Allen - Cake

Contents

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 Im 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 youve 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, Ive 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. Youll find chapters devoted to fast cakes, festive cakes, classic and teatime cakes, novelty cakes for childrens 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 Ive 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. Its 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 dont 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 dont need a fancy dessert, just a little slice of something sweet. Easily achievable and simply delicious, these are cake recipes that youll return to again and again.

01/ Easy

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. Its baked in a bundt tin, which gives more of a crusty outer layer, though if you dont have one, a standard round cake tin would do just as well, or you could use the mixture to make , placing these on the iced cake instead of sprinkling over the poppy seeds.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 5070 minutes

Ready in: 1 hour 40 minutes

Serves: 1014

325g (11oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

400g (14oz) caster sugar

25g (1oz) poppy seeds, plus 12 tsp to decorate

225ml (8fl oz) sunflower or vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

325ml (11fl oz) milk

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

, to decorate (optional)

For the icing

200g (7oz) icing sugar, sifted

3 tbsp lemon juice

2.5 litre (4 pint) (about 23cm/9in in diameter) or 25cm (10in) diameter cake tin

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F), Gas mark 4, then grease the bundt tin with sunflower or vegetable oil and dust with flour. If youre using a standard type of cake tin, grease the sides and line the base with a disc of baking parchment.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl, add the sugar and poppy seeds and mix together.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until combined. Tip this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix together using a wooden spoon to make a smooth batter. You may need to use a whisk briefly to get rid of any lumps of flour.

Tip into the prepared tin and bake for 5060 minutes (6070 minutes if using a standard cake tin). When cooked, the cake should feel springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow to sit for just 2 minutes, then loosen the edges with a small, sharp knife, place a wire rack upside down on top of the cake and carefully turn it over. Gently remove the and allow to cool completely.

While the cake is baking, or while its cooling, you can make the icing. Beat the icing sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. Carefully transfer the cake to a cake stand or serving plate, then drizzle the icing backwards and forwards from the centre to the outside of the cake in a zigzig pattern. Sprinkle over the poppy seeds straight away and the , if youre using them, before the icing has a chance to dry.

Orange poppy-seed cake

Make the as in the recipe, replacing the lemon zest in the sponge with the finely grated zest of 1 orange and using orange juice instead of lemon juice in the icing.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 2025 minutes

Ready in: 1 hour

Makes: 12 muffins

215g (7oz) plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

265g (9oz) caster sugar

15g (oz) poppy seeds, plus 2 tsp for sprinkling

150ml (5fl oz) sunflower or vegetable oil

3 eggs

tsp vanilla extract

215ml (7fl oz) milk

Finely grated zest of large lemon

For the icing

130g (4oz) icing sugar, sifted

12 tbsp lemon juice

12-cup and 12 muffin cases

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F), Gas mark 4, and line the muffin tray with the paper cases.

Mix the ingredients for the following the main recipe, then divide the batter between the paper cases, filling each case three-quarters full.