style="font-size:15px;"> Place the apples and sugar in a saucepan and add 3 tablespoons of water, then cover with a lid and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then tip into a food processor or blender and whiz for a minute or until smooth.
Pour the apple purée into a bowl and stir in the sunflower oil and oats. Sift in the flour and baking powder and stir in just until mixed. Divide the batter between the muffin cases, filling each case three-quarters full, then lightly press three or four blackberries into each muffin.
Bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden brown and lightly springy to the touch in the middle. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool down completely.
Classic cakes have withstood the test of time. They remain firm favourites not only because they taste so good, but because we hold a special affection for them. Classic cake recipes often bring back childhood memories, making them one of the most comforting foods. As these cakes are so well loved, for the most part I haven’t strayed too far from the original recipes. Sometimes, though, I’ve added a different flavour or changed a classic shape, to put a new spin on an old favourite. Each cake is a classic from a particular place. Lamingtons are an institution in Australia and the French Brittany butter cake is the perfect showcase for Brittany’s famous butter. If you are new to some of the recipes, I urge you to try them, as these cakes are classics for a reason.
04/ Classic
Baked Alaska with hot chocolate sauce
Hot chocolate sauce
Carrot cake
Ginger carrot cupcakes
Caramel carrot cake
Classic NYC crumb cake
St Clement’s drizzle cake
Dark treacly gingerbread squares
Angel food cake
Rose-water icing with pistachios
Lavender icing
Lamingtons
Battenberg cake
Dundee cake
Madeleines
Chocolate-dipped madeleines
Lemon-striped madeleines
Victoria sponge
Brittany butter cake
Chocolate hazelnut cheesecake
Baked Alaska with hot chocolate sauce
A warm crisp meringue surrounding frozen ice cream atop a delicate chocolate sponge – a temperature contrast that is always impressive. The key to this culinary feat lies in the meringue, which acts as an effective insulator so the ice cream remains frozen even in the heat of the oven. A really fun dessert for a special occasion, either served on its own or topped with this extremely moreish hot chocolate sauce.
Prep time: 45 minutes
Baking time: 30–35 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 45 minutes
Serves: 8–10
1 litre (1¾ pints) vanilla, coffee or chocolate ice cream
For the sponge base
50g (2oz) dark chocolate, in drops or broken into pieces
125g (4½oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
125g (4½oz) caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
125g (4½oz) self-raising flour, sifted
For the meringue
3 egg whites
200g (7oz) caster sugar
Pinch of cream of tartar
1 litre (1¾ pint) pudding basin (20cm/8in in diameter)
20cm (8in) diameter cake tin
Line the pudding basin with a double layer of cling film, leaving enough hanging over the edge to cover the sides of the basin. Place the ice cream in the basin (you may need to allow it to soften for a few minutes, but don’t let it melt). Press down to get a smooth surface (giving it a few gentle bangs to help remove any air holes), then cover the top with the cling film and return it to the freezer.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, then butter the sides of the cake tin and line the base with a disc of baking parchment.
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of gently simmering water. Leave until just melted, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat and set aside.
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. Gradually add the eggs to the creamed butter mixture, beating all the time. Beat in the melted chocolate, then gently fold in the flour to combine.
Tip into the prepared cake tin and bake for 25–30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and turn the temperature up to 220°C (425°F), Gas mark 7, if cooking the meringue straight away.
Allow the cake to cool down in the tin for 10 minutes, then loosen around the edges with a small, sharp knife and carefully remove the cake before leaving on a wire rack to cool down fully.
Meanwhile, make the meringue. In a large, spotlessly clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add half the caster sugar and the cream of tartar and whisk until stiff peaks form and the meringue is satiny and glossy. Fold in the remaining sugar with a metal spoon or spatula.
Once it has cooled, place the cake base in the middle of a baking sheet (one that is completely flat, with no ‘lip’, so that the baked Alaska can be removed
