Contents
Introduction
01/ Easy
02/ Fast
03/ Healthy
04/ Classic
05/ Teatime
06/ Dessert
07/ Children’s
08/ Celebration
09/ Festive
Cake essentials
List of Recipes
Thank yous
Copyright
About the Publisher
I love every type of cake, whether light and buttery or dense and fudgy. In fact, I have adored baking ever since I was a child, when I began making cakes with my mother and sister. I was transfixed by the whole process – from stirring the ingredients in a big bowl to popping the filled tin in the oven and waiting for the magic to happen. Then, hey presto, the mixture had turned into a proper cake, beautifully risen and golden and with mouth-watering smells filling the kitchen. Our finished creation was then carefully removed and decorated before being placed on a plate and proudly presented to the rest of the family or to friends.
I know I’m not alone in my passion for cakes. Indeed, I get asked for my cake recipes more than any other type of dish! This book is aimed at anyone who has ever enjoyed a slice of cake – whether baking is your favourite pastime or if you’ve never tried it before. My previous book, Bake, was dedicated to all types of baking, from pies and casseroles to puddings and biscuits. This volume focuses exclusively on cake baking, showing you how to quickly master the basics, add effortless decoration and expand your repertoire of great-looking, great-tasting cakes to give, share and enjoy.
There is always something in my diary that offers the perfect excuse to bake a cake. With this in mind, I’ve divided the book into sections, each with a selection of cakes for different occasions, be it a simple picnic or coffee with a friend, or an elaborate event like a wedding, birthday or special celebration. You’ll find chapters devoted to fast cakes, festive cakes, classic and teatime cakes, novelty cakes for children’s parties and recipes catering specifically for people with allergies or food intolerances.
The recipes in this book are all easy to follow, with no particular level of skill or experience required. Most are quick and simple to make, while a few will take a little more time and effort. The sections on cake decoration include recipes for honeycomb, chocolate squares and fondant-icing shapes, each of which will help you add that special finishing touch or real ‘wow’ factor. Icing and decoration are usually tailored to specific cakes, but you can experiment with mixing ideas from different recipes and be as creative as you like.
There is something in Cake for everyone, from the casual cook to the committed baker, and I hope you enjoy using this book as much as I’ve enjoyed creating the recipes for it. I believe that divine recipes are made to be shared and cake tastes best when enjoyed with friends or family. It’s true that cakes are an indulgence and not something to have every day, but eaten every so often they are a genuine treat. Even a tiny sliver can really brighten your day or transform an otherwise ordinary get-together into a memorable occasion – magic not only in the making but in the eating!
You don’t always need a special reason to bake a cake and this chapter is full of cakes that are really easy to put together. The recipes are not elaborate; there are no grand tiers or complicated icings here. The cakes are straightforward without involving too much technique or hours of labour. These cakes are the ones that I keep in a tin in the kitchen, ready for when a friend calls round or invites me over for coffee. They are also good for popping into a lunchbox or at the end of a simple supper, when you don’t need a fancy dessert, just a little slice of something sweet. Easily achievable and simply delicious, these are cake recipes that you’ll return to again and again.
01/ Easy
Lemon poppy-seed cake
Lemon poppy-seed muffins
Apricot, pistachio and saffron muffins
Pear and ginger muffins
Coconut and lime cake
Apple and walnut cake
Bakewell cake
Marbled chocolate crumble cake
Lemon crumble cupcakes
Lemon curd
Tropical cake
Toscatårta or Swedish almond cake
Lemon and rosemary polenta cake
Orange sour-cream cake
Poppy seeds are used in cakes and many other dishes across the world, their fragrant nutty taste going especially well with the citrus flavour of lemon or orange. There is a lot of milk in this recipe, which makes the crumb very tender and soft. It’s baked in a bundt tin, which gives more of a crusty outer layer, though if you don’t have one, a standard round cake tin would do just as well, or you could use the mixture to make muffins. If you like, you could decorate with candied orange slices, placing these on the iced cake instead of sprinkling over the poppy seeds.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 50–70 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 40 minutes
Serves: 10–14
325g (11½oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp salt
400g (14oz) caster sugar
25g