clarence Court eggs but obviously if you have free range eggs yourself then perfect. The quantities here should be enough for a three layer 8 inch/20cm sponge cake so if you want to make a larger cake then adapt accordingly. I go by the rule of a 4oz/115g  mix for each tin, which means  4 oz/115g flour, 4 oz/115g sugar, 4oz/115g bertolli, 2 eggs

Ingredients

340g/12oz gluten free self raising flour (I use doves farm)

340g/ 12oz caster sugar

340g/ 12oz bertolli margarine or other soft margarine 

6 eggs, beaten

Method

1. Grease and line your tins with baking parchment

2. Preheat oven to 180c/gas mark 4

3. For the all in one method weigh out all the ingredients and place in a bowl and then either use a free standing mixer with the paddle blade attached, a food processor or a hand held electric mixer. If you don't have any of those then use a wooden spoon and I would then use the method for a traditional victoria sponge cake which is to beat the margarine with the sugar until pale in colour, light and fluffy and then add the beaten eggs gradually alternating with a spoon of flour after each addition of egg to prevent curdling, then add in the remainder of the flour.

4. Divide the mix equally between the tins.

5. Bake for 20-25 mins until it is golden and a knife or skewer comes out clean when inserted.

6. Leave to cool for five minutes in the tin then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

7. Once cool you can then sandwich the sponges together with the filling of your choice, I have put some suggestions below, decorate the top and sides if required or just sprinkle with icing sugar. 

8. You can also freeze the sponges by wrapping them individually and stacking them, it is really important to wrap them individually  otherwise you won't be able to get them apart very easily, I do this  by layering baking parchment in between each sponge, and then stacking in a freezer container or wrapping in cling film or foil, when you want to use them just defrost on a wire rack before placing on a plate or board to avoid sweating. If I am making a Birthday cake I buttercream when still frozen as it makes it so much easier and then leave it on a wire rack to fully defrost before covering any fondant if using.

Filling suggestions

Buttercream- See below

Double Cream and fruit 

Clotted cream and jam

Cream and lemon curd

Buttercream

200g softened,butter

400g icing sugar

2 tblsp water/milk

few drops food colouring if desired

Variations

Coffee- add 1 1/2tbsp coffee granules mixed with 2 tblsp boiling water instead of the water in buttercream recipe, allow to cool before adding or 2tblsp espresso coffee instead of 2 tblsp water just allow to cool before adding.

Lemon- Finely grated rind of a lemon and 2 tblsp lemon juice instead of water in buttercream recipe., or a good dollop of lemon curd.

Chocolate- 3 tblsp cocoa powder mixed in with the icing sugar, melt 80g plain chocolate, allow to cool and then stir into the buttercream once the butter, cocoa, icing sugar is beaten. If too stiff slowly add up to 1 1/2 tblsp milk, you want it to be thick so you may not need all of it.

Method

1. Put the softened  butter and icing sugar in a bowl and beat by hand, with an electric mixer or beat with a free standing mixer. 

2, If using a free standing mixer I drape a tea towel over the top of the mixer before switching on to avoid plumes of sugar  dust flying everywhere.

3. Mix the butter and sugar until well blended adding the water, or whatever liquid or flavouring you are using. 

4. Keep beating until really soft and then spread or pipe inside and onto the cake.  

Buttermilk slow cooker cake

Ingredients

200g self raising flour

200ml buttermilk

125g caster sugar

2 eggs

100g butter or margarine, I like to use Bertolli

Optional topping -Clotted cream and berries

Method

1. First make sure you have a deep cake tin that fits inside your slow cooker. Scrunch up a bit of cooking foil and place at the bottom of the slow cooker

2. Grease and line the base of your cake tin with baking parchment.

3. Beat the Bertolli and caster sugar together until light and fluffy either in a free standing mixer with a paddle attachment .

4. Add the eggs one at a time adding a large spoonful of flour after each addition and beating really well, add more flour if to starts to curdle.

5. Beat in the remaining flour and then the Buttermilk.

6. Pour into the lined tin.

7. Pop the tin inside the slow cooker. Place on the lid and then cook on high until cooked.

8. Sorry this bit is a bit vague but it all depends on your slow cooker. Mine only took an hour. It will not be at all brown on the top so it is hard to tell if its cooked but if you insert a knife into the middle and it comes out clean it is cooked.

9. You may need to wipe the lid with kitchen paper towards the end to absorb condensation.

10. Once cooked turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool and then cover with clotted cream, cream, fruit or just a dusting of icing sugar. 

Shortbread

Ingredients

175g softened butter

75g caster sugar

175 g rice flour

75g cornflour

1/4 tsp xanthum gum

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150c 

2. Line several baking sheets with baking parchment.

3. In a free standing mixer with a paddle blade , food processor or with a wooden spoon, beat the butter and sugar together until well blended and light and creamy.

4. Next add in the cornflour, rice flour and xanthum gum, mix until combined and forms a dough.

5. Roll out the mix on a surface dusted with rice flour, cut out into desired shapes, I cut mine quite small as they are very light so hold their shape better that way. I either use a 3 cm in diameter round cutter or I cut them into 2cm small squares.

6. I place the on the baking sheets to all for spreading and then chill int the fridge for 10 minutes.

7.Once it has been chilled then I bake for about 30 minutes if you have a fan oven otherwise it may take up to 40 minutes. They are done when they are golden and leave then in situ until they are cool.

Variations

Lemon- Add grated rind of 1- 2 lemons depending on how large they are and how lemony you like it.

Chocolate- Add 125 g chopped plain chocolate 

Chocolate and orange- Add grated rind of one orange and 125g plain chocolate

Lavender- Add a sprinkling of either fresh or dried lavender flowers off the stalk (about a teaspoon but depends on how strong you want it)
Edible flowers- roll into the dough any edible flowers you like, I like to use violas, cornflower petals (I always pull the petals off the cornflowers), lavender or dried or fresh rose petals but use whatever you desire just be sure the flowers are edible ones and are free of pesticides and make sure you only use the edible parts, some flowers may have edible petals but the stamens or other parts may not be so always make sure you check first. Roll the petals in and cut out and bake as per above, the flowers will fade but it gives the shortbread an almost vintage look!

Brown sugar chocolate shortbread

1. Make up the dough as above adding 125g chopped plain chocolate,
2. Once the dough is made roll into along cylindrical shape about 3cm in diameter and wrap in greaseproof paper, it may be better to do two cylindrical shapes.

3. Chill for about 15 mins and then when it is suitably firm, remove the greaseproof paper and brush with beaten egg.

4. Roll the dough cylinder in demerara sugar, you may have to sprinkle on also to get it covered. 

5.Very carefully slice the dough into discs about 1cm thick, you may hit chocolate chunks as you go and the dough may break but don't worry just squidge it together into a disc again.

6. Place on the baking sheet and bake in exactly the same way as above. 

Lemon curd and summer fruit meringue roulade

This dessert really is so quick and simple, the hardest part is deciding what plate to serve it on!......You can of course leave out the lemon curd if you do not like lemon and equally you can swap in whatever fruit you choose, I do tend to change the fruit depending on what I have and even use frozen summer fruits on occasion. 

For extra pointers on meringue see my pavlova post back in September

Ingredients

4 egg whites

250g caster sugar

1 tsp cornflour

Filling

300ml double cream, whisked to soft peaks 

300g soft summer fruits, I use raspberries, blackberries and red and blackcurrants, You can also use frozen summer fruits or a mix of fresh and frozen.

2 tblsp lemon curd

Method

1. Line a 23cm  x 33cm swiss roll tin, with baking parchment. 

2. Preheat the oven to 200c 

3. Whisk your egg whites in either a free standing mixer with a balloon whisk attached or with a hand held whisk.  

4. Whisk them until they are stiff enough to turn the bowl upside down over your head without the mix sliding out. 

5. Add in your caster sugar one tablespoon at a time and continue until its all mixed in. 

6. Whisk in the cornflour.

7. Spoon the mixture into the lined tin and level the mixture out spreading to the edge.

8. Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

9. Reduce the temperature to 160c and continue baking for 10 minutes until the meringue is firm.

10. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes and then turn out onto a large sheet of baking parchment that is liberally dusted with icing sugar.  You are turning it upside down when you do this, so the top of the meringue is now in the icing sugar. 

11. Allow to cool and then when ready peel the baking parchment away from the meringue. With the shortest side facing you lightly score in from the end about 2cm, this will enable you to start the rolling up a little easier.

12. Spread with a layer of lemon curd. Top with a layer of the whisked double cream, reserving enough to decorate the top.

13. Scatter with the fruit reserving a few berries for decoration.

14. Then with the meringue so the shortest side is in front of you and you can get hold of the baking parchment,take it in both hands, gradually pull the baking parchment and meringue away from you turning and rolling the meringue over as you go until you get to the end and then roll the meringue over onto a serving plate.

15. Decorate the roulade with the remaining cream either by piping or spreading and scatter with the fruit. Chill until required.

Citrus  and poppy seed cake 

This cake mix can also be used to make muffins

Ingredients

175g butter/margarine

175g caster sugar

175g gluten free self raising flour

3 eggs, beaten

grated zest of 2 lemons

grated zest of 1 orange

juice of 1/2 lemon

juice of 1/2 orange
30g poppy seeds

Syrup

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 orange

juice of 1 grapefruit (or use another lemon or orange)

zest of 1 lemon

zest of one orange

45g icing sugar

100g granulated sugar

Drizzle topping to decorate (Optional)

100g icing sugar, sieved

3tbsp lemon, grapefruit and orange juice 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c

2. Grease and line a 20cm loose bottomed cake tin with baking parchment 

3. Sieve the flour into a bowl and set aside.

4. In either a free standing mixer, with a hand held whisk or a wooden spoon, start by creaming the butter/margarine together with the sugar. Beat until its pale and creamy.

5. Slowly add the beaten egg, adding a spoonful of flour after each addition.

6. Once the egg has all been added slowly beat in the rest of the flour.

7. Add the grated zest, juice and poppy seeds and beat again.

8. Spoon the mixture into the tin and level.

9. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes. Check its baked all the way through with a skewer inserted into the centre, if it comes our clean it is cooked, if it isn't then bake for a little longer.

10. As soon as the cake is baked then make up the syrup by mixing all the syrup ingredients together in a bowl. Leave the cake in the tin.

11. Stab the cake all over with a skewer and spoon the syrup all over the top of the cake. Once it is covered, allow the cake to cool in the tin.

12. Once the cake is cool you can remove from the tin and serve or make up the optional drizzle by mixing the icing sugar,  drizzle all over, leave to set, serve.

Cupcakes

In a lot of cases with gluten free it is just about switching over to a good gluten free flour, sometimes you have to play around with the recipe but with cupcakes you can definitely just switch in a gluten free self raising flour. This is the recipe I use. I favour using Bertolli olive oil spread over butter, I prefer the texture and flavour of the finished cakes.  It should make about 12 cupcakes. See below for variations-

Ingredients

150g butter, softened

150g self raising flour, sieved

150g caster sugar

3 medium eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 170c/gas mark 3

2. Line the cupcake tin with cupcake cases.

3. I use a mixer with a paddle blade for this stage but you can obviously do it by hand with a wooden spoon or use a hand electric mixer.

4. If using a soft margarine then you can actually just use the all in one method where you literally just blend and beat all the ingredients together until well mixed, light and fluffy. 

5. If using butter, Beat the butter and sugar first until light and fluffy, then add the eggs gradually beating well after each addition. I alternate with a spoonful of flour whilst adding the eggs to avoid curdling. Once the egg is all added then mix in the rest of the flour and vanilla essence.

6. Beat well and then spoon into the cake cases.

7. Bake for about 20 minutes. Check if cooked by inserting a sharp knife or skewer into the centre of a cupcake, if it comes out clean then they are cooked.

8. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool before icing.

Variations

Chocolate -Replace 25g flour with 25g cocoa powder

Lemon- Add in finely grated zest of 2 lemons or as with my lemon curd meringue cupcakes, fill each cupcake case and place a tsp full of lemon curd in the middle before topping them with more cake mix.

Bakewell- Add in 1/2 tsp almond essence to the mix, fill each cupcake case then add in a tsp full of raspberry jam in the middle before topping with more mix.

Fruit- Add in a handful of sultanas or raisins

Chocolate chip- Add in a handful of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate into the mix


Rhubarb and custard

Rhubarb and custard- Replace 25g self raising flour with 25g custard powder so it will be 125g self tasing flour and 25g custard powder and also add in 1 tsp vanilla essence. Then when you have spooned the mix into the cases top each cupcake with a spoonful of stewed or baked rhubarb, (see notes below for how to cook the rhubarb) Top with the custard buttercream.

Notes on rhubarb- Take 500g rhubarb, wash and place in an ovenproof dish/tray lined with baking parchment, take 50g sugar and sprinkle all over the top of the sugar, Cover with foil and bake at 200c for about 20 minutes, the give it a shake and continue to bake until tender keeping an eye on to so it every now and then, occasionally spoon any juices over any dry areas. This can take about 30-40  mins. Then you can chop up smaller while still keeping its shape for whatever you wish to use it for.
Rose rhubarb- For a delicious twist, add a few drops of rose essence into the rhubarb juice afterwards and lightly stir through.

Toppings

Buttercream

150g butter, softened

300g icing sugar

1 1/2 tbsp water

1 tsp vanilla extract or see below for alternative flavourings

Few drops of food colouring if desired

Variations

Coffee-  add 1 tbsp coffee granules mixed with 1 1/2 tbsp boiling water instead of the 1 1/2 tbsp water in buttercream recipe, allow to cool before adding to butter and icing sugar, OR 1 1/2 tbsp espresso coffee instead of 1 1/2 tbsp water in buttercream recipe.

Lemon-  Finely grated rind of a lemon and 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice instead of the water in the buttercream recipe or add good dollop of lemon curd instead of water in buttercream.

Chocolate- 3 tbsp cocoa powder mixed in with the icing sugar, melt 80g dark chocolate, allow to cool and stir into the buttercream once the butter, cocoa and icing sugar is beaten. If too stiff slowly add up to 1 1/2  tbsp milk, you want the buttercream to be thick so you may not need all of it.

Custard- Add 2 tblsp of ready mixed custard into the buttercream plus a good grind of vanilla beans if you have a vanilla bean grinder or 1 tsp vanilla essence (You can use a scraping of seeds if preferred)

Method

1. Put the butter and icing sugar in a bowl and beat by hand, with an electric mixer or beat in a freestanding mixer. It is essential for the butter to be softened. If using a free standing mixer, I drape a tea towel over the top to stop the icing sugar dust flying everywhere. Add in the water and flavouring as you mix.

2.  Keep beating until really soft and then either spread or pipe onto cakes. 

Cream cheese topping

120g cream cheese

60 g softened butter

flavouring if desired 

480g icing sugar

Flavourings

Lemon- add grated rind of lemon, add a good dollop too of lemon curd

Coffee- 2 tsp coffee granules dissolved in 1 tbsp water 

Vanilla 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Beat the butter and cream cheese together until blended
2.Add the icing sugar gradually beating well after each addition.

3. Add flavouring, beat well. 

Gluten free Simnel Cake

This is the first time I have baked a gluten free Simnel cake and I have to say it is really rather good. Plus apart from the long slow cooking which is essential, it is pretty quick to whip up. I like an exceptionally moist fruit cake, if you don't then add 175g gluten free self raising flour plus 45g ground almonds instead of the 95g of each.

Ingredients

175g currants

175g sultanans

75g glace cherries halved

50g flaked almonds

50g mixed peel

50ml plus 4tbsp brandy

180g butter, softened

180g soft brown sugar

95g gluten free self raising flour (I use Freee foods) see note above

95g ground almonds 

1 tsp xanthum gum

1 tsp mixed spice

3 eggs, beaten

1 tbsp golden syrup

zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange

apricot jam or marmalade to top with

500g marzipan, I like to use white marzipan, its more of an off white 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 130c, grease and line the bottom and sides of  a 20cm deep loose bottomed cake tin using baking parchment. Cut a circle also for the top.

2. Weigh and put the flour, ground almonds, xanthum gum, mixed spice and zest of the lemon and orange in a bowl together, set aside.

3. Place the currants, sultanas, cherries, mixed peel and brandy together in a saucepan, (if you are wondering why its 4 tbsp plus 50ml that is because the recipe called for 4 tbsp but once I put that in I felt it required more and have not measured out what the two together is!) Heat over a low heat until the fruit is softened and the liquid absorbed. This should only take about five minutes and you can get on with the rest of the mixing while this softens but keep an eye on it and stir it every now and then so it does not catch on the bottom of the pan and burn.

4. In a freestanding mixer, with a hand held electric mixer or with a wooden spoon, beat the softened butter  with the brown sugar until pale and creamy. 

5. Add the beaten egg gradually, adding a little four after each addition of egg. Once all the egg is incorporated beat well and then mix in the rest of the flour.

6. Add in the mixed fruit, if all the brandy has not been absorbed then don't  worry just spoon the fruit in and leave the liquid behind but I will be surprised if it hasn't all been absorbed. Mix really well. 

7. Spoon half of the mix into the prepared tin.

8. Next take a third of the marzipan and roll into a circle about 1 cm smaller than the tin, you do not want it to go right to the edge as it could burn as it bakes.

9 Place the disk of marzipan on top of the cake mix in the pan. Then top this disk of marzipan with the rest of the cake mix.

10. Cover with the circle of baking parchment , bake for about 2 1/2 hours, I do check it every 10 mins once it has been in 2 hours just as I hate overbaking a cake. Check by inserting a skewer in the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean it is done, just be aware it may be slightly sticky because of the marzipan but you just don't want any wet cake mix on the skewer.

11. Once it is cooked then place on a wire rack to cool. 

12. When ready to ice the warm up a good dollop of apricot jam or marmalade until runny and then brush the top with it. 

13. Roll out the remaining marzipan to a circle large enough to top the cake, keep back enough to make 11 equal sized balls. Top the cake and decorate with the balls.

14. This is not essential but then either with a chefs  blow torch or under a grill very lightly brown the top. Keep a very close eye if doing to under the grill as it will only take a few minutes and can burn very quickly.