LEWI'S Favourite Cakes
Long Eaton WI members love making and eating cakes. We want to share some of our favourite cake recipes
Here's Rebecca's Tiffin recipe taken from BBC Good Food
Ingredients
150g butter
3 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp golden syrup
6 tsp cocoa powder
225g biscuits, crushed
handful raisins
110g milk chocolate
110g dark chocolate
Method
1. Butter and line a 15-20cm tin with baking parchment. In a large saucepan melt the butter, syrup, sugar and cocoa. Stir through the raisins and biscuits.
2. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and press down, then smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Microwave both chocolates in short 20 sec bursts stirring, until melted. Pour them over the mixture in the tin. Use a palette knife to smooth over so its completely coated in chocolate.
3. Put the tin in the fridge and leave for about 2 hours to set or overnight. Run a kitchen knife under a hot tap and cut into squares.
Here's Jenny's Orange Victoria Sandwich Cake
Ingredients
Weigh 4 large eggs
Use the same weight of
caster sugar
SR flour
Butter
1/2 tsp baking powder
Grated zest of an orange
Method
Whisk the butter and sugar til fluffy. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat gently til combined.Divide the mixture between 2 8 inch tins which have been greased and lined. Bake gas mark 4 or 180electric/160 fan oven for about 40 mins til springy to touch.
Leave to cool.
Buttercream
40g unsalted softened butter
100g sieved icing sugar
1-2 tbsp fine cut orange marmalade
Mix up buttercream and layer the cake Dust with icing sugar
Zoe's Gin and Tonic Cake
Preparation time 30 minutes
Cooking time 1 hour
Serves 8
Ingredients
For the Cake
200g softened unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing)
175g caster sugar
4 medium eggs
200g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
75ml gin
zest of a lemon
For the syrup
60g caster sugar
60 ml tonic
60 ml gin
For the icing and decoration
50g sugar
juice of half a lemon
1 lemon, very finely sliced
Method
- Preheat oven to 180c (350f/gas 4)
Butter a 900g loaf tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment. Put the butter and sugar into a bowl, whisk with an electric whisk until pale, light and fluffy - Lightly beat the eggs in a jug. Pour a little at a time into the butter and sugar mixture, mixing all the while
- Gently fold in the flour, baking powder and lemon zest. Pour in the gin and stir gently. Spoon into the prepared tin
- Bake for 1 hour, test with a skewer to ensure its cooked.
- Meanwhile, make the syrup by putting the sugar and tonic water into a small pan and set over a low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Increase the heat and boil the syrup for 1 minute without stirring. Measure out 2 tbsp of the syrup into a small bowl and mix in the gin (discard any remaining syrup)
- Once the cake is out of the oven, use the skewer to make 8 holes in the top, drizzle the gin syrup over the top of the cake and leave to cool in the tin.
- Turn out the cake and place on a wire rack. Mix together the ingredients for the icing and spoon on top of the cake. Arrange the lemon slices along the top. Leave to set.
Alison's Farmhouse Cider Fruitcake
Ingredients
12 oz self raising flour
6 oz soft light brown sugar
10 oz mixed dried fruit
1 egg
6 oz margarine
Quarter of a pint of cider
2 tablespoons marmalade
Method
Ingredients
12 oz self raising flour
6 oz soft light brown sugar
10 oz mixed dried fruit
1 egg
6 oz margarine
Quarter of a pint of cider
2 tablespoons marmalade
Method
- Sift the flour
- Stir in the sugar
- Rub in the margarine
- Stir in the fruit
- Make a well, add the egg, cider and marmalade
- Bake at Gas Mark 4 (180F) for 1 hour, then Gas Mark 2 (150F) for another hour or until the top forms a golden crust and the skewer comes out clean.
Jo's Apple sandwich cake
(recipe from Mary Berry's Quick Cooking)
Ingredients
For the cake
225g/8oz baking spread, straight from the fridge, plus extra for greasing
225g/8oz caster sugar
225g/8oz self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 large free-range eggs, beaten
2 eating apples, peeled, cored and grated
icing sugar, for dusting
For the lemon filling
150ml/5fl oz double cream
3 tbsp lemon curd
Method
(recipe from Mary Berry's Quick Cooking)
Ingredients
For the cake
225g/8oz baking spread, straight from the fridge, plus extra for greasing
225g/8oz caster sugar
225g/8oz self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 large free-range eggs, beaten
2 eating apples, peeled, cored and grated
icing sugar, for dusting
For the lemon filling
150ml/5fl oz double cream
3 tbsp lemon curd
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease two 20cm/8in round, loose-bottomed sandwich tins and line the bases with baking paper.
- Measure all the sponge ingredients except the apple and icing sugar into a large bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk until combined. Fold the grated apple into the mixture, then divide between the tins and level the tops.
- Bake in the oven for about 25–30 minutes until golden, well risen and coming away from the sides of the tins. Allow to cool in the tins.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Whip the cream into soft peaks in a bowl, then lightly swirl in the lemon curd. Invert the tins to remove the cakes and then peel away the paper. Sit one cake upside down on a serving plate. Spread the lemon cream to the edge of the sponge, place the other cake gently on top to sandwich the cakes together.
- Dust the top with icing sugar to serve
Lynn's Chocolate Chip and Banana Bread
(recipe from the Neff tips and recipes book)
Cooking time 1 hour
Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
110g soft margarine
110g caster sugar
2 eggs
225g self raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
110g chocolate chips
Method
1. Grease a 1 kg (2lb) loaf tin
2. Mash the bananas into a pulp
3. Cream together the margarine, sugar and eggs, fold in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, banana and chocolate chips
4. Pour into the tin and bake for an hour at 160c
(recipe from the Neff tips and recipes book)
Cooking time 1 hour
Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
110g soft margarine
110g caster sugar
2 eggs
225g self raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
110g chocolate chips
Method
1. Grease a 1 kg (2lb) loaf tin
2. Mash the bananas into a pulp
3. Cream together the margarine, sugar and eggs, fold in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, banana and chocolate chips
4. Pour into the tin and bake for an hour at 160c
Jo's Ginger and Chocolate cake
(recipe from Mary Berry Cooks the Perfect)
Cooking time 25 - 30 minutes
Ingredients
200g butter (room temperature) or baking spread (at least 70% fat), plus extra for greasing
50g cocoa powder
4 tbsp. full-fat or semi-skimmed milk
3 eggs
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
250g caster sugar
2 pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped
For the filling and topping
225g icing sugar
115g butter (room temperature)
2 tbsp stem ginger syrup
1 tbsp. full-fat or semi-skimmed milk
2 pieces of stem ginger, finely shredded
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C (fan 160C/350F/gas 4)
2. Grease 2 loose bottomed, 20 cm diameter round sandwich tins, 4.5 cm deep and line the bottom of each with baking parchment.
3. Put the cocoa powder into a large, heatproof bowl. Stir in 6 tablespoons of boiling water, then add the milk. Mix to a smooth paste.
4. Add the remaining cake ingredients and combine using an electric hand whisk for 1 - 2 minutes only, do not over mix or the cake may not rise.
5. Divide the cake mixture equally between the prepared tins and level the tops.
6. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the cakes shrink away from the side of the tin and spring back when lightly pressed in the centre.
7. Let the cakes cool for a few minutes in their tins, the turn them out and peel off the paper. Turn the cakes the right way up and leave to cool on a wire rack.
For the filling and topping
1. Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl.
2. Add the butter, stem ginger syrup, and milk and beat together using an electric hand whisk until well blended.
3. Transfer one of the cakes to a serving plate and spread half the icing over the top
4. Place the second cake over the filling and cover the top with the remaining icing.
5. Use the palette knife to draw large "S" shapes to give a swirl effect, then decorate the edge with the shredded stem ginger.
(recipe from Mary Berry Cooks the Perfect)
Cooking time 25 - 30 minutes
Ingredients
200g butter (room temperature) or baking spread (at least 70% fat), plus extra for greasing
50g cocoa powder
4 tbsp. full-fat or semi-skimmed milk
3 eggs
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
250g caster sugar
2 pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped
For the filling and topping
225g icing sugar
115g butter (room temperature)
2 tbsp stem ginger syrup
1 tbsp. full-fat or semi-skimmed milk
2 pieces of stem ginger, finely shredded
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C (fan 160C/350F/gas 4)
2. Grease 2 loose bottomed, 20 cm diameter round sandwich tins, 4.5 cm deep and line the bottom of each with baking parchment.
3. Put the cocoa powder into a large, heatproof bowl. Stir in 6 tablespoons of boiling water, then add the milk. Mix to a smooth paste.
4. Add the remaining cake ingredients and combine using an electric hand whisk for 1 - 2 minutes only, do not over mix or the cake may not rise.
5. Divide the cake mixture equally between the prepared tins and level the tops.
6. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the cakes shrink away from the side of the tin and spring back when lightly pressed in the centre.
7. Let the cakes cool for a few minutes in their tins, the turn them out and peel off the paper. Turn the cakes the right way up and leave to cool on a wire rack.
For the filling and topping
1. Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl.
2. Add the butter, stem ginger syrup, and milk and beat together using an electric hand whisk until well blended.
3. Transfer one of the cakes to a serving plate and spread half the icing over the top
4. Place the second cake over the filling and cover the top with the remaining icing.
5. Use the palette knife to draw large "S" shapes to give a swirl effect, then decorate the edge with the shredded stem ginger.
Zoe's award winning White chocolate, pistachio and raspberry brownies
(based on a recipe for plain brownies by Sue Lawrence in Sue Lawrence's Book of Baking)
Ingredients
350g/12oz dark chocolate (55 - 70% cocoa solids)
200g/7oz unsalted butter
3 free range eggs
250g/9oz dark muscovado sugar
70g/2.5oz plain flour (gluten free or regular flour work equally well)
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
generous handful of raspberries
handful of pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
100g white chocolate cut into chunks
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Butter a 23cm/9in square cake tin
2. Melt the chocolate and butter together, then cool slightly
3. Place the sugar in another bowl and break up any lumps, add the eggs, mixing well after each one
4. Beat the melted chocolate mixture into the eggs and sugar, then gently fold in the flour, baking powder and salt
5. Pour into the prepared cake tin. Scatter over the raspberries, pistachios and white chocolate chunks, shaking slightly to allow them to sink in
6. Bake in the prepared oven for about 40 minutes or until the surface is set. It will be cooked when a skewer into the middle comes out with just a
little mixture adhering
7. Cool before attempting to remove from the tin and cutting or you'll end up in a mess!
(based on a recipe for plain brownies by Sue Lawrence in Sue Lawrence's Book of Baking)
Ingredients
350g/12oz dark chocolate (55 - 70% cocoa solids)
200g/7oz unsalted butter
3 free range eggs
250g/9oz dark muscovado sugar
70g/2.5oz plain flour (gluten free or regular flour work equally well)
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
generous handful of raspberries
handful of pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
100g white chocolate cut into chunks
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Butter a 23cm/9in square cake tin
2. Melt the chocolate and butter together, then cool slightly
3. Place the sugar in another bowl and break up any lumps, add the eggs, mixing well after each one
4. Beat the melted chocolate mixture into the eggs and sugar, then gently fold in the flour, baking powder and salt
5. Pour into the prepared cake tin. Scatter over the raspberries, pistachios and white chocolate chunks, shaking slightly to allow them to sink in
6. Bake in the prepared oven for about 40 minutes or until the surface is set. It will be cooked when a skewer into the middle comes out with just a
little mixture adhering
7. Cool before attempting to remove from the tin and cutting or you'll end up in a mess!