BAKING TIP
*You can also make this cake with just one 20cm (8in) spring-form/loose-bottomed tin. Before baking, put a sheet of foil on the top of the cake and reduce the oven temperature to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3 after 20 minutes. It takes approximately 35 minutes to cook in total.
ICED ORANGE CAKE
This is a deliciously moist and tangy cake, perfect for summer dinner parties.
SERVES 6
100g (3½oz) butter
2 eggs
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
100g (3½oz) caster sugar
100g (3½oz) icing sugar, sifted
125g (4½oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
For the topping
100g (3½oz) icing sugar
1-2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
20cm (8in) diameter spring-form/loose-bottomed tin
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Butter and flour the sides of the cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
2 Melt the butter gently in a saucepan and set aside.
3 Using a hand-held electric beater, whisk together the eggs, grated orange zest and caster and icing sugar for a few minutes until light and slightly fluffy. Stir in the melted butter and sift in the flour and baking powder. Fold it all together gently.
4 Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin, smooth the surface and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden and set in the centre and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
5 Place the tin on a wire rack and allow to stand for about 10 minutes before removing the cake carefully from the tin. Allow to cool on the wire rack.
6 To make the topping, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in just enough orange juice until it is soft but not runny.
7 When the cake is cool, place it on a serving plate or cake stand and spread the icing over the top. Dipping a spoon or table knife in boiling water makes it easier to spread the icing.
UPSIDE-DOWN CRANBERRY CAKE
You can use many different kinds of fruit for an upside-down cake, such as gooseberries, blueberries, blackberries or slices of apple or pear. The buttery, sugary juices of the cooked fruit soak into the cake once you flip it over, making it incredibly moist. If you are using a red fruit such as cranberries—as in this recipe—the juices stain the cake a beautiful pink.
SERVES 8
50g (2oz) butter
300g (11oz) caster sugar
225g (8oz) fresh or frozen cranberries
200g (7oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
200ml (7fl oz) buttermilk
75ml (2½fl oz) vegetable or sunflower oil
To serve
Softly whipped cream
Brown sugar
25cm (10in) diameter ovenproof pan
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4.
2 Melt the butter in the ovenproof pan. Stir in half the sugar and cook over a gentle heat for approximately 2 minutes. Add the cranberries and set aside.
3 Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Whisk the eggs in a measuring jug or small bowl and add the remaining sugar, the buttermilk and oil and mix together. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk to form a liquid batter. Pour the batter over the cranberries in the pan.
4 Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake feels firm in the centre.
5 Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out by placing an inverted plate over the top of the pan and turning the pan and plate over together in one quick movement. Serve warm or at room temperature with softly whipped cream and sprinkled with brown sugar.
ITALIAN HAZELNUT CAKE
This elegantly simple cake doesn’t need to try too hard to be absolutely delicious. It’s light, heavenly with ice cream, and the hazelnuts give it an incredible texture—delicate and nutty at the same time.
SERVES 6-8
200g (7oz) hazelnuts (with skins on)
1 tsp baking powder or gluten-free baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
100g (3½oz) butter, softened
5 eggs, separated
175g (6oz) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
20cm (8in) diameter spring-form/loose-bottomed tin
1 Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3. Butter and line the sides and base of the cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2 Grind the hazelnuts with
