A “Cheerio” Ginger and Apple Cake

Hello everyone! I love Ginger and over the years have made many cakes using this favourite ingredient. I started this page in September 2013 and had intended to carry on for one more year. But I am 74, have a busy life, play lots of Bridge, am a keen amateur genealogist, garden, am a voracious reader of crime novels and I am baking mad. So something has to give and now that our lives are returning to something resembling normality, I want to travel and will head to Australia next month, there is no point going for a couple of weeks.

I must tell you all that I have loved every moment, I will miss seeing the many familiar names and I hope you will continue to check out and use my recipes. My Blog will be there forever! I am Recipes From A Cornish Kitchen! Cheerio and thank you for the happy nine years, Laurie xxx

This is a great dessert cake! You will need a ring tin, well buttered [mine was 10 inches inc the hole!]. Pre heat your fan oven to  160C. Very, very yummy, eaten just warm - or any way at all.

8 oz plain flour

large pinch salt

a heaped teaspoonful of ground ginger

1½ teaspoonfuls each of baking powder and bicarbonate of soda 

Place the above in a large mixing bowl.

In a medium saucepan, over low heat, place:

3 oz butter

4 oz light muscovado sugar

1 oz treacle

4 oz golden syrup

Stirring all the time, until the butter is melted and the sugar combined.

5 fl oz whole milk, slightly warmed in a microwave. Beat in a large egg.

Pour the butter and treacle mix into the flour, then add the milky egg. Mix well and tip into your prepared ring tin. 

Bake for about 35 mins until firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for a few minutes then turn out.

Make a syrup for the fruit and to drizzle:  In a small ish saucepan place:

2 oz golden syrup

8 fl oz water

1 level teaspoonful ground ginger

a teaspoonful of cornflour 

2 tablespoonfuls of stem ginger syrup [from the jar]

Boil the water and golden syrup for 5 mins, then stir in the ginger and arrowroot, that has been mixed with the stem ginger syrup. Boil for a further 2 mins, stirring all the time. I must tell you this syrup tastes absolutely incredible! Meanwhile…

You need 3 large eating apples. I used Pink Lady, peeled, cored and sliced then dipped in lemon juice to stop them going brown.

Add the sliced apples to the glaze and gently poach for a further 15 mins, until just softening.

Now stir in 3 or 4 chopped stem ginger pieces and about a doz [or more if you wish] stoned dates, cut in half. Stir well until everything is coated in the glaze, then using a slotted spoon, tip out into the middle of your ginger cake [that you have placed on a serving dish]. Then pour the remaining glaze over the cake! Serve, with lots of clotted cream, of course!! Enjoy 

Apple filled Almond cake with a Cinnamon topping

I have posted many cakes using apples over the years. But I can honestly say this is just about one of the best, So as I bid you all farewell for the summer I leave you with this delicious cake. I may well post the odd recipe over the summer, if someone hands me an irresistible recipe, but otherwise, I will be back around mid September. I hope everyone has the best summer, lots of sun for us, great holidays, lots of visiting rellies to catch up with after two or three years. 

You will need a 7 inch spring form cake tin, buttered and lined. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

4 oz SR flour

2 oz soft light brown sugar

2 oz ground almonds

3 oz butter

1 small egg, beaten

a teaspoonful or so of lemon juice

a few drops of almonds extract

In a small mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and 1oz of the ground almonds then rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg and lemon juice and bring together. Tip into your prepared tin then sprinkle over the rest of the ground almonds.

1 lb of cooking apples, eg Bramleys

3 oz soft light brown sugar

1 teaspoonful lemon juice

Note: I started off with a tad over 1lb of Bramleys, but by the time I had peeled and cored was left with 13 oz.

Peel and core the apples, then cut into slices. Place in a bowl, then toss with the sugar and lemon juice. Now tip the apples over the almonds mix.

2 oz SR Flour

5 oz soft dark brown sugar

1 teaspoonful ground cinnamon

2 oz butter

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and spice. Lightly rub in the butter and tip over the apples.

Bake for around 1 hour 15 mins, but turn down and cover if browning too much. Leave the cake in the tin to cool, then sprinkle over some icing sugar to serve if you wish. I did not bother.

Enjoy. I have been posting new recipes non stop, weekly, since Xmas and before that from last September, and now it is time for a break. I will miss you all! Have a great summer time.

Cider and Orange Cake

Being Cornish through and through I love cakes where the main fruit is currants, although I do not think this is particularly from here! It was sent to me by a cousin who enthused over the flavours. I agree, the spice combination with the hint of orange is just wonderful, not to mention how wonderfully moist it is. Quite strange with no egg whites and cider as the liquid, but somehow it works. She was right. Trust me! It is utterly delicious.

You will need a 7 inch spring form cake tin, greased and lined. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C.

4 oz of softened butter

6 oz castor sugar

2 large egg yolks

8 oz plain flour

1 teaspoonful baking powder

½ teaspoonful each of cinnamon and allspice

the grated zest of one large orange

8 oz currants

5 fl oz sweet cider

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the yolks. Mix together the flour, spices, fruit and zest. Tip into the butter mix  along with the ciuder. Mix well and tip into your prepared tin and bake for about an hour. Cool in the tin for a bit, then when cold cover with an orange flavoured icing.

6 oz icing sugar

2 tablespoonfuls water approx 

a few drops of orange extract

add some coconut to the mix of you wish!  I did!

Spread over the top of your cider cake. Enjoy! Wow! 

The tantalising smell as I took it from the oven tormented me, and I could barely wait to ice and then slice. The cake was barely cold when I took the pic!!

 

Dark Jamaican Loaf

Well, as you glance down at the ingredients, you just know this will be a very rich and yummy cake. A friend passed me this recipe some time ago and I have been meaning to make it for months. Hey ho, so little time, so many cakes.

You will need a large loaf tin, well greased and the long sides lined with parchment, hanging over the long sides to help you lift it out. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

3 oz softened butter

4 oz soft dark brown sugar or dark muscovado [I used Muscovado]

1 tablespoonful each of golden syrup and black treacle

2 large eggs

mashed ripe banana, 6-7 oz ie about 2 medium fruit

8 oz SR flour

1 teaspoonful mixed spice

large pinch bicarbonate of soda

pinch salt

8 oz plump raisins [I ran out and used sultanas]

2 tablespoonfuls rum

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar, until lighter and fluffy, then whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Now add the banana, then all the remaining ingredients. If still stiff add another tablespoonful rum.

Tip into your prepared tin and bake for about 1¼  hours, until firm to the touch.

Meanwhile, warm a couple of tablespoonfuls of golden syrup.

Remove from the tin, then prick over the top with a fine knitting needle or similar and liberally brush over the warmed syrup.

Absolutely yummy.

 

A Spicy Lemon Cake

When my dear friend Pam handed me this recipe I was a little skeptical, not sure if the spices and lemon would mix together into a delicious cake! I should have trusted my old friend! The smell when you take it out of the oven is just wonderful!

You will need a 7 inch spring form cake tin, greased and lined and your fan oven pre heated to 150C

6 oz softened butter

6 oz caster sugar

2 large eggs

½ teaspoonful ground cinnamon

1 teaspoonful ground ginger

8 oz self raising flour

the grated zest and juice of a large lemon

1 tablespoonful buttermilk or whole milk

Lemon butter icing for filling:

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the eggs, one at a time, with a little of the flour if needed. Add the spices, then fold in the flour and mix well. Finally add the zest, juice and milk. Tip into your prepared tin and bake for about an 1¼ hrs until lightly golden and firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for a short while then lift out. When cold, carefully split in half.

Make a lemon butter icing [or you could use lemon curd]

Softened butter and icing sugar in equal amounts, with lemon zest and a small amount of lemon extract. I love the Sicilian in Asda! 

Fill the cake and sandwich with the fab lemon butter icing. Then just enjoy! Dust the top with a little icing sugar.

Jam Doughnut Muffins

This super recipe was handed to my by a childhood friend Sheila, who is also my husband’s cousin. Well I never. Where did you get this Sheila? How delicious and although you might think it is too fiddly, they were actually a piece of cake to make.

You will need 12 muffin cases to line a muffin tin, and 12 more for the finished “doughnut”.

Pre heat your fan oven to 160C. I used seedless raspberry jam.

7 oz softened butter

7 oz golden caster sugar

3 large eggs

11 oz self raising flour

½ teaspoonful each of bicarbonate of soda and baking powder

scant 4 fl oz of soured cream

Place all the above ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and beat well. Place a large dessertspoonful in each muffin case, making a small indent in the top of the mixture.

Add a teaspoonful of your chosen jam.

Cover over a little more of the left over mixture, gently covering the jam as best you can.

Bake for about 25 mins until golden and and firm to the touch. Cool for 5  mins.

Meanwhile, get a sheet of parchment and place it on your work surface and sprinkle it liberally with caster sugar.

Remove the buns from the cases and roll them in the caster sugar then sit the “doughnuts” in new  cases.

Yummy!! Well I never. Try them just warm.  Oh my! But trust me, they are still great cold, and the next day.

 

Caribbean Lime Cake

You don’t find too many cakes with lime as the predominant flavour and I love this recipe, given to me by an old friend, who has no memory of where it came from. But it is delicious with some very different ingredients. Plus it is an easy peasy all in one mix!! The basic recipe is below, although I increased the amount by a third to make the pictured cake for a special birthday, using a bundt tin.

You will need a loaf tin, greased and lined with parchment, hanging over the long sides to help you lift it out. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

6 oz self raising flour

6 oz softened butter

6 oz golden caster sugar

2 oz desiccated coconut

2 oz of dried banana chips, crushed

the grated zest and juice of a lime

3 eggs

In a medium bowl, place all your ingredients and mix well, for at least 2-3 mins. Well, that’s hard work isn’t it? Tip into your prepared tin and bake for about 55 mins. Cool in the tin for a while then lift out.

Meanwhile, make a topping:

4 tablespoonfuls of icing sugar, sifted

the juice of half a lime and the zest

more desiccated coconut for sprinkling, a couple of tablespoonfuls

[I infused the coconut with some more lime zest 24 hours beforehand, and stored it, covered, in the fridge to infuse]

                                                                                                                                                                            

In a small bowl, mix the coconut and zest together until well combined. Make the lime icing with enough of the juice then spread over the top of the cooled cake. Sprinkle over the lime infused coconut.

I also added some dried banana slices!

Oh Wow!!

Fig Cake

I love figs!!  And this cake is just amazing! My husband calls them tea bags and will sit and munch away the soft dried figs until they are all gone. Many is the time I have gone to my baking cupboard and found none there! This is a very yummy recipe, with a quite unusual method and I hope you all enjoy it!! It is very different! You can find the soft figs ready to eat anywhere now, but I do love them from Lidl.

You will need an 8 inch spring form cake tin, greased and lined, pre heat your fan oven to 160C

12 oz plain flour

6 oz butter

8 oz caster sugar

7½ oz whole milk

4 large egg whites, beaten to soft peaks

1 teaspoonful each of nutmeg and cinnamon

8 oz figs, chopped

1 tablespoonful golden syrup

In a medium bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the flour along with the whole milk, then fold in the egg whites carefully. Add the spices, figs and golden syrup. Tip into your prepared tin and bake for about an hour.

Cool in the tin for a short while then turn out. Dust with icing sugar before serving, if you wish. I did not bother.

While this is technically a cake, it is fab eaten warm with clotted cream of course. Keeps well for about a week in a tin.

What to do with 4 egg yolks?? My husband fried them up and popped them on a slice of toast for lunch.

Porter Cake No 2

I posted Porter Cake No 1 in early 2015, so that is seven years ago! Check it out on my Blog! It is a wonderful cake, and it uses currants, as most old traditional Cornish cakes do. Doesn’t time fly? I came across this different version in my old scrap book, so thought I would give it a try. But take note - the cake needs to rest and mature for 10-12 days before tucking in. Hey ho. Must be done. I used Lidl’s Porter*, just £1.09 for a large bottle. My husband drank the left over!

You will need a 7 inch spring form cake tin, greased and lined, pre heat your fan oven to 150C

4 oz softened butter

4 oz soft light brown sugar [or dark]

2 large eggs

8 oz plain flour

½ teaspoonful baking powder

1 teaspoonful mixed spice

¼ pint [5 fl oz] Porter*

6 oz each of sultanas and raisins

the grated zest of a lemon

In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs one at a time with a small amount of flour with each. Fold in the floor, bp and spice then add the Porter [or Guinness], mixing well, then finally stir in the zest and fruit.

Tip into your prepared tin and level off. Bake for about 1½ hours, then cool in the tin. When cold, pierce all over the top of the cake with a fine knitting needle or similar. Spoon over some more Porter, then allow to dry for half an hour.

Wrap in parchment and foil [I am a fan of parchment lined foil, available in Lakeland] then after a week, unwrap and pour over more Porter, if you wish. Wrap again before munching a few days later.

Well I never, how yummy. Enjoy

Note: The smell when you unwrap is just wonderful.