Mother's Day Treats
Scented Alphonso Mango Pavlova (main image above)
To me the appearance of Alphonso mangoes in the shops signals the arrival of the very earliest part of summer. During May in our house we devour this unrivalled fruit, with its creamy texture and heady perfume. They are simply delicious on their own (my husband believes there is no other way), but I've blended the Alphonso here with the flavours from one of my favourite yogurt dishes from Gujarat – saffron, cardamom and pistachio – to provide the filling for a marshmallowy meringue.
You can get everything ready in advance earlier in the day (and the meringue a few days ahead), but assemble the pavlova only a couple of hours before serving.
Serves 8
FOR THE MERINGUE
3 tsp cornflour
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 egg whites, at room temperature
pinch of salt
250g caster sugar
FOR THE FILLING
2 tbsp pistachios (or flaked almonds)
2 tsp milk
a few strands of saffron
20 cardamom pods
160ml whipping cream
400g plain yogurt
3 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
5 fully ripe Alphonso mangos
freshly picked dry, unsprayed edible flowers (optional)
Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Scatter the pistachio nuts for the filling on a baking tray and roast lightly for three or four minutes. Cool slightly, chop and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 140°C/fan 120°C/275°F/gas mark 1. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and draw a circle on it (mine was about 24cm in diameter). Turn the paper over so the pencil mark is underneath.
To make the meringue, in a small bowl, mix the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla extract. In a very clean, dry, grease-free bowl, place the egg whites and salt. Using a food mixer or a bowl and a hand-held electric whisk, whisk until soft peaks form, then continue to whisk, adding the sugar a large spoon at a time, alternating with the cornflour mix. Spoon the meringue into the circle on the tray, hollowing the centre and building the sides higher. Bake for one hour, then turn the oven off, leaving the meringue inside until cold. You can store it now in an airtight container for a few days.
Warm the milk in a small pan and add the saffron. Set aside. With the point of a knife, split the husk of each cardamom pod and empty the seeds into a mortar. Grind to a powder, then sift to remove the husks. In a bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks and fold in the yogurt, cardamom, saffron milk and icing sugar.
When ready to serve, place the pavlova on a cake stand or plate. Spoon in the deliciously scented yogurt cream. Peel, then cube or slice the mangos and arrange on top. Scatter over the roasted pistachios. I also sprinkled it with alkanet flowers from my garden.
Simnel Cake
The perfect cake to celebrate Easter. This is a lighter spiced fruit cake than that we associate with Christmas, and the baked marzipan centre results in a deliciously moist, very moreish cake.
Serves 8
FOR THE MARZIPAN
200g ground almonds
140g icing sugar, plus more to dust
140g golden caster sugar
2 drops of almond extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1 egg, lightly beaten
FOR THE CAKE
220g unsalted butter, very soft, plus more for the tin
170g self-raising flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
50g ground almonds
220g light muscovado sugar
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
finely grated zest of 1 orange
4 eggs, lightly beaten
200g sultanas
70g currants
150g glacé cherries, halved
50g mixed peel, in chunks
TO FINISH
2 tbsp apricot jam (or honey)
1 egg yolk, beaten
freshly picked and dry edible flowers, such as primroses
selection of 70cm lengths of 4–5mm-wide ribbon
For the marzipan, put the ground almonds and sugars into a bowl. Add the almond extract, lemon juice and enough egg to bind. Knead only lightly. Remove one-third, roll out on a work top dusted with icing sugar and cut out a 20cm circle. (Seal the remainder in a plastic food bag until needed.)
Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Butter a 20cm round, deep cake tin and line with baking parchment. Fold a strip of brown paper around the outside and tie with string.
Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a bowl and add the ground almonds. Place the butter, sugar and zests into the bowl of a food mixer. Cream until light and fluffy, then add the egg slowly, with 1 tbsp of the flour mixture halfway through to prevent curdling. Add the remaining flour mixture a little at a time, alternating with the dried fruits, glacé cherries and peel.
Spread half the batter into the tin and add the circle of marzipan. Spoon over the remaining batter, smooth and bake for 1¾–2 hours, or until well risen and a deeper brown. (If necessary, lay a piece of foil with a hole over the top to stop it over-browning.) Leave in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn on to a rack to cool.
Use half the remaining marzipan and a work top dusted with icing sugar to roll out another 20cm circle. Warm the jam gently in a pan, then push it through a sieve (if using honey, simply warm it gently). Turn the cake over and brush the flat surface with most of the jam. Place the circle of marzipan on top, and make a criss-cross pattern on it with a knife. Use the side of a teaspoon or the back of a knife to scallop the edge. Roll 11 balls from the remaining marzipan, and stick them on with the remaining jam.
Glaze with egg yolk, and place under a hot grill (watch like a hawk), or use a kitchen blowtorch, until it is a lightly toasted gold. Decorate with the flowers and ribbons just before serving.
Summer Extravaganza
Maximum impact with just a bit of effort and a wonderful centrepiece for any special occasion, even a small wedding. Everything on the cake is edible: crystallised roses, dog roses from the hedgerow, daisies, cherries and currants. For children, cover with sweets or biscuits. Just use your imagination!
Serves 30
FOR THE TOP TIER (15CM, SERVES 6); MIDDLE TIER (20CM, SERVES 8); BASE TIER (25CM, SERVES 16)
175g (225g; 550g) unsalted butter, really soft, in pieces, plus more for the tins
175g (225g; 550g) self-raising flour
1 tsp (1; 2) baking powder
3 eggs (4; 8), lightly beaten
1 tsp (1; 2) vanilla extract (or seeds of ½/½/1 vanilla pod)
175g (225g; 550g) golden caster sugar
FOR THE FILLING
100ml (200ml; 300ml) clotted cream, whipped
4 tbsp (8; 8) jam of your choice, plus more to stick
icing sugar, to dust
FOR THE DECORATION
crystallised flowers (see below)
200g cherries with stalks
150g redcurrants with stalks
TO ASSEMBLE
3 round thin cakes boards: 15cm; 20cm; 25cm
8 dowelling sticks
30cm cake stand or serving plate
Follow the instructions for Classic Victoria Sandwich (see below), filling, in turn, a 15cm deep round cake tin, two 20cm sandwich tins and two 25cm sandwich tins with the batter. It's best to make the batter and bake the cakes one batch at a time. The batter in the 15cm tin needs to be twice as deep as that in the other tins. Bake the 15cm cake for 50–55 minutes (because it is very deep), the 20cm cake for 25–30 minutes, and the 25cm cake for 30–35 minutes. Cool, turn all the cakes upside down and fill (see below), cutting the small cake in half horizontally to do so.
Attach each cake to the right-sized cake board with a blob of jam. Check they are all level and, if not, trim them level with a serrated knife. At this stage they can be stored in the fridge for quite a number of hours, ready to be assembled a few hours before required. Dust all three cakes with icing sugar.
Insert four dowelling sticks vertically into the largest cake, spacing them apart to form a square sitting just within where the middle cake will rest. Push each stick down on the board until it will go no further, then mark with a pen about 1mm above the surface. Remove each stick, score where it is marked with a knife and snap. Replace the sticks into the holes. Repeat for the middle tier.
To stack the three cakes, simply place the largest cake, still on its board, on to a cake stand or serving plate. Place the middle tier on top, checking it is exactly in the centre, then add the top tier.
Now the cake is all ready for decorating. And this couldn't be simpler. Once you have crystallised your flowers (see below), simply arrange them on the cake with the cherries and currants. (A few carefully placed cocktail sticks can be useful to drape the fruit from.) You will have to decorate the cake on site, as it cannot be moved once the flowers and fruits have been arranged.
Classic Victoria Sandwich
Almost nothing surpasses a freshly baked Victoria sandwich. Serve it up while lazing in the garden on a warm summer's day with a pot of tea. It is utterly delicious and completely foolproof to make with this all-in-one method. Really fantastic fresh eggs from my friend Sarah have made the cake in this photo a beautiful glowing yellow colour.
Less classic fillings can also be marvellous. Try sliced fresh strawberries instead of jam, or, for a lighter, simpler cake, just jam with no cream. Or try 2 tbsp lemon curd and a crushed meringue folded into 200ml lightly whipped cream, or swap the curd with dulce de leche for a caramel filling.
Serves 8
FOR THE CAKE
225g unsalted butter, really soft, in pieces, plus more for the tins
225g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract (or seeds from 1 vanilla pod)
225g golden caster sugar
FOR THE FILLING
220ml tub clotted cream or double cream, lightly whipped to thicken
8 tbsp best-quality strawberry, raspberry or cherry jam, or Rose Petal Jelly (see page 108)
icing sugar, to dust
Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Butter two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment. To make this all-in-one cake, you can use a food mixer, a large bowl and a hand-held electric whisk, or a food processor.
Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl. Add the eggs, vanilla, sugar and butter. Cream together thoroughly, but not too enthusiastically as you want a light sponge. Divide the batter between the tins and smooth the surfaces.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave the cakes in their tins for a couple of minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool. Leave until cold.
When ready to serve, select the best-looking cake for the top and place the other, baked top-side down, on a serving plate. Spread with cream. Spread the flat side of the top cake with the jam. Sandwich the two cakes together.
Dust with icing sugar and serve on the day it is made. The unfilled cake can be frozen ahead, but only fill it on the day it is served.
Crystallising Flowers
One of the easiest and prettiest ways to decorate any cake (or pudding) throughout the spring and summer. A wide selection of edible flowers and leaves can be crystallised, just do make sure they are dry and haven't been sprayed with insecticide.
In summer you can crystallise rose petals, rose buds, whole roses, pansies, mint leaves, sweet geranium leaves, daisies, lavender and anchusa. In spring, try pansies, primulas, primroses and violets.
1 egg white
white caster sugar
selection of dry edible flowers, petals or leaves
TOOLS
small paintbrush
fine florist's wire (optional)
Line a baking sheet or two with baking parchment. Place the egg white in a bowl and whisk it a little with a fork. Tip the caster sugar into another bowl.
Paint each flower, petal or leaf – one at a time – with egg white, being sure that every surface is lightly covered. Using a teaspoon, sprinkle over the sugar, holding the flower, petal or leaf over the sugar bowl, until every surface is covered. Gently shake off the excess and lay the flower, petal or leaf on a baking sheet.
If crystallising whole roses, either lay to dry on a baking sheet with the other flowers, or push a fine florist's wire through the base of the rose and hook the end of the wire over a glass. The flowers will dry hanging. Leave for 24 hours, or until thoroughly dry. The smaller petals and flowers will dry in a few hours, or overnight in a dry, warm place (an airing cupboard is perfect).
Store in a dry place in an airtight container. If they have been completely covered in egg white and sugar they may keep for many weeks, but any gap in the coating will shorten their lives.
Almond-Apricot Pansy Cake
A wonderful cake to serve for tea, or as a dessert. It would be equally good with a blackcurrant or cherry jam. I have decorated it with pansies on top, but primroses, violets or a mixture would be equally pretty.
Serves 8
FOR THE CAKE
225g unsalted butter, really soft, plus more for the tins
160g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
60g ground almonds
225g golden caster sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp almond extract
finely grated zest of 1 organic orange and juice of ½
FOR THE FILLING AND DECORATION
200g crème fraîche
5 tbsp best-quality apricot jam
icing sugar, to dust
freshly picked, dry, unsprayed pansies
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Butter two 20cm round tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, stir in the ground almonds and set aside.
Put the softened butter and sugar into the bowl of a food mixer (or use a bowl and a hand-held electric whisk) and cream together until light and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the eggs, adding 1 tbsp of the flour mixture halfway through to prevent the mixture from curdling. Fold in the remaining flour mixture, almond extract, orange zest and juice.
Divide the batter between the prepared tins and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until firm to the touch, or a skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tins for a minute or two, then turn the cakes out on to a wire rack. Remove the papers and leave until cold.
When ready to serve, simply place one of the cakes upside down on to a serving plate or cake stand and spread the flat surface with the crème fraîche. Spread the flat surface of the second cake with the apricot jam and sandwich the two together. Sift over a dusting of icing sugar and decorate with the pansies.
Recipe from SEASONAL BAKING by Fiona Cairns, published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson £25