I'd like to start off by saying a huge thank you to everybody who left advice on my last post regarding my not so successful bundt. The general consensus is that I should invest in some cake release spray so that's what I'm going to try next. I shall not be defeated by that bundt tin!
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| Hello photogenic plugs and sockets. |
Now onto a cake which was a total success, woohoo! My Mum is a huge fan of almondy, bakewell flavours so I decided to make this pimped up Victoria sponge for her birthday last week.
It's a very simple cake but the addition of ground almonds and berries make it that bit more special. Basically if you love victoria sponges and bakewell tarts then you'll love this cake.
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| The nephews are excellent fire extinguishers. |
I used frozen berries in this cake but I imagine fresh would taste even better. I was a bit worried about adding too many in case they would all sink and make the sponges soggy but thankfully this wasn't the case. If anything I think I could get away with adding a few more next time.
We have red blinds in our kitchen so if you're wondering why all my photographs are rose tinted that's why. I haven't gone all instagram toaster filter on you.
Ahhh just looking at that photo makes me want to bake the cake again. Apparently the last slice tasted even better the following day.
Berry Bakewell Cake
I naturally bake in imperial measurements (I'm old school like that) but I've converted the weights into grams. I hope they're right!
8oz/ 225g caster sugar
8oz/ 225g margarine (I used Vitalite as I wanted to make the cake dairy free)
3 large duck eggs (hen eggs are fine, as long as the overall weight is roughly 8oz)
8oz/ 225g self-raising flour
1 oz/ 28g ground almonds
a few drops of almond essence (add to taste)
roughly 2-3 ounces/ about 75g mixture of berries (fresh or frozen) for scattering
a few tablespoons of strawberry jam
Icing sugar for dusting
Grease and line two 20cm round cake sandwich tins. Preheat the oven to Gas 4/180C. Beat together the sugar and margarine for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a tablespoon of the flour if the mixture starts to curdle/split. Add a few drops of almond essence (to taste) along with the rest of the flour and ground almonds and mix until everything is fully combined. Divide the mixture between the two cake tins. In a separate bowl, give the berries a light coating of flour to stop them sinking in the mixture (you can cut some of the heavier berries such a blackberries in half to reduce weight.) Lightly press the berries into the surface of both cakes.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for roughly 25 minutes or until both sponges are golden, well risen and spring back to touch. Leave to cool in the tins for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack. Once cold, sandwich together with a generous amount of jam and serve with a dusting of icing sugar on top.