The Simple Things

Taking time to live well
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • SHOP
  • Newsletter
  • About
  • Work with us
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • SHOP
  • Newsletter
  • About
  • Work with us

Blog

Taking Time to Live Well

  • All
  • Chalkboard
  • Christmas
  • Competition
  • could do
  • Eating
  • Escape
  • Escaping
  • Fresh
  • Fun
  • gardening
  • Gathered
  • Gathering
  • Growing
  • Haikus
  • Interview
  • Living
  • Looking back
  • Magazine
  • magical creatures
  • Making
  • Miscellany
  • My Neighbourhood
  • Nature
  • Nest
  • Nesting
  • outing
  • playlist
  • Reader event
  • Reader offer
  • Shop
  • Sponsored post
  • Sunday Best
  • Think
  • Uncategorized
  • Wellbeing
  • Wisdom
Photograph: Kristin Perers

Photograph: Kristin Perers

Recipe: Summer spelt almond cake

Lottie Storey June 30, 2015

This nutty, light cake is perfect for scattering with summer fruits. Some will sink in and some will rest on top. If you want a less sweet cake, leave out the rose water icing.

SUMMER SPELT ALMOND CAKE

Makes one 23cm cake (8–10 slices)

FOR THE SPONGE
175g butter, softened, plus more for greasing the tin
175g light brown sugar
2 eggs
1⁄4 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out 125g ground almonds
175g wholemeal spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp salt
200g halved cherries, or whole raspberries or blueberries
200g peaches or nectarines, sliced 2 tbsp caster sugar, for sprinkling 
rose petals, for scattering (optional)

FOR THE ICING (OPTIONAL)
200g icing sugar 1-2 tbsp rose water

1 Preheat the oven to 160/Fan 140/320F. Butter a 23cm cake tin and line with parchment paper.
2 In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Add the vanilla seeds. Add the almonds and mix to combine.
3 In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, then gently beat these into the creamed butter mixture. The mixture will be rather stiff but that’s OK.
4 Spread the batter into your prepared cake tin and smooth top with a palette knife. Scatter the cherries (or raspberries or blueberries) over the batter, then press the slices of peach (or nectarine) on top to get the fruit inside the cake batter a bit.
5 Sprinkle with the caster sugar and bake for 60–70 mins, until a skewer comes out clean and the top is springy. Let the cake cool for 15 mins before turning it out.
6 If using the icing, whisk the rose water into the icing sugar until smooth and runny. Drizzle over the cooled cake. Scatter with garden rose petals if you have them. This is best eaten on the same day you bake it.

Recipe from The Violet Bakery Cookbook by Claire Ptak, photography by Kristin Perers (Square Peg, £20)

InLiving Tagsissue 37, july, summer, cake, cake recipe, cake in the house, spelt, recipe
  • Blog
  • Older
  • Newer
Featured
  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well
Feb 27, 2025
Feb 27, 2025

Buy, download or subscribe

See the sample of our latest issue here

Buy a copy of our latest anthology: A Year of Celebrations

Buy a copy of Flourish 2, our wellbeing bookazine

Listen to our podcast - Small Ways to Live Well

Feb 27, 2025
Join our Newsletter
Name
Email *

We respect your privacy and won't share your data.

email marketing by activecampaign
facebook-unauth twitter pinterest spotify instagram
  • Subscriber Login
  • Stockists
  • Advertise
  • Contact

The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

facebook-unauth twitter pinterest spotify instagram