the base with a disc of baking parchment.
Place the sugar and marzipan in a food processor and whiz together until the marzipan is finely ground and the mixture resembles grains of sand.
Next add the butter, eggs and almond essence or extract and whiz until smooth and fluffy. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the machine and pulse a few times, just until all the ingredients are incorporated. (Try not to over-mix or your cake will be a little heavy.)
Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and bake the cake on a lower shelf in the oven for about 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes, then use a small, sharp knife to loosen the edges of the cake tin. Allow to cool completely in the tin before carefully removing the cake and transferring to a serving plate.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ready in: 30 minutes
Makes: 450g (1lb)
225g (8oz) caster or granulated sugar
175g (6oz) ground almonds
A few drops (not more than ⅛ tsp) of almond essence or extract
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Place the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan and pour in 75ml (3fl oz) of water, then continue to heat for 5–10 minutes or until a sugar thermometer reads 110–115°C (230–235°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, this is the ‘thread stage’. The mixture will be thick and syrupy and the last couple of drops that fall from a spoon will form a thread.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir until the syrup is cloudy. Add the ground almonds, almond essence or extract and egg white and mix well. Transfer to a bowl and allow the marzipan to cool and become pliable.
Tip Marzipan is incredibly useful for so many cakes, from icing to decoration and even as a key ingredient in the actual sponge (as in the recipe opposite). It will keep in the fridge, covered, for up to three months, and it can be frozen too.
Eating apples are best in this recipe as they keep their shape while baking, whereas cooking apples tend to disintegrate as they cook. These bars are full of texture from the apples, and have the slight chewiness of oats and the crunch of pecans. They’re good candidates for lunchboxes and will keep for 4–5 days in an airtight container.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 25–30 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 15 minutes
Makes: 12 bars
2 eating apples (unpeeled), cored, cut into quarters and roughly chopped
150g (5oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
150g (5oz) light soft brown sugar
50g (2oz) porridge oats
2 eggs
200g (7oz) self-raising flour, sifted
50g (2oz) pecans, plus 12 to decorate
23 × 30cm (9 × 12in) Swiss roll tin
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, then grease the sides of the Swiss roll tin with butter and line the base with baking parchment.
Place the prepared apples in a food processor and pulse a few times until they’re in small pieces. Add the butter and sugar and cream together for 20 seconds or so, then add all the remaining ingredients and pulse just until mixed.
Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and place the pecans on top, spaced apart to form an even grid (4 × 3). Bake for 25–30 minutes or until risen and golden, then remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool down completely.
When cool, cut into 12 bars, each with one pecan on top, and remove from the tin.
Raspberry jam and coconut are one of those combinations that seem meant for each other and they’ve found their way into quite a few of my recipes. This cake is simple and so fast to make – perfect as an after-school treat or a last-minute addition to finish off lunch.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 15–20 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour
Makes: 24 squares
225g (8oz) butter, plus extra for greasing
225g (8oz) caster sugar
4 eggs
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
250g (9oz) raspberry jam
50g (2oz) desiccated coconut, to decorate
23 × 30cm (9 × 12in) Swiss roll tin
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, then grease the sides of the Swiss roll tin with butter and line the base with baking parchment.
Cream the butter until soft in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl for a few seconds or just until mixed, then gradually add them to the creamed butter mixture, beating all the time. Sift in the flour and fold in gently to incorporate.
Tip the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a palette knife or spatula. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until golden on top and springy to the touch.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then loosen the edges with a small, sharp knife. Place a wire rack upside down on top of the cake and carefully turn over. Remove the tin and peel off the baking parchment, then turn over again onto another wire rack so the cake is upright, and leave it to cool down completely.
