150g (5oz) caster sugar
Juice and finely grated zest of 3 lemons
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
In a saucepan over a very low heat, melt the butter with the sugar, lemon zest and juice. Place the eggs and egg yolk in a bowl and beat together well, then pour into the pan.
Stir carefully over a low heat until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Take care not to let the mixture get too hot, or the eggs may scramble.
Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl or a sterilised jar (tip). The lemon curd will thicken further as it cools. Stored in the fridge, it will keep for a couple of weeks.
Orange curd
Make in the same way, substituting the lemons with two oranges and reducing the amount of caster sugar to 125g (4½oz).
Tip To sterilise jars for jams and preserves, wash them in hot soapy water, then rinse and dry. Place the jars upturned on a baking tray in the oven (preheated to at least 130°C/250°F/Gas mark ½) for approximately 15 minutes or until completely dry. Leave them upturned on a clean tea towel until ready to use. Alternatively, you can put them through a hot cycle in the dishwasher.
Fresh pineapple is almost reason enough to head to sunnier climes – tangy slices dripping with juice can be one of the great culinary pleasures of a holiday in the tropics. The pineapples we get here can be a little dry by comparison. For this recipe it’s fine to use tinned pineapple, however, as it is more predictable in the amount of moisture and sweetness it contains. With the coconut and mango, this cake is a real celebration of tropical flavours.
Prep time: 25 minutes
Baking time: 45 minutes
Ready in: 2 hours
Serves: 8–12
250g (9oz) tinned pineapple (drained weight of a 432g tin)
200g (7oz) soft light brown sugar
225g (8oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
3 eggs
125g (4½oz) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
100g (3½oz) desiccated coconut
1 large mango, peeled and sliced, to decorate
For the icing
250g (9oz) mascarpone
50g (2oz) icing sugar, sifted
23cm (9in) square cake tin with 5cm (2in) sides
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, then butter the sides of the cake tin and dust with flour and line the base with a square of baking parchment.
Place the pineapple in a food processor and whiz for a minute or two until puréed, then put into a saucepan with the sugar. Set over a low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the mixture turns a light brown colour. Then set aside and allow to cool.
Beat the cooled pineapple purée with the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer. Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl for just a few seconds until mixed, then gradually add the eggs to the pineapple and butter mixture, beating continuously. Sift in the flour, add the coconut and fold in gently to combine.
Tip the batter into the prepared tin, then bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to sit in the tin for about 20 minutes, then use a small, sharp knife to loosen the edges and carefully remove the cake from the tin before leaving on a wire rack to cool down completely.
To make the icing, whisk together the mascarpone and icing sugar, then spread over the cooled cake using a palette knife and finish by decorating with the sliced mango.
Toscatårta or Swedish almond cake
There is a banquet of baked Swedish treats, from kanelbullar (cinnamon buns) to kladdkaka (sticky chocolate cake), but one of the most well known is this relatively simple but absolutely divine almond cake – a light sponge topped with sweetened buttery almonds. Traditionally eaten at Christmas, it goes down just as well in the summer. Great on its own or with sweet, ripe strawberries.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 45–50 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves: 8–10
3 eggs
150g (5oz) caster sugar
150g (5oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1½ tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk
75g (3oz) butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
For the topping
50g (2oz) butter
100g (3½oz) flaked almonds
50g (2oz) caster sugar
2 tsp plain flour
3 tbsp double or regular cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
23cm (9in) diameter spring-form or loose-bottomed cake tin with 6cm (2½in) sides
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, then grease the base and sides of the cake tin with butter and dust with flour. If you’re using a spring-form tin, make sure the base is upside down, so there’s no lip and the cake can slide off easily when cooked.
Using a hand-held electric beater or an electric food mixer, whisk together the eggs and the sugar for 5–7 minutes or until thick and mousse-like.
Sift in the
