Tag: cake

ORANGE SUNSHINE CAKE

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I was watching a re-run recently of one of the older Great British Bake Off  episodes (yes, I do watch them over and over again) and the technical challenge presented by Mary was an “Angel Food Cake”.   The contestants all appeared completely baffled by this challenge, but I smiled to myself, knowing that I had actually made one . . . a  long time ago.

I remember it distinctly.  It was 1972 and I had never made a cake before … a real ‘from scratch’ cake.  The recipe was straight out of the only cookbook I owned (but don’t remember where it came from), the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  My recipes generally came from magazine and newspaper clippings – with pictures, of course, so that I would know exactly what the finished dish was suppose to look like.

You may have seen this classic cookbook on a shelf in an antique shop or used book store . . . a three-ring binder with a red and white gingham cover. This cookbook actually taught me how to cook and became my bible in the kitchen.

The cake was an Orange Angel Food Cake. There was no special occasion and I don’t really know why I selected this cake.  Perhaps it was because I had a dozen eggs which were getting old and a bag of oranges which I didn’t want to go to waste.  I also don’t remember how I  had obtained an angel food cake pan, but I had one … and still do.  So, following the instructions very carefully, I took on the challenge and remember being quite proud of myself when it came out . . . perfectly baked . . . light and fluffy . . . with a delicate citrusy orange flavor.

Have I made this cake since?  No.  And I’m not sure why.  But after watching the GBBO episode, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic . . . plus I have a dozen eggs, a bag full of oranges, and an angel food cake pan.  So, let’s give it a try!

ORANGE ANGEL FOOD CAKE
Preheat oven to 325°.  Do not grease the cake pan. (Something the contestants did not know.)
8 eggs yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup cake flour, sifted
8 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar

I always line up all the ingredients when baking.  It’s so easy to forget something … and it could be as simple or important as salt.

Separate 8 large, room-temperature eggs … put the whites aside.

Beat the egg yolks until thick and lemony-colored.  Gradually add 2/3 cup sugar.  Beat until gloriously thick.  Combine the freshly-squeezed orange juice (freshly-squeezed gives the best flavor) with the orange peel.  Add this to the egg yolk mixture alternately with the cake flour.  Set aside.

Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt until the soft peak stage.  Very gradually add the other 2/3 cup sugar.  Beat on high until stiff peaks form … but do not overbeat.  The egg whites should be stiff but not be dry.

Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.

Pour into the ungreased 10″ tube pan (or whatever pan you’d like to use).   Angel food cakes do not need to be baked in a specific pan.  Loaf pans are fine.  Bake in a 325° oven for about 50 to 60 minutes.

When done, a tester will come out clean, the sponge should spring back when touched and the color will be a delicate golden brown.

Invert the tube pan to cool the cake.  Yes, that is what the ‘feet’ are for.  After approximately 20 minutes, the cake should easily come out of the pan.  Turn right side up.  Frost when cooled.

Is it a “show stopper” as Mary would’ve liked to have seen?  No … but I’m very happy with it.  The cake is feathery light with just a subtle hint of citrusy orange.  I made a quick seven-minute frosting and decorated it with candied orange slices.

This is the perfect cake for after a heavy meal when you want something sweet, but not too sweet or rich … or when you want to impress your guests (because they will be impressed).  It may have taken me almost 50 years to make this the second time, but you know I’ll be making it  again very soon!  Yummy!!
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Pistachio Cardamom Cake

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We had to get out.  You must know that feeling by now.  “It was a snowy, cold Sunday afternoon, you’ve been in all week and the walls are closing in around you … you have to get out of the house.”  Well, that was hubby and I.  We ended up going to a little out-of-the-way place for a late lunch and an adult beverage (or two).  Enjoying the meal and not wanting to leave the warm and friendly atmosphere of this little pub, we did something we ordinarily don’t do.  We ordered DESSERT!  Yup, I said it.  Do we live on the edge or what?

We asked the waitress for her recommendation and this is what she suggested.  Pistachio Cardamom Cake.  Huh?  Not the usual Brownie Sundae or Tiramisu or Creme Brulee or Bread Pudding (which seems to be the only desserts restaurants offer these days).  Boring!  Where has the creativity gone?  Why do restaurants think they should serve the same food as all the other restaurants?  Is it because that’s all Sysco offers?  Sorry for the cynicism but it doesn’t take much to make a creative dessert.

Well, this one was exactly what we wanted … unique, comforting, sweet and delicious!  Served warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream and worth every tasty calorie.  The first thing I did when we got home, of course, was check all my cookbooks.  Not a recipe for Pistachio Cardamom Cake to be found.  Searching the internet I did find a couple, all of which I tried.  In my attempt to duplicate the cake we had, this is about as close to it as I’ve been able to get.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

This rustic cake (or bread) is quick and easy to make.  Do be sure to toast the pistachios, and have freshly ground cardamom, if you can.  The flavor is much more intense.

PISTACHIO CARDAMOM CAKE
Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes (depending upon size of baking pan).  Serves 9 to 12.

2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons freshly ground cardamom
1 cup ground toasted pistachios

4 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
dash green food coloring (optional)

Glaze:
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice or cream
1/4 cup toasted pistachios, chopped

Preparation:  If you have cardamom pods, break open the pod and grind the cardamom seeds.  You’ll need three teaspoons for the batter, but reserve 1/2 teaspoon for the glaze.  If you don’t have fresh cardamom, ground is fine.

You’ll also get more flavor from pistachios which have been slightly toasted to bring out the oils and flavor.  This is an important step.  After toasting, blitz the pistachios in a food processor until finely ground.

In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.  Add the ground pistachios and ground cardamom.  Be sure its well blended.

In another bowl, beat the eggs and sugar til light and fluffy.  Add the additional wet ingredients and blend well.  Yes, I added a bit of green food coloring for dramatic effect.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and pour into a well-greased baking pan.  A square pan, loaf pan, cake pan … it doesn’t matter.  Bake time, however, will depend upon which pan size you use.

Bake for 30 to 50 minutes (loaf pan will take longer – cake pan will take less).  When a toothpick tested in the center comes out clean and the sides pull away from the pan, it is done.

Cool completely on a wire rack.  Meanwhile, mix the glaze.  Put the cake on a serving plate.  Spoon the glaze over and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.  Let it cool completely or serve it slightly warm.  It’s up to you.

Be sure to put the kettle on and get your tea ready.  The nutty texture from the pistachios combined with the perfume from the cardamom will warm your tummy and your spirits.  If you want to splurge and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream.  Go right ahead!  This is an easy-to-prepare, homey, quick cake (or bread) and, hopefully, you will love it as much as hubby and I.  Happy sipping!!

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GINGERBEAD – THE RECIPE

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Just a few months ago I posted a blog titled “Gingerbread“.  In case you think I might be losing my mind, I’m not (hopefully), this blog is about making (and eating) Gingerbread.  If you want to know the origins of how this exotic spice became such an important part of the culture in Great Britain, please click on this link … GINGERBREAD.  It will give you all the background you’ve ever wanted to know about ginger and the making of this confection.  Meanwhile, I’m actually making my own moist, dense, rich ‘GINGERBREAD‘.

As always, before making any recipe, I go through all my cookbooks (of which I have more than I can count) as well as check all the internet foodie blogs to find the ‘best of the best’ recipes.  Some recipes were more like a light, fluffy spice cake with cream cheese frosting.  Not what I was looking for at all.  What I wanted was an old-fashioned, dense, rich cake-like bread.  It should be easily held in your hand, not requiring a plate.  It should be packed full of peppery ‘ginger’ flavor … not cinnamon, cloves or allspice.  It should be moist … not dry.  And, most of all, it should be delicious.

I’ve tried more recipes than I want to admit.  And culled from a few different recipes, here is MY favorite by far.  It is quite easy to make, but it’s not for the timid.  It’s for ginger lovers everywhere.  If you want more or less ginger, feel free to adjust the quantities.

GINGERBREAD
Bake at 350°  Makes one large round bundt pan, or two or more loaf pans.

3/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup cane syrup, or corn syrup or honey
1 cup packed dark brown sugar

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons ground ginger (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup full-fat milk
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

About an hour before you want to make the Gingerbread, combine the following ingredients in a saucepan:  Cubed butter, vegetable oil, water, molasses, brown sugar, golden syrup or honey.  Simmer over low heat until the butter is melted, the sugar has dissolved and everything is well combined.

Cool completely before adding this mixture to the dry ingredients.  It should be just warm to the touch.  If you want to cool this mixture quickly, set the pan into a bowl of ice water.

Preheat the oven to 350° and prepare your baking pans – a large round pan, or as many smaller pans as you’d like.  Grease well.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients:  flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, ground ginger and cinnamon.

In a separate, smaller bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, milk and grated ginger.

When the syrup mixture has cooled, add it slowly to the dry ingredients.  Blend well, but don’t beat.  Then add the egg/milk/ginger combination to the batter.  Again, be sure to  blend well, but be sure not to overbeat the batter.  Low speed on an electric mixer is fine.  You don’t want to build up the gluten.

Pour the batter into the greased pan(s) and bake.  Depending upon the pan size and shape, it could take between 45 and 60 minutes.  Check for doneness when a tester comes out clean.

Cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.  Then put on the kettle and don’t be afraid to dive in.  It freezes well if you want to wrap it tightly in foil.  Or it will keep nicely in the frig for a week, wrapped in cling film.

Dense, gingery and moist.  I love this Gingerbread warm with a dusting of powered sugar and a big mug of tea!   This is perfect for the holidays.  Keep one on hand ready to serve for anyone who drops by … or just make to enjoy all by yourself!!
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THE COURTING CAKE

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Today you might think it a very thoughtful gesture to ‘bake a cake’ for your loved one … especially for Valentine’s Day.  But there was a time, in northern Britain, when baking a cake to show your love was exactly what you did.

Lancashire County, north of Cheshire and west of Yorkshire, was a very working-class area.  Although the low lands were and are important agricultural areas, the predominant industries were coal mining and textile mills. The Industrial Revolution actually started in this county with the invention of steam power, fueled by coal, and the resulting creation of the factory system.  The coal mines were staffed by men (women were forbidden to work underground in the mines … but that’s a story for another day), and the textile mills were staffed by women.  The work was hard, usually six days a week, with little time and few places for socializing.  But these young, hard-working men and women found a way.

Each Saturday and/or Sunday, eager-to-meet-the-opposite-sex, young men and women would dress in their finery, and along a designated area of the town square … women friends together on one side of the street … men on the other … each group would stroll or “promenade” up and down the streets. Hopefully, you might catch the eye of the opposite sex and, if you liked what you saw, you would accidentally meet at the local tea shop.  Different towns had different designated “promenades” and “accidental meeting spots”.  In some towns the “sorting” process was even more segregated.  In one part of town the promenade would be comprised of only factory workers, while across town, would be those who worked in offices.  The end result, however, was the same … to find true love.

We’re all familiar with the old saying “a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”, well this is where the “courting cake” makes its appearance.  Should the connection be made and true love was found, the young woman would bake her betrothed a cake … a “courting cake“.  Was this to impress the young man or perhaps the potential mother-in-law, we’ll never know, but the cake was always the same … a shortbread base, filled with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.  How can you go wrong with that classic combination?

This tradition didn’t just exist in England.  It actually crossed the Atlantic into America, as so many traditions did.  The future “first lady of the United States”, Mary Todd, made this cake for her betrothed, Abraham Lincoln.  Upon tasting it, Lincoln proclaimed, “it was the best cake he had ever had”.  This recipe eventually became a tradition in the Lincoln home and is printed in Mary Todd’s cookbook.

As a symbol of love and in keeping with the Lancashire tradition, in the last public appearance before they were married, Kate Middleton and Prince William were presented with a courting cake.  The shortbread-based, two-layer cake was baked was in the shape of a heart with the couple’s names on the top.

I’m all about keeping traditions alive and with Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I think my day is going to be spent making a “courting cake” to show my love for my special guy.

COURTING CAKE
Bake 350°F.  25-30 mins.  Makes one two-layer cake.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup milk
2-3/4 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups strawberries
1/4 cup confectioners sugar

Butter and flour two (or three) round cake pans.  In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy … about 6 to 8 mins.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Add vanilla.  In a separate bowl, thoroughly sift together dry ingredients.  Fold the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture.  Slowly add the milk.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.  Bake between 20 to 30 mins (a little less if using three pans).  The top should be lightly browned and firm to the touch.  Remove and cool thoroughly.

Meanwhile, slice the strawberries and whip the heavy cream.  I like a touch of vanilla and tablespoon or two of confectioners sugar in my whipped cream.

To assemble, place one layer on the plate, top with half the whipped cream (or 1/3 if making three layers) and half the strawberries.  Place the top layer on and repeat.  Be sure to arrange the berries in a decorative pattern.  Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and enjoy.

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References:  Downton Abbey Cooks, New Opinions, Lancashire Life, Curious Taste Bud
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