Recipe: Slow Orange Poppy Seed Cake

Cake is never off the menu at The Simple Things, even post-Christmas. But this gluten-free cake is as healthy as they come – no refined sugar, and you can even pop it in a slow cooker and head out for a walk

Serves: 8
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 3 1⁄2 hours (slow cooker) 1 1⁄4 hours (oven)

200g ground almonds
120g quinoa flour
2 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp poppy seeds
finely grated zest and juice of 2 oranges (approx 250ml)
125ml light olive oil
130g Greek yoghurt
185ml honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Candied oranges and syrup
juice of 1 large orange
4 tbsp honey
1 large orange, thinly sliced

In the slow cooker:
1 Grease slow cooker and line with baking paper. Cover the lid of the slow cooker with a clean tea towel, securing corners around the knob with string or an elastic band – this is to prevent condensation dripping onto the cake as it cooks. 
2 Combine ground almonds, flour, baking powder and poppy seeds in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the orange zest and juice, oil, yoghurt, honey, vanilla and eggs, then gradually whisk into the almond mixture to make a batter. 
3 Pour cake batter into the slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hrs until a skewer comes out of it clean. Turn off slow cooker but leave the cake in another 30 mins.
4 For the candied oranges and syrup, put juice and honey in a small, non-reactive pan. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Add orange slices and cook for 5 mins each side until oranges caramelise.
5 Remove the cake and top with the candied oranges and syrup. 

In the oven:
1 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160/350F. Grease and line a 24cm cake tin. Follow step 2, above.
2 Pour batter into tin and bake for 55 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Cover cake with foil if browning too fast. Follow step 4, above.
3 Turn out the cake and top with the candied oranges and syrup.

Recipe from Whole Food Slow Cooked by Olivia Andrews (Murdoch Books)

* This cake was made in a 5.5 litre slow cooker. If yours is larger or smaller than this, the cooking time may vary, so keep an eye on your cake for the last hour or so.

This blog was originally published in January 2016. We still have at least one cake in every issue of the issue. Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More cakes for your tin…

More slow things for slow days…

Recipe: Soul cakes

Soul cakes are an old English traditional cake, sometimes known simply as ‘souls’. The tradition of giving out soul cakes on All Hallows’ Eve dates back to the Middle Ages, when children went door-to-door saying prayers for the dead  On All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, children went ‘souling’, asking for soul cakes from house to house: quite possibly a precursor to trick or treating. This recipe is adapted from one on lavenderandlovage.com.

Soul cakes

Makes 12–15 cakes 

175g butter
175g caster sugar
3 egg yolks
450g plain flour
2 teaspoons mixed spice
100g currants
a little milk to mix 

1 Pre-heat the oven to 190C/Fan 170/375F. Cream the butter with the sugar until it’s light and fluffy and then beat in the egg yolks one at a time. 

2 In a separate bowl, sieve the flour and the spices together and add to the wet mixture along with the currants (reserving a small handful to decorate the tops later). 

3 Mix with a wooden spoon and then add some milk to pull everything together into a dough.

4 Roll out to a thickness of around 1cm and cut out rounds with a biscuit cutter. Use a straight-sided knife to make a slight cross indent in the top of each cake and then push in raisins along it. 

5 Place on a piece of baking parchment on a baking tray and bake for 10 to 15 mins on the fire or in the oven until golden. Allow to cool before eating. 

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More All Hallows Even celebrations…

From our November issue…

Recipe | Portugese custard tarts (Pastéis de nata)

Easy to make and beyond delicious, these little delights are great for breakfast, elevenses, afternoon tea – or any time of day at all, really

Portugese custard tarts (Pastéis de nata)

Makes 12

Butter, for greasing
110g caster sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
3 egg yolks
225ml double cream
175ml milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 sheet of ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
Ground cinnamon, for dusting
Icing sugar, for dusting

1 Grease a 12-hole muffin tin (unless using a non-stick tin). In a saucepan, mix together the caster sugar, cornflour and egg yolks. Gradually add the cream and milk, whisking until smoothish. Don’t worry about lumps – they will whisk out.

2 Stir over a medium heat until the mixture becomes very thick and, just before it comes to the boil, stop whisking, remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract and tip into a bowl.

3 Cover with cling film directly on the custard to prevent a skin forming. Leave to cool.

4 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. Unroll the pastry with the long edge closest to you (landscape format), dust with a little cinnamon and cut in half vertically. Put one piece on top of the other and, starting from the bottom (shortest) edge, tightly roll up the pastry pieces into a sausage shape.

5 Slice into 12 evenly sized discs. Use a rolling pin or your fingers to flatten out the discs into thin circles. Press into a muffin tin and spoon in the cold custard.

6 Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 mins until the pastry is golden and the custard is puffed up, bubbling and golden in parts. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins (they will shrink down as they cool) before removing. Caramelise the tops with a cook’s blowtorch if they’re not as browned as you’d like. Sometimes they are, sometimes they’re not!

7 Serve either warm or at room temperature with a last-minute dusting of icing sugar and ground cinnamon.

Cook’s note: Get ahead by making the custard (in steps 1, 2 and 3) up to three days ahead and keeping in the fridge. You can prepare as far as the end of step 5 any time on the day of baking. The tarts can also be baked several days ahead and eaten warmed through or simply served at room temperature.

Recipe from The Get-Ahead Cook by Jane Lovett (Apicius Publishing)

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Recipe | Silken pear cake

Barely any flour is used in this clever recipe, resulting in a mere whisper of a cake – fairy light, pale gold and studded with morsels of juicy pear

SILKEN PEAR CAKE

90g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
3 eggs
130g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla essence
35g plain flour, sifted
30g cornflour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder, sifted
3 ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into 2cm dice
FOR THE CHANTILLY CREAM (OPTIONAL) 
300ml whipping cream
30g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste or essence

1 Preheat oven to 170C/Fan 150C/Gas 3. Grease the ring of a 24cm springform tin, then turn the base upside down, so it no longer has a lip. Place a piece of baking paper over it, then clamp the ring around it to secure.
2 Combine the eggs, caster sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl, and whisk with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture has tripled in volume.
3 Using a hand whisk, gently fold in the plain flour, cornflour and baking powder with a pinch of salt until you have a smooth batter. Pour in the melted butter and fold with the whisk until totally combined, tilting the mixing bowl to make sure you’re reaching right to the bottom, where remnants of the butter might be sitting.
4 Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, then scatter the chunks of diced pear evenly over the surface. Don’t worry if there are a few pieces peeking through the top of the batter.
5 Bake for about 45 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The cake will balloon up when cooking, then collapse a bit after cooling, but this is entirely normal.
6 Cool completely in the tin before sliding a paring knife around the edge of the cake to release the ring. Carefully slide the cake onto a serving plate (leave it on the baking paper as the texture is very delicate). Serve with your choice of cream.
7 To make the chantilly cream, combine the cream, icing sugar and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl and whisk by hand or with an electric mixer until medium peaks form, being careful not to overwhisk.

Recipe from Poh Bakes 100 Greats by Poh Ling Yeow (Murdoch Books).

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Recipe | Wild blackberry & rose petal sponge

Using Black Forest flavours to delicious effect, this ice-cream cake is a seasonal treat on
a sunny summer’s day

Make the most of early blackberries with this magnificent sponge. An unusual recipe that results in the lightest cake, which both looks and tastes enchanting

WILD BLACKBERRY & ROSE PETAL SPONGE

Serves 6–8
Melted butter, for greasing
140g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
3 organic eggs
225g granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Pale pink rose petals, fresh or crystallised for the filling
110ml whipping cream
2 tsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
1⁄2 tsp rosewater (optional)
225–350g wild blackberries

1 Preheat oven to 190C/Fan 170C/Gas 5. Brush two 20.5cm cake tins evenly with melted butter and dust with flour (lining the base with a circle of greaseproof paper will make removal easier, too).
2 Separate the eggs. In a food mixer, whisk the yolks with the sugar for 2 mins, then add 75ml water. Whisk for 10 mins until light and fluffy.
3 Sift the flour and baking powder into the mousse in batches. Whisk the egg whites until they hold a stiff peak. Gently fold them into the fluffy base.
4 Pour into the prepared cake tins and bake for about 20 mins until the centre is firm and the edges begin to shrink from the tin edge. Remove the cakes from the tins and cool on a wire rack.
5 Whip the cream, then add the icing sugar and a few drops of rosewater (if using).
6 Sandwich the cold sponges together with the whipped cream and the blackberries. Dust a little icing sugar over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with fresh or crystallised rose petals.

Recipe from Grow, Cook, Nourish by Darina Allen (Kyle Books).

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Recipe | Black cherry, chocolate and meringue ice cream cake

Using Black Forest flavours to delicious effect, this ice-cream cake is a seasonal treat on
a sunny summer’s day

BLACK CHERRY, CHOCOLATE & MERINGUE ICE-CREAM CAKE

100g dark chocolate
390g jar black cherries in kirsch or 400g tin black cherries in syrup* 
250g black cherry conserve or jam
600ml double cream
85g meringue nests (5–6)

TO SERVE
Fresh cherries (with stalks)
A handful chopped pistachios
Icing sugar, to dust

1 Line the base of a 23–24cm springform tin with a square piece of baking paper, leaving the excess sticking out from the sides.
2 Melt the chocolate in a small bowl suspended over a pan of boiling water. Drain the cherries in a sieve set over a small pan, and set aside the kirsch or syrup.
3 With a food mixer, roughly blitz the cherries into a chunky, textured pulp. Stir the conserve or jam in a small bowl to loosen.
4 In a food mixer or large mixing bowl, whip the cream until just beginning to thicken and barely holding its shape – the trick is to under-whip. Pour in the conserve or jam, followed by the meringues, breaking and crumbling into irregular shapes and sizes as you go. Fold into the cream very gently, leaving a ripple effect.
5 Spread a scant third of the mixture into the tin. Top with all the blitzed cherries by spooning on in blobs, then joining the blobs.
* If you’re using tinned cherries, 1 tbsp of cherry brandy of amaretto is a nice addition when reducing the syrup.
Spread over half of the remaining cream using the same technique.
6 Dribble over all but 2–3 tbsp of the chocolate and spread to cover the cream. Finally, blob and spread over the last of the cream. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, gently push the mixture into the tin to get rid of air pockets.
7 Cover with cling film, directly on the surface of the cake, and freeze until solid (overnight is best).
8 Boil the reserved cherry liquid fast until syrupy and reduced to around 2 tbsp. It will thicken up when cold and, if too thick when cold, loosen with a drop of boiling water.
9 Serve the cake straight from the freezer. Unmould onto a large platter. Warm the set-aside tbsps of chocolate and drizzle from a teaspoon, zigzagging over the cake and platter; repeat with some of the syrup. 

Pile the fresh cherries in the middle, scatter with chopped pistachios and dust with icing sugar.

Recipe from The Get-Ahead Cook by Jane Lovett (Apicius Publishing).

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Recipe | Marigold shortbreads

Flecked with petals and dusted with marigold sugar, this is a floral twist on shortbread to fall in love with

MARIGOLD SHORTBREADS

Makes 16
175g plain or spelt flour
40g caster sugar
6 tbsp (14g) marigold (calendula) petals* 
110g cold butter

FOR THE MARIGOLD SUGAR
Marigold petals
50g caster sugar

1 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4.
2 Put the flour, sugar and marigold petals into a bowl, then rub in the butter as for shortcrust pastry. Gather the mixture together and knead gently on a lightly floured surface.
3 Roll out the pastry to 7mm thick, then cut into rounds with a 6cm cutter or into heart shapes. Bake for 15–18 mins until pale brown, depending on the thickness of the biscuits. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
4 While they cool, make the marigold sugar. Blitz the marigold petals in a blender with the sugar for a minute or two until just broken up. 
5 Serve the biscuits with fruit fools, or compote and ice-cream, and sprinkle marigold sugar over the top.

Cook’s note: Watch these biscuits really carefully while they are baking, they burn easily. They should be a pale golden – any darker and they will be bitter.

Taken from Grow, Cook, Nourish by Darina Allen (Kyle Books).

* The petals of the pot marigold (calendula) are edible. Be sure to use this variety in your
cooking as many varieties of the French or African marigold plants (from the tagetes family) aren’t.

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Recipe | Olive oil, rosemary & apricot cake

If you’re not keen on an oversweet cake, this one’s for you. The Mediterranean mix of olive oil, rosemary and lemon is sensational

Olive oil, rosemary & apricot cake

5 eggs, separated
165g caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp to sprinkle
1⁄4 tsp salt
185ml olive oil
Juice & finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
150g plain flour, sifted
10 apricots, halved & stones removed (or tinned apricot halves, drained)

to serve (optional)
300ml soured cream or crème fraîche
30g icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract/essence or vanilla bean paste

1 Preheat oven to 170C/Fan 150C/Gas 3. Grease the ring of a 20–22cm springform tin, then turn the base upside down, so it no longer has a lip. Place a piece of baking paper over it, then clamp the ring around it to secure.
2 In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until just foamy. Add 55g of the caster sugar in two batches, whisking well between each addition, until soft peaks form. Set aside.
3 Combine the egg yolks, remaining (110g) caster sugar and salt in a medium mixing bowl, and whisk with an electric mixer on high speed until pale and thick. Gradually drizzle in the olive oil, whisking on high speed until all of it has been used. Add the lemon juice and zest, rosemary and flour, and stir with a whisk until just combined.
4 Whisk in one-third of the egg whites to loosen the mixture, then add the remainder and stir very gently with the whisk until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, and arrange the apricot halves in concentric circles on top, working from the outside in.
5 Sprinkle the extra tbsp of caster sugar evenly over the surface, and bake for about 50 mins, or until an skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
6 To make a vanilla cream, if using, combine the cream, icing sugar and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl and whisk by hand or with an electric mixer until floppy peaks form.
7 Once the cake is cooked, rest it in the tin for 5 mins before releasing the ring and sliding the cake onto a wire rack to cool. Leave to rest for about 30 mins before slicing and serving – warm works for this cake – with your choice of dolloping cream!

Recipe from Poh Bakes 100 Greats by Poh Ling Yeow (Murdoch Books).
 

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Recipe | Brown butter and toffee cookies

The addition of browned butter gives these cookies a rich, nutty edge, making them all the more moreish. The recipe also works well with white chocolate

BROWN BUTTER & TOFFEE COOKIES
Makes 16
150g unsalted butter
1⁄2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1⁄2 tsp mixed spice
300g plain flour
1⁄2 tsp salt
150g light brown soft sugar
100g caster sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp whole milk
150g chocolate-covered toffees, such as Fazer’s Dumle*, or white chocolate, chopped
Sea salt flakes (optional)

1 Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat until it starts to bubble noisily. Eventually the bubbles will become smaller and stop. Swirl the pan – you will see and smell the change from yellow butter to brown. Immediately remove from the heat. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool a little.
2 In another bowl sift together the bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice, flour and salt.
3 Mix both sugars into the browned butter until well incorporated. Add the egg and egg yolk, syrup, vanilla extract and milk. Add the dry ingredients, then the toffees or white chocolate and stir to combine. Cover the bowl or wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for a few hours.
4 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Form egg-sized rounds of cookie dough using your hands and place on the lined baking sheets. These cookies spread a lot during baking, so leave a minimum of 8cm between each round.
5 Sprinkle with sea salt flakes, if using. Bake for around 8 mins until slightly brown at the sides but not entirely puffed up. Remove from the oven and let cool (if using Dumle, let cool for a bit longer before eating).

Recipe from ScandiKitchen Summer by Brontë Aurell (Ryland, Peters & Small).

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Recipe | Lemon and Earl Grey loaf cakes

A twist on the classic lemon loaf cake, these mini loaves would make a lovely Easter gift

LEMON & EARL GREY LOAF CAKES
Makes 6 cakes
1 earl grey tea bag (or 1 tsp loose leaf earl grey)
120g golden caster sugar or demerara sugar
1⁄2 yellow courgette, grated
1⁄4 swede, peeled and grated
15g lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
2 eggs
40g rapeseed oil
75g ground almonds
90g rice flour
11⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1⁄4 tsp xanthan gum (optional)*
Coconut oil, for greasing

for the icing
120g golden icing sugar
Juice of 1⁄4 lemon
25g (2 tbsp) strongly brewed earl grey tea
1 tsp loose earl grey tea (from tea bags or loose leaf)
Blue cornflowers (optional)

1 Empty the contents of the tea bag into a bowl with the sugar, cover and infuse for a few hours or overnight if possible. Then grind in a blender until fine.
2 Place the courgette between sheets of kitchen towel to soak up excess moisture. Place 80g swede and 80g courgette into a bowl; add lemon juice and zest, and set aside.
3 In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and oil for 5 mins, or until pale and slightly thickened. Fold in the grated vegetables. Sift together the ground almonds, flour, raising agents and xanthan gum, if using. Fold into the cake mixture gently, until it is lump free. Leave for 10 mins.
4 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Grease 6 mini loaf tins, each about 9x6cm, with coconut oil, and line with baking parchment or disposable loaf cases. Fill the tins almost to the top with the mixture and bake in the top half of the oven for 30 mins, or until the tops spring back and an inserted cocktail stick comes out clean.
5 Cool the cakes in the tins until just warm, then turn out onto a wire rack. For disposable cases, just cool in the cases.
6 Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the lemon juice and enough brewed tea to form an icing the thickness of double cream. Pour over the cooled cakes, and top with a sprinkle of tea leaves and cornflowers, if using.

Recipe from Nourish Cakes by Marianne Stewart (Quadrille).
  
* Xanthan gum is used to replace gluten, helping to bring the cake together. If you don’t have it, just leave it out.

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Recipe | Chocolate, orange and almond cake

This moist and decadent chocolate loaf cake with a gorgeous caramelised almond brittle crust is sure to have you sneaking back to the tin for more

CHOCOLATE, ORANGE & ALMOND CAKE
Makes 1 large loaf
50g butter, diced
130g soft brown sugar
Zest of 1 orange
40g honey
150g flaked almonds
170g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
11⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
225g softened butter
340g caster sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1⁄2 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out (or 1⁄2 tsp vanilla paste)
160g buttermilk

1 Preheat oven to 160C/Fan140C/320F. Grease and line a 9x22x10cm loaf tin.
2 Melt the 50g of butter, brown sugar, zest and honey in a pan over a low heat, stirring, until thick and syrupy and the sugar has dissolved. Pour into the prepared tin, evenly sprinkle over the almonds. Set aside to cool. 
3 In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa and bicarb with 1⁄4 tsp of salt, then set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4 In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla seeds (or paste). With the mixer running slowly, gradually add the eggs to the butter mixture, ensuring each addition is fully
incorporated before adding the next.
5 Alternate between adding a third of the dry ingredients and a third of the buttermilk to the mixture, mixing well between each addition, until all the ingredients are added and the batter has just come together.
6 Pour over the almonds in the tin; bake for 60–70 mins, until firm and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7 Leave to cool for a few minutes in the tin, then set a wire rack over a tray lined with
baking parchment. Invert the warm cake on to the rack and gently lift off the tin, taking care to avoid the caramel, which will be extremely hot*. Leave to cool completely.
8 To serve, cut with a serrated knife, gently sawing through the topping. The cake will keep for a few days in an airtight container.

Recipe from The Tivoli Road Baker by Michael James with Pippa James (Hardie Grant). 

  * If the topping sticks in the tin or falls off when you invert the cake, use a spoon or spatula to quickly stick it back onto the cake, taking care not to touch the scorching caramel.

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Recipe | Spinach and lemon bars

News just in: you can get your greens from eating cake. No, really. Cake that tastes nice. These lemon-curd filled bars get their green stripe with the addition of spinach to the shortbread base. Almost virtuous!

SPINACH AND LEMON BARS
Makes 16
75g spinach leaves
75g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
2 tbsp caster sugar, plus extra to finish
115g plain flour
FOR THE FILLING
4 large free-range eggs
200g granulated sugar
150ml lemon juice (from about 4 lemons) 
3 tbsp lemon zest
40g plain flour
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp icing sugar, to serve

1 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Grease and line a 20cm square baking tin. 
2 Wilt the spinach in a pan with a small amount of boiling water, then run under cold water to refresh, before squeezing out the moisture. Purée with a hand blender until smooth.
3 In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth, but not too fluffy and aerated. Add the spinach pureé and beat well. Sift in the flour and mix gently.
4 Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spread to the edges and press down firmly with the back of a damp spoon. Be sure that the mixture goes right into all the edges and there aren’t any holes. Bake for 25 mins, or until the edges begin to turn golden.
5 Meanwhile, make the lemon filling by whisking the eggs and sugar in a saucepan until well combined, then add the lemon juice and zest and gently whisk until completely incorporated. Gradually sift in the flour, whisking gently to combine, and add the butter. Heat the mixture, stirring constantly, until thickened and the butter has melted.
6 Spoon the mixture over the warm crust, spread evenly to the edges and bake for 25 mins, or until the edges begin to turn golden. The filling will firm up as it cools. Leave to cool completely in the pan, then dust with the icing sugar and cut into squares to serve.

Recipe and photography from Veggie Desserts + Cakes by Kate Hackworthy (Pavilion)
 

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Recipe | Parsnip and maple syrup cake with parsnip crisps

Autumn in a tin, this moist and delicious cake is just what you need after a brisk walk. If you have plenty of parsnips, make extra crisps to nibble

PARSNIP & MAPLE SYRUP CAKE WITH PARSNIP CRISPS
175g butter, plus extra for greasing
100ml maple syrup
3 large organic eggs
250g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
250g parsnips, peeled and grated
1 eating apple, peeled, cored and grated
50g pecans or hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Zest and juice of 1 small orange
Edible flowers, to garnish (optional) 

FOR THE PARSNIP CRISPS
1 large parsnip, peeled
Sunflower or groundnut oil, for frying 

FOR THE FILLING
300g cream cheese
2 tbsp maple syrup

1 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Brush two deep 20cm sandwich tins with a little melted butter and line the bases with baking parchment.
2 Melt the butter and syrup in a pan over a gentle heat; set aside to cool slightly. Whisk in the eggs, then stir the mixture into a large mixing bowl containing the flour, baking powder and mixed spice. Stir in the parsnips, apple, chopped nuts, orange zest and juice. Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for 35–40 mins or until just starting to shrink from the sides of the tins. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
3 While the cakes are baking, make the parsnip crisps. Either slice the parsnip into wafer-thin discs or peel off long slivers with a swivel-top peeler. Leave to dry out on kitchen paper.
4 Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 150C. Fry the parsnip by dropping in a few slivers at a time (they colour and crisp up very quickly). Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle lightly with salt.
5 To make the filling, mix together the cream cheese and maple syrup. Spread over the base of one cooled cake and the top of the other. Sandwich together. Decorate the cake with parsnip crisps and edible flowers, if available.

Recipe from Grow, Cook, Nourish by Darina Allen (Kyle Books). 

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Recipe | Nana’s Fruit Cake

This is an extraordinarily moist and intensely fruity cake – and one that will keep for months, its flavours developing nicely as it matures

NANA’S FRUIT CAKE
1kg mixed dried fruit
50g sultanas or golden raisins
50g currants
12 pitted prunes, chopped
1 x 400g tin sweetened condensed milk
225g butter, plus extra for greasing
1 tbsp black treacle
1 tbsp golden syrup
Dash of vanilla extract
Dash of brandy
50g flaked almonds
1 slightly heaped tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground nutmeg
300g plain flour
1 slightly heaped tsp baking powder

1 Preheat oven to 140C/Fan 120C/375F. Grease and line a 23cm square cake tin with baking parchment.
2 Tip all the dried fruit and prunes into a large pan. Add the condensed milk, butter, treacle, golden syrup, vanilla extract and brandy. Stir in 350ml water, bring to a simmer and bubble gently for 5 mins.
3 Leave the mixture to cool slightly before stirring in the almonds, bicarbonate of soda mixed spice and nutmeg. Finally, add the flour and baking powder, a little at a time, stirring well between each addition.
4 Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 21⁄2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in there to settle – I usually leave it overnight. The following day, turn the cake out, wrap it in baking parchment and store in an airtight container, where it will keep for many months. (The oldest one I’ve ever eaten was 18 months old and it tasted excellent.)

Recipe from The Great Dixter Cookbook by Aaron Bertelsen (Phaidon). 

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Recipe | Coffee & walnut mini loaf cakes

A classic combo but in miniature, these little loaf cakes are ideal for a picnic or lunchbox, or make a sweet gift

COFFEE & WALNUT MINI LOAF CAKES
Makes 8
90g walnuts, toasted and chopped
150g unsalted butter, softened, plus a little extra for greasing
150g caster sugar
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
100ml milk
150g eggs (weight once shelled) 
150g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
for the icings:
2 tsp instant coffee granules
200g fondant icing sugar
2 tsp cocoa powder (optional)
for the decorations (optional) 
Chocolate flowers
Toasted walnuts, crushed
you will need:
Individual loaf tins, approx 10x7x4cm

1 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/400F. Lightly grease the tins, then place a strip of baking parchment across the width of each, leaving an overhanging edge on each side.
2 Toast the walnuts in a skillet or frying pan set over a low heat for a few mins. Give the pan an occasional shake so they don’t burn. Leave to cool, then roughly chop into pieces. 
3 Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a free-standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat for approx 4 mins, until light and fluffy.
4 Dissolve the coffee granules with a few drops of milk, then mix with the rest of the milk before adding the eggs. Whisk to combine. Then, with the mixer running, add the liquid gradually, allowing each addition to be incorporated before adding the next, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go.
5 Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl, then re-sift into the mixer. Beat all together briefly, stopping the moment
everything comes together. Fold in the nuts, then share the batter equally between tins.
6 Bake on a baking sheet in the middle of the oven, checking them after 20 mins. Insert a skewer into the centre of each cake; if it comes out clean, they are ready. If not, return to the oven for a further 5 mins. When baked, turn out the cakes and cool on a wire rack.
7 To make the coffee icing, start by dissolving the coffee granules with a few drops of hot water. Add the coffee solution, a little at a time, to 150g of the icing sugar and mix until it has a thick, coating consistency. If the icing is
too runny, add more icing sugar. If you want to make cocoa icing too, add the cocoa powder to the remaining 50g of icing sugar, then slowly add drops of water to achieve the same consistency as the coffee icing.
8 Once the cakes have cooled, drizzle on the icings, adding chocolate flowers or toasted walnuts for decoration.

Recipe from Soulful Baker by Julie Jones (Jacqui Small). Cake in the House is our monthly recipe feature - get a cake recipe every month in The Simple Things!

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Recipe | Lavender and honey cakes

August is a quiet season for baking... Let these light and pretty lavender numbers tempt you back into the kitchen

LAVENDER AND HONEY CAKES
Makes 12

40g salted butter (room temperature) 
120g plain flour
140g caster sugar
11⁄2 tsp baking powder
120ml milk
1 egg
1 tsp lavender essence

for the icing
80g unsalted butter (room temperature)
160g icing sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp lavender essence
Purple food colouring
Dried lavender to decorate (optional) 

you will need
12-hole cupcake or muffin tin lined with 12 paper cases

1 Preheat oven to 170C/Fan 150C/325F. Measure the butter, flour, caster sugar and baking powder into a bowl and use an electric whisk to beat until the butter is incorporated and you have a sand-like texture.

2 In a separate bowl, mix the milk, egg and lavender essence and add slowly to the dry mixture, mixing to form a batter.

3 Pour the batter into the cupcake cases, about a heaped tablespoon in each, and bake in the centre of the oven for 15 mins or until lightly golden and springy to touch. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4 To make the icing, whisk together the butter, icing sugar, honey and lavender essence for a couple of mins until smooth. Add as much purple food colouring as you like, then put in the fridge for 15–20 mins until firm.

5 Ice the cakes using the back of a spoon and garnish with a sprig of dried lavender.

Recipe from Milly’s Real Food by Nicola Millbank (HarperCollins).

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Recipe | Dark chocolate chip scones

Afternoon tea is brazenly frivolous. Not only does it flagrantly flout traditional meal times, but also its ingredients read like a roll-call of treats: fizz, finger sandwiches, elegant tarts and cream-laden cakes. Modern treats, too. This menu of cardamom cake, spiced crab sandwiches and chocolate-pimped scones is moreish, memorable and anything but chintzy.

Why have fruit scones when you can have chocolate!

Dark chocolate chip scones

Makes 8 scones

350g plain flour
A pinch of sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
85g cold, unsalted butter, cubed
3 tbsp caster sugar
75g dark chocolate, finely chopped
175ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
A squeeze of lemon juice
1 beaten egg, to glaze

1 Preheat oven to 220C/Fan 200C/ 425F. Mix the flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the butter. Rub it in with your fingers until the mix resembles fine crumbs. Fold in the sugar and chopped chocolate.
2 Gently warm the milk until warm but not hot. Add the vanilla (if using) and lemon juice. Set aside for a moment. Put a baking sheet in the oven.
3 Make a well in the dry mix and add the warmed milk. Combine it quickly with a cutlery knife – it will seem pretty wet at first. Scatter some flour on a clean work surface. Tip the dough out.
4 Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour. Fold the dough over 2–3 times until it’s a little smoother. Pat into a round, about 4cm thick.
5 Dip a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) into some flour. Plunge into the dough. Repeat until you have four scones. Press what’s left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and transfer carefully onto the preheated baking tray.
6 Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/Fan 140C/ 325F) for a few mins to refresh.

Turn to page 25 of June's The Simple Things for more of our afternoon tea menu, including:

Rhubarb fizz
Curried egg & chive sandwiches
Crab, chilli & fennel sandwiches
Broad bean, goat’s curd & mint open sandwiches
Jammy raspberries
Cardamom, rose & strawberry cake
Cherry & elderflower cheesecake tartlets
Peachy lemon verbena iced tea

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Cake in the house: Lemon olive oil cake

Made with oil rather than butter, this citrussy cake is light as a feather, bringing to mind warm summer evenings. Enjoy with a digestif for a fine end to a meal

LEMON OLIVE OIL CAKE

2 large lemons
125g plain our, sifted
5 egg yolks and 4 egg whites
220g caster sugar
180ml olive oil
tsp salt

Decoration:
250g icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Grated zest of 1 lemon

You will need:
23cm round loose-bottom or springform cake tin, greased and lined with baking parchment

1 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Finely grate the zest from both lemons and mix together with the flour. Halve one of the lemons and squeeze the juice into a small bowl.

2 Place the egg yolks and 150g of the sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a hand-held electric whisk and large mixing bowl) and beat on high speed until thick and pale, about 3 mins.

3 Reduce the speed to medium and add the olive oil and 2 tbsp of the lemon juice, beating until just combined (the mixture may appear separated). Use a spatula to stir in the flour mixture until just combined.

4 Place the egg whites and salt into another large, grease-free mixing bowl. Make sure the whisk is completely clean, then whisk on medium-high speed using a hand-held electric whisk until foamy. Add the remaining 70g sugar gradually, whisking continuously until the egg whites form soft peaks, about 3 mins. Gently fold one-third of the whites into the cake mixture, before folding in the remaining whites thoroughly.

5 Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and gently tap against the work surface to release any air bubbles. Bake in the preheated oven for 40–50 mins or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

6 Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, transfer to a serving plate.

7 To decorate, place the icing sugar into a bowl and mix in the lemon juice using a hand whisk or fork until it’s a pouring consistency similar to double cream. Gently pour over the cake, allowing it to drizzle down the sides. Sprinkle with grated lemon zest and serve.

Recipe from Lola’s: A Cake Journey Around the World by Lola’s Bakers and Julia Head (Ryland Peters & Small).  

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Cake in the house: Unbelievably dark and delicious chocolate cake

This wonderful celebration cake also works ‘dressed down’ without its sugary decorations, leaving the hints of cinnamon and sea salt to do the talking

UNBELIEVABLY DARK AND DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE CAKE

For the cake:
380g butter
380g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
380g caster sugar
2 small pinches ground cinnamon
Several large pinches of salt
200g plain flour
6 eggs

For a crazy celebration topping:
4 Mars bars
100ml whole milk
3 tbsp golden syrup
90g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
500ml double cream
3 Flakes, chopped into 2cm lengths
2 packets of Rolos
1 large packet of peanut M&Ms (optional) 
Edible glitter, as many colours as possible

1 Preheat oven to 190C/Fan 170C/375F and butter and line the base of two 20cm cake tins with baking parchment.
2 Melt the butter in a medium pan over a low heat, then stir in the chocolate, being careful not to burn it. When the mixture becomes a smooth, velvety consistency, add the sugar, cinnamon and salt.
3 Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat and slowly sift in the flour, stirring to combine. In a separate bowl beat the eggs, then beat into the chocolate mixture a little at a time until fully incorporated.
4 Pour into the prepared tins and bake in the oven for 30–40 mins until the outside is dark and delicious looking and a skewer comes out just clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 15 mins before turning out to cool on wire racks.
5 To make the topping, chop up the Mars bars and melt with the milk, syrup, dark chocolate and 50ml of the double cream. In a separate bowl whip the rest of the cream until it just holds its shape.
6 Sandwich the cooled cakes together with the whipped cream and pour over the Mars bar sauce. Scatter the various chocolates and glitter over the surface of the cake in a higgledy-piggledy fashion, involving as many over-excited little helpers as you dare.

Recipe from Home Cook by Thomasina Miers (Faber).

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Recipe: Rose and honey cake

This pretty cake is inspired by an Indian rose petal preserve. Aniseedy fennel balances the rosewater while dried rose petals add crunch to the creamy icing

ROSE AND HONEY CAKE

Serves 10–12

100g golden caster sugar
100g clear honey
100g self-raising flour
100g ground almonds
200g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
1 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
1 tsp rosewater

for the rose mix
20g dried rose petals*
1 tbsp dry-roasted fennel seeds
1⁄2 tsp ground cardamom
4 tbsp caster sugar

for the icing
300ml double cream
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp dry-roasted fennel seeds, lightly crushed

1 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Grease 2 x 20cm cake tins and line them with baking parchment.
2 In a large bowl, mix the cake ingredients with an electric whisk for 2 mins until light and creamy. Divide the batter equally into the prepared tins and bake for 20–25 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
3 Leave to cool in the tins for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
4 To make the rose mix, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over a low heat for 2–3 mins, stirring continuously. Take the pan off the heat as soon as the sugar starts to melt. Give it a good stir and set aside to cool.
5 To make the icing, whisk the cream and sugar together in a bowl until soft peaks form. Fold in the crushed fennel seeds.
6 To assemble, place one cake on a serving plate and spread half the icing over it. Sprinkle with half the rose mix. Place the second cake on top. Spread the remaining icing over this layer and finish by sprinkling over the last of the rose mix. Leave to stand at room temperature for 10 mins before serving.

Note:  This cake will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to four days.

Recipe from The Cardamom Trail by Chetna Makan (Mitchell Beazley). 

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