Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3 and bake for a further 25 minutes.
12 Remove the cake from the oven, carefully unmould it onto a baking tray and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes to crisp the outside.
13 Turn the cake right side up on the baking tray, place the tray and cake on a wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
14 Melt the butter for the glaze and spoon over the cake, sprinkling over the caster sugar, which will form a lovely crust. Allow to cool. When ready to serve, lightly dust with icing sugar, if you wish.
RACHEL’S BAKING TIPS
* This cake is best eaten on the day it is cooked, but it is still great toasted and buttered after a day or so. Keep in an airtight container for up to a week.
* For safety reasons, I put my mixer on the floor when it has to work hard, as it has to in this recipe!
SWISS ROLL
Despite appearances, Swiss rolls are in fact very simple to make. The cake itself has no butter in it, so you can feel justified in spreading it with lashings of jam and whipped cream. Use any kind of jam you like; apricot or blackberry, for instance, would do just as well as raspberry or strawberry.
SERVES 8
4 eggs
125g (4½oz) caster sugar, plus 3 tbsp for sprinkling (or use icing sugar for dusting)
2 tbsp warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
125g (4½oz) plain flour
For the filling
6 tbsp (approximately) raspberry or strawberry jam (or make your own)
225ml (8fl oz) double cream, whipped
25 x 38cm (10 x 15in) Swiss roll tin
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas mark 5. Line the base of the Swiss roll tin with greaseproof paper, brush the base and sides of the tin with melted butter and dust with flour.
2 Whisk the eggs and caster sugar together in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until light and fluffy, then add the water and vanilla extract.
3 Sift in the flour, about one-third at a time, and fold it into the mixture using a large metal spoon.
4 Pour the mixture gently into the prepared Swiss roll tin and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the centre of the cake is slightly springy and the edges have shrunk a little from the sides of the tin.
5 Spread out a piece of greaseproof paper (slightly larger than the tin in size) on a work surface and sprinkle evenly with caster sugar (this stops the roll from sticking to the paper). Turn the Swiss roll tin onto the sugared greaseproof paper, then carefully remove the tin and greaseproof paper from the bottom of the cake.
6 Place a slightly damp, clean tea towel over the cake while it cools—this will prevent it drying out and cracking when you roll it.
7 When the cake is cool, spread it sparingly with raspberry jam, followed by the whipped cream. With the longest side facing you, roll up the Swiss roll away from you, then transfer to a plate to serve. Sprinkle with caster sugar or dust with icing sugar to finish.
ALMOND PRALINE CAKE
This delicious cake has been made at Ballymaloe for many years. It keeps very well, due to the large amount of nuts it contains and because the icing keeps the moisture in the cake. It is ideal for a special tea party.
SERVES 8-10
225g (8oz) butter, softened
225g (8oz) caster sugar
4 eggs
225g (8oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp almond praline (see below)
1 tbsp milk
For the praline
250g (9oz) caster sugar
250g (9oz) unskinned (unblanched) almonds
For the praline buttercream icing
125ml (4fl oz) water
350g (12oz) caster sugar
7 egg yolks
350g (12oz) butter (preferably unsalted), softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbsp almond praline
Two 20cm (8in) diameter sandwich tins
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Butter and flour the sides of the tins and line each base with parchment paper.
2 To make the praline, place the sugar in a non-stick pan or a medium saucepan with low sides and scatter the nuts over the top. Set over a low heat until the sugar turns a caramel colour. Do not stir, but you may carefully ‘swirl’ the pan to allow the sugar to caramelise evenly.
3 When the caramel has turned a deep whiskey colour, pour the mixture onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and allow to cool. When the praline is cool and hard, place in a food processor and whiz to a gritty powder. Alternatively, place the praline in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
4 To make the cake, cream the butter in a large bowl or electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, beating well between each addition. Sift in the flour and baking powder and stir in gradually. Add 3 tablespoons of the crushed praline and mix lightly, adding the milk to moisten.
5 Divide equally between the two prepared tins and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean. Allow
