CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 08:59 Page 2

Other Right Way cookery books

Easy Jams, Chutneys and Preserves

The Curry Secret
The New Curry Secret
Slow Cooking Properly Explained
Slow Cooking: Best New Recipes

www.constablerobinson.com/rightway
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 08:59 Page 3

PERFECT
CAKES
EVERY TIME

Victoria Combe
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 08:59 Page 4

Constable and Robinson Ltd

3 The Lanchesters
162 Fulham Palace Road
London W6 9ER
www.constablerobinson.com

Originally published as Foolproof Cake Recipes by Robinson Publishing 1998.

Selection and editorial material © The Daily Telegraph 1998.
Textual copyright © Various. Illustrations © Slatter-Anderson.
This edition published by Right Way,
an imprint of Constable & Robinson, 2009.

All rights reserved.This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not,
by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated
in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published
and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed
on the subsequent purchaser.

Every effort has been made by the Publishers and The Daily Telegraph
to contact each individual contributor. If any recipe has appeared
without proper acknowledgement, the Publishers and The Daily Telegraph
apologise unreservedly.

A copy of the British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-0-7160-2215-2

Printed and bound in the EU

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 08:59 Page 5

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 7

1. CAKE KNOW-HOW 11

2. SPONGE CAKES 15

3. FRUIT CAKES 53

4. SMALL CAKES AND BISCUITS 83

5. CHOCOLATE CAKES 99

6. PARTY CAKES 127

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 157

INDEX 158
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 08:59 Page 7

INTRODUCTION

Fresh back from honeymoon – with sand still in my shoes – my

husband John announced that his parents were coming for after-
noon tea. I blanched. Tea meant baking cakes – a foreign and
mysterious process that I had never dared attempt.
Quivering over my shiny new kitchen scales, I set about making
ginger nuts because the recipe claimed they could not fail. But they
could – and they did. I had to hide the humiliating brown splodges
glued to the baking tray and resort to a box of Mr Kipling.
Knowing that this must not happen again, I appealed for help
in a column to readers of The Daily Telegraph.Their response was
wonderful. I received tried and tested recipes which had been
family treasures through the generations, and through both world
wars. Given such encouragement, I set about learning how to
bake cakes and I am still doing so.
But this book is not about my own misadventures with baking
tins. It is founded on the wisdom of readers who were generous
enough to impart their own recipes for easy-to-make delicious
cakes which have wooed in-laws, difficult children and even
members of the W.I. Inspired by such riches, I felt moved to go
back to the mixing bowl.
I began with a Moist Lemon Cake (page 140) from Pam
Daniels, of Norwich, which she claimed ‘went down a bomb’
with the W.I. and had been a favourite of her late husband, who
died just before their Golden Wedding Anniversary. Mrs Daniels
insisted on free-range eggs.Admittedly, I was a bit cack-handed at
grating the lemon, but coped well with measuring and wielding
the food processor. I had to wait 40 minutes for the outcome, but
it was worth it. I opened the oven door to see a risen, golden cake.
My spirits soared.
7
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 08:59 Page 8

8 Introduction

I marvelled at the number of women who are so proficient in

the art of cake-making. In this age of women’s emancipation, we
are expected to be coy about homely skills. The very idea of a
woman in her pinny turning out a perfect cherry cake amounts
to incorrect thinking. Nonetheless, when my cry for help went
out, readers rallied with enthusiasm.They seemed to rejoice at the
thought that a newly-married woman might worry about the
contents of a cake stand before offering tea to her mother-in-law.
I held a mini-contest on readers’ recipes in our Wiltshire
kitchen with two little boys who live nearby acting as judges. I
made six cakes, all of which claimed to be idiot-proof. They all
came off, but Mrs Daniels’ Moist Lemon Cake was voted a clear
winner by Harry, six, and his three-year-old brother Marcus.
The runners-up also appear in this book. There is a splendid
Chocolate Truffle Cake (page 110) from Ann Meddings, of
Kingston in Surrey, which works well as a pudding served with
crème fraîche and a few summer berries on the side, and a Sticky
Ginger Cake (page 20) from Barbara Jackson, of Penicuik in
Midlothian.
It was Mrs. Jackson, generously imparting her mother’s secret
cake recipe, who warned me that home-bakers were a ‘very evan-
gelising species’. One mouthful of her Sticky Ginger Cake and
my face shone with the look of a new convert.
I have learned, to my astonishment, that I find sweet pleasure
from seeing a freshly-baked cake standing proud on a baking tray.
I know it is not what is expected of a young woman on a Sunday
afternoon, when there is paragliding and deep-sea diving on offer.
Yet in a funny sort of way it is exciting and there is plenty of risk.
As Adam Lindsay Gordon had it:

‘There is no game that is worth a rap

For a rational man to play
Into which no accident, no mishap
Can possibly find its way.’
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 08:59 Page 9

Introduction 9

So here I am, the new evangelist. I cannot yet pretend to know

all about baking, and I learn more with every cake. But what the
authors of these recipes offer is a wealth of knowledge which I
hope may inspire other novices like me to dabble in the mixing
bowl.
A warning note: there is a lot of kit involved. There seems no
limit to the choice of baking tins. And when it comes to the
ingredients, I quake at the variety of flours and sugars on offer. My
humble advice is to keep your eye on the kitchen scales. My sis-
ter Rachel, who helped to build my confidence in early baking
days, advised me that baking was essentially a science. If the chem-
istry was to work, she said, I needed to be precise in my measure-
ments. Experienced cooks may use a pinch of this and a handful
of that. Novices cannot.
Rachel gave me an American Pound Cake recipe (page 45)
which she inherited from her great grandmother-in-law from
Louisiana. Rachel made this rich, buttery cake for us at home and
it was devoured by our three brothers before it had time to cool
in the tin. It is a big, hearty cake for hungry chaps.
My mother-in-law, Pam Whitwam, who involuntarily started
the whole thing rolling, has considerately passed on her brilliant
Chocolate Cake recipe (page 115) which kept her two sons very
happy and which husband John chose for his birthday cake when
a child. My first attempt won modified praise. Not quite as good
as Mum made.
Never mind. Novices have to start somewhere.This is meant to
be a vote of thanks to so many correspondents who encouraged
me to travel down the wiggly road towards perfect cake making.

Thank you.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 08:59 Page 11

1
CAKE KNOW-HOW

Do not be put off by the formidable baking sections in supermar-

kets, which are always surrounded by brisk, efficient shoppers
whom you would never dare ask for advice. Here is a crash course
in ingredients which will help you bluff your way to the check-
out, unscathed.

Flour
Some people rely on self-raising for every cake, others are fussier
about the flours they use.
There are two types: high-gluten (strong) and low-gluten
(weak).A strong flour, which is used in bread making, has a gluten
content of 10–15 per cent, which gives it good raising power and
a light, open texture. A soft flour, with a low gluten content of
7–10 per cent, absorbs fat well, gives a smaller rise and a finer tex-
ture, and is best for most cakes and biscuits.
Choosing between plain and self-raising is like choosing
between an automatic and a geared car.The ‘automatic’ flour gives
you a good balance of raising agents, but with plain flour you can
control what you add. The general advice is 21/2 teaspoons of
baking powder to every 250 g/8 oz plain flour.
Sifting flour makes it easier to mix. Some stalwart bakers swear
that sifting flour leads to a lighter cake.

Sugar
Go for caster sugar for sponge cakes, and if you have run out and
are desperate, you can always whizz some granulated in a liquidis-
er/food processor for a similar effect.
Soft brown sugar, dark or light, gives a caramel flavour and is
best in ginger cakes and fruit cakes.
11
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 08:59 Page 12

12 Cake Know-how

Demerara sugar is coarser than granulated and is suitable in

cakes where the ingredients are heated before baking so that the
sugar dissolves.
Other sweeteners
Treacle gives a lovely dark colour to chocolate, ginger and fruit
cakes. It is not as sweet as its blonde sister, golden syrup, which
goes well in cakes with spices, such as cinnamon, allspice and nut-
meg. Both give a good sticky texture.
Honey is an excellent sweetener, but keep in mind that it is
sweeter than sugar. It has a distinctive flavour and also has the
great advantage of keeping cakes fresher for longer.
Fat
Most cakes are made with butter or margarine, though some use
oil, which is easy to mix but has a rather flat taste. Some people
insist that butter tastes better and is worth the extra expense. Do
not use butter or margarine straight from the fridge.

Fruit
Dried fruit should be plump and soft. If it has gone horrible and hard,
soak it in hot water for a few minutes and drain on kitchen paper.

Eggs
The debate over whether to use free-range eggs or ordinary eggs is
complicated and I will not attempt to enter into the right/wrong
row over how the chickens are kept. I do know that free-range eggs
taste better and have a richer colour, but they cost more.
Be careful when using recipes with raw eggs. The risk of sal-
monella means that they should not be given to pregnant and
nursing mothers, small children or the elderly.
Nuts
Everyone knows the risks of nut allergies and the need to tell
people if a cake has any trace of nuts in its ingredients. For some
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 08:59 Page 13

Cake Know-how 13

people with an allergy, even touching a walnut on top of a cake

could cause a life-threatening reaction. In the light of this, it is
advisable not to give cakes containing nuts to very small children
without consulting their parents beforehand.
Measurements
Both metric and imperial measurements are given in the recipes.
Either is fine, but do not mix the two, as they do vary very slightly.
Standard level spoon measurements are used throughout.
1 tablespoon = 15 ml
1 teaspoon = 5 ml
Preparing the cake tins
First of all, invest in a good variety of tins: two sandwich, one deep
tin with a loose bottom, a bun tray, a muffin tray, loaf tins both big
and small and a ring tin for special celebration cakes.
Grease the cake tins lightly with softened butter or margarine
– preferably unsalted – or you can use oil.Then line the tin with
greaseproof paper, which also needs to be thoroughly greased.
For fruit cakes, you need to line the whole tin.You could make
the liners yourself if you are a sucker for punishment, or you can
buy them in bulk. I use Lakeland, which have an efficient mail
order service (www.lakeland.co.uk).
Sponge cakes need only be lined on the bottom of the tin –
ready-cut discs of paper can be bought, or made at home.You will
be able to use that school compass again.
With a very rich fruit mixture, which needs a long cooking
time, it is a good idea to put a double strip of thick brown paper
around the outside of the tin.This helps prevent the outside of the
cake overcooking.
Baking cakes
Ovens should always be preheated to the temperature stated in
the recipe. If you have a fan-assisted oven, follow the manufactur-
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 08:59 Page 14

14 Cake Know-how

er’s instructions for adjusting times and temperatures. It is usually

advisable to shave off five to seven minutes from the time, but no
two cookers are exactly the same.
When a cake is cooked, it should be well risen, golden brown,
and starting to shrink away from the sides.You can pierce the cake
with a skewer and if it comes out clean, with no traces of mix-
ture, the cake is ready.
It can be difficult to tell when a cake is cooked. Another way
to do this is to press the centre of the top of the cake lightly with
a finger. It should feel spongy, give slight resistance to the pressure,
and bounce back quickly, leaving no fingermark.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 15

2
SPONGE CAKES

15
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 16

16 Sponge Cakes

Carrot Cake
250 g/8 oz butter 5–6 medium carrots, grated
375 g/12 oz demerara sugar 175 g/6 oz walnuts, chopped
finely grated rind of 1 75 ml/3 fl oz warm water
orange 3 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs 1/
2 teaspoon salt
300 g/10 oz plain flour
1/
2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of
soda

u Grease and line the base of a 23 cm/9 inch round, high-

sided cake tin. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas
Mark 4.
v Cream together the butter, sugar and orange rind. Add
the eggs and sift in the flour.
w Then add the nutmeg, cinnamon, bicarbonate of
soda, grated carrots, chopped walnuts, warm water,
baking powder and salt. Now give the mixture a real-
ly good stir.
x Put the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin and
bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour 10 minutes, or
until the top springs back when pressed lightly.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 17

Sponge Cakes 17

y Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then

turn out on a cake rack and allow to cool completely.

Tony Hogger
Blackshots, Grays

‘Carrot cake’s a
wonderful thing.
You can kid yourself
that it’s healthier than
other cakes and eat
several slices without
feeling in the least
bit guilty.’

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Oven Temperature: 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4

Reader’s Tip: A delicious topping for carrot cake

is to mix cream cheese with lemon
juice and cover the cake with this.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 18

18 Sponge Cakes

Granny’s No-Fail Sponge

3 eggs, separated
75 g/3 oz caster sugar
75 g/3 oz self-raising flour,
sifted with 1/2 teaspoon
baking powder
raspberry jam
double cream, whipped with
a little caster sugar

u Grease and flour two 18 cm/7 inch cake tins and pre-
heat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas Mark 6.
v Whisk the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Now add
the caster sugar and whisk again to get a glossy finish.
w Drop in the egg yolks in three different places and
whisk for 1 minute.
x Fold in the sifted flour and baking powder, using a metal
spoon.
y Turn the mixture into the prepared cake tins and bake
in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the edges
begin to shrink away from the sides. Allow to cool on a
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 19

Sponge Cakes 19

cooling rack. Sandwich the two cakes together with

raspberry jam and whipped cream.

Emma Gardner
Newtonabbey, Northern Ireland

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Oven Temperature: 200ºC/400ºF/Gas Mark 6

Reader’s Tip: This is a fat-free sponge, which is

easier on the tummy – if you don’t
load on the double cream. When
you separate the eggs, try to keep
the yolks whole so as to stop any
yolk getting into the white.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 20

20 Sponge Cakes

Sticky Ginger Cake

300 g/10oz self-raising flour
200 g/7 oz soft light brown
sugar
125 g/4 oz butter or
margarine
3/
4 teaspoon bicarbonate of
soda
2 teaspoons ginger powder
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 egg
250 ml/8 fl oz milk

u Grease and line a 14 x 24 cm/6 x 91/2 inch rectangular

baking tray, or a 20 cm/8 inch square baking tray.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
v Put all the ingredients except the milk into a mixing
bowl.
w Heat the milk to boiling point. Pour the hot milk into
the bowl, and mix well until really smooth.
x Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated
oven for 30 minutes or until the top springs back when
pressed.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 21

Sponge Cakes 21

y Leave to cool for 10 minutes before turning out on to

a cooling rack.

Barbara Jackson
Penicuik, Midlothian

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutess
Oven Temperature: 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4

Reader’s Tip: All the ingredients should be at

room temperature before use. Do
not try to use margarine or butter
straight from the fridge.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 22

22 Sponge Cakes

Cherry Layer Cake

150 g/5 oz self-raising flour
125 g/4 oz caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
7 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
125 g/4 oz glacé cherries,
quartered

u Grease and line two 18 cm/7 inch cake tins or, if you
prefer, use 20 little cake cases. Preheat the oven to
200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
v Sift together the flour, sugar and baking powder.
w Add the eggs, oil, milk, vanilla essence and glacé cher-
ries. Beat well, using a wooden spoon, or a hand or elec-
tric mixer, until all the ingredients are well blended and
the mixture is smooth.
x Divide the mixture between the two prepared cake tins,
or the 20 little cake cases. Bake the large cakes for 20
minutes, or the small ones for 10–15 minutes, until the
cakes are well risen and springy to the touch.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 23

Sponge Cakes 23

y Fill and ice the cakes as you wish.

Gillian and Yvonne
Darlington, County Durham

‘This is my mainstay for speed

and variety, as the flavourings you
use can be varied according to taste.
It’s honestly impossible to spoil:
idiot-proof, and husband-, student
daughter- and bachelor
brother-proof too.’

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 10–20 minutes
Oven Temperature: 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6

Reader’s Tip: This mixture is much more liquid

than the creamed mixture you need
for a Victoria sponge – more like a
thick batter. If you use individual
cake cases, it’s a good idea to place
these in deep bun tins to help them
keep their shape.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 24

24 Sponge Cakes

Orange Snow Cake

150 g/5 oz margarine
75 g/3 oz caster sugar
2 eggs, separated
250 g/8 oz self-raising flour
2 tablespoons marmalade
rind and juice of 1 orange
icing sugar, for dusting

u Grease and line the base of an 18 cm/7 inch round,

deep-sided cake tin with greaseproof paper. Preheat the
oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
v Cream together the margarine and sugar, then add the
egg yolks. Sift in the flour, and stir in the marmalade, the
orange rind and 4 tablespoons of the juice.
w Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold in a couple of
tablespoons of egg white, then fold in the rest.
x Transfer the cake mixture to the prepared tin and bake
in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Check after
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 25

Sponge Cakes 25

30 minutes and if it is browning too much, cover it with

greaseproof paper or foil, or move it to a lower shelf.
When the cake is cooked, turn out on to a cake rack
and allow to cool. Dust the cake with a little icing sugar,
for a ‘snow’ effect.

Tony Hogger
Blackshots, Grays

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Oven Temperature: 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5

Reader’s Tip: A smooth marmalade is probably

your best choice for this cake.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 26

26 Sponge Cakes

Swiss Roll
125 g/4 oz caster sugar, plus
a little extra for dusting
3 eggs
65 g/21/2 oz plain flour, sifted
1/
4 teaspoon salt
warm jam and whipped
cream, for filling

u Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Put the

caster sugar on aluminium foil on a heat-resistant plate
in the centre of the oven for 6 minutes.
v Meanwhile, grease a Swiss roll tin and oil a sheet of
greaseproof paper cut to the size of the tin.
w Beat the eggs for 10 minutes and add the sugar. Then
gently fold in the flour and salt with a spatula.
x Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared tin and
cook in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes until
golden brown, well risen and springy to the touch.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 27

Sponge Cakes 27

y Meanwhile, have ready a sheet of greaseproof paper heav-

ily dusted with caster sugar over a folded newspaper. Run
a knife around the edges of the cake, turn it out on to the
prepared greaseproof paper. Leave to cool and, after about
30–45 minutes, spread the surface with warmed jam and
cream. Roll up with the aid of the paper.

Daphne King-Brewster
Holyhead, North Wales

Preparation Time: 30 minutes, plus cooling time

Cooking Time: 12–15 minutes
Oven Temperature: 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5

Reader’s Tip: Choose a good-quality jam for

the filling, with a high percentage
of fruit.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 28

28 Sponge Cakes

Apple Cake
250 g/8 oz self-raising flour 1 medium egg
125 g/4 oz butter or mar- 1 tablespoon milk
garine 2 tablespoons caster sugar
125 g/4 oz soft light brown 1/
2 teaspoon cinnamon
sugar
250 g/8 oz peeled and
roughly diced cooking
apple

u Grease and flour a rectangular baking tin about 28 x 18

cm/11 x 7 inches. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/
Gas Mark 6.
v Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl and rub in the but-
ter or margarine with your fingertips until the mixture
resembles fine breadcrumbs.
w Stir in the brown sugar and cooking apple, then add the
egg and the milk to make a fairly stiff mixture, with a
reluctant dropping consistency.
x Mix together the caster sugar and cinnamon, and set
aside. Put the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin
and sprinkle the reserved mixture of sugar and cinna-
mon over the top of the cake.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 29

Sponge Cakes 29

y Bake in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes.Turn out

and allow to cool on a cake rack, and cut into squares to
serve.

Tony Hogger
Blackshots, Grays

‘Bramleys are the best choice

of apple for this cake –
no question. When they are
cooked, they become
mouthwateringly fluffy inside.’

Makes 16 x 5 cm/2 inch squares

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30–35 minutes
Oven Temperature: 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6

Reader’s Tip: It is best not to slice this cake until

it is completely cool, otherwise it
has a tendency to fall apart.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 30

30 Sponge Cakes

Lemon Drizzle Cake

125 g/4 oz hard margarine, Syrup
softened 2 tablespoons granulated
75 g/3 oz sugar sugar
2 eggs juice of 1 lemon
150 g/5 oz self-raising flour
2 tablespoons lemon curd
grated rind of 1/2 large lemon

u Grease and line a 1 kg/2 lb loaf tin and preheat the oven
to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
v Cream together the margarine and sugar until soft.Then
add a little of the egg and a little flour alternately. Add
the lemon curd and rind.
w Turn out the cake mixture into the prepared loaf tin and
bake for 45 minutes–1 hour.
x Meanwhile, to make the syrup, heat the sugar gently
until dissolved, then add the lemon juice. Take off the
heat and allow to cool.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 31

Sponge Cakes 31

y When the cake is cooked, take it out of the oven but

leave in the tin. Pour over the syrup and leave to cool.

Mrs. N. Ashworth
Lincoln

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes–1 hour
Oven Temperature: 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4

Reader’s Tip: If the mixture curdles, add a little

more flour while mixing in the egg.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 32

32 Sponge Cakes

Victoria Sponge
175 g/6 oz caster sugar 11/2 teaspoons baking pow-
175 g/6 oz butter at room der (optional)
temperature a little milk
3 large eggs at room temper- caster sugar, for dredging
ature, beaten
3 drops vanilla essence
175 g/6 oz self-raising flour,
sifted

u Grease and line two 18 cm/7 inch cake tins and preheat
the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
v Cream together the sugar and butter until pale and
fluffy. Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after
each addition, then add the vanilla essence. Fold in half
the flour and the baking powder, if using, with a metal
spoon, then fold in all the remaining flour and add a few
drops of milk to give it a dropping consistency.
w Place half the mixture in each cake tin and level it with
a palette knife. Bake both cakes on the middle shelf of
the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, turning the
tins halfway through the cooking time, or until well
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 33

Sponge Cakes 33

risen, golden brown, firm to the touch and beginning to

shrink away from the sides of the tins.Turn out and cool
on a wire rack.
x When the cakes are cool, sandwich them together with
cream, jam or butter cream, as you wish, and dredge
with caster sugar.

John Wright
Grantown on Spey

‘This is the definitive sponge mix,

which was passed down from
Mr. Wright’s grandfather who was
a master baker.’

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: about 20 minutes
Oven Temperature: 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5

Reader’s Tip: Do not use eggs straight from the

fridge but take them out at least
30 minutes beforehand.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 34

34 Sponge Cakes

Victoria Cake
125 g/4 oz butter, softened
41/2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 large eggs
41/2 tablespoons self-raising
flour, sifted
1 teaspoon water or lemon
juice

u Grease a 15–20 cm/6–8 inch Pyrex casserole dish,

which will not stick as easily as a metal cake tin. Preheat
the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
v Put the butter in a mixing bowl and then rub in the
sugar using your fingers.
w Break in 1 of the eggs and mix in. Spoon in 1 table-
spoon flour and mix in, then add the other egg and
another tablespoon flour. Mix in the water or lemon
juice, then tip in the remaining flour and mix this in.
x Transfer the cake mixture to the prepared casserole dish
and bake in the preheated oven for 11/4 hours.Then turn
off the oven and leave the cake in the oven for another
15 minutes.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 35

Sponge Cakes 35

y Allow the cake to cool, then run a knife blade around

the dish and invert the cake.

Vera Hopwood
Craven Arms, Shropshire

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 11/4 hours
Oven Temperature: 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3

Reader’s Tip: A good way of softening the butter

is to slice it and leave it in a plastic
mixing bowl for a couple of hours
at (warm) room temperature.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 36

36 Sponge Cakes

Buttering Cake
125 g/4 oz margarine a pinch of salt
125 g/4 oz sugar 1/ teaspoon ground
4
250 ml/8 fl oz milk cinnamon (optional)
250 g/8 oz dried fruit 1 egg, lightly beaten
250 g/8 oz self-raising flour,
sifted

u Grease and line a 1 kg/2 lb loaf tin and preheat the oven
to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
v Place the margarine, sugar, milk and fruit in a saucepan
and heat gently until the sugar is dissolved. Leave to cool
for 5 minutes.
w Add the flour, salt and cinnamon, if using. Mix well.
Then add the egg and mix everything together with a
wooden spoon.
x Turn out the cake mixture into the prepared loaf tin,
then bake in the preheated oven for 11/4 hours. Leave to
cool before turning it out, then slice before serving.
Vera Beba
Spalding

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 11/4 hours
Oven Temperature: 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3
Reader’s Tip: Butter the slices of cake before
eating them, and enjoy!
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Sponge Cakes 37

Yogurt Cake
250 g/8 oz self-raising flour 50 ml/2 fl oz oil
125 g/4 oz sugar 125 g/4 oz plain yogurt
1 egg
a few drops vanilla essence

u Grease and line a 1 kg/2 lb loaf tin and preheat the oven
to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
v Combine the flour with the sugar, then beat in the egg,
vanilla essence, oil and yogurt.
w Pour the cake mixture into the prepared loaf tin and
bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.Turn out on to a
cooling rack.

M. Atkinson
Wetherby

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour
Oven Temperature: 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4

Reader’s Tip: This yogurt cake is especially good

when it is spread with a little of
your favourite jam.
CAKES-FINAL 22/7/09 09:00 Page 38

38 Sponge Cakes

Cinnamon Cake
250 g/8 oz plain flour Topping
2 teaspoons baking powder 1 tablespoon melted butter
a pinch of salt 1/
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cinnamon 50 g/2 oz caster sugar
125 g/4 oz butter or mar- 25 g/1 oz cornflakes
garine
175 g/6 oz caster sugar
2 eggs, separated
150 ml/1/4 pint milk

u Grease a 23 cm/9 inch cake tin. Preheat the oven to

190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
v Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinna-
mon into a large mixing bowl.
w Add the butter or margarine, sugar and egg yolks, and
mix together well.
x Add the milk and stir until combined.
y Beat the egg whites until stiff and then fold into the
cake mixture.
z Transfer the mixture to the prepared cake tin.
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Sponge Cakes 39

{ To make the topping, melt the butter and stir in the cin-
namon, sugar and cornflakes. Scatter over the top of the
cake.
| Bake for about 30–35 minutes until cooked.
Moira Bourke
Glasgow

‘It was an inspired idea to use

cornflakes in the topping – they give
a deliciously crunchy texture.’

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 30–35 minutes
Oven Temperature: 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5

Reader’s Tip: Use either the ‘old-fashioned’

(imperial) measures or the new
(metric) ones as you prefer, but
never mix the two.