Classic Vanilla Sponge
This is our best selling birthday cake flavour. It’s perfect for celebrations but equally as good for going with your afternoon tea. Fill with fresh cream and fresh fruit for a Victoria sponge feel.
This recipe serves around 20 party size pieces or 8 to 10 afternoon tea slices.
440g Self Raising Gluten Free Flour
440g Caster Sugar
440g Melted butter
8 large eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
Pre heat oven to 180c (fan 160c)
Grease and line a deep 8” tin or split between two 8” tines
Start off by melting the butter either in the microwave or over a hob.
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and combine until it forms a thick batter. This is easiest done with an electric whisk or with an electric food mixer. You can also do it by hand with some a big wooden spoon and lots of elbow grease.
Pour the batter into the lined tin(s) and bake for around 1 and half hours for the deep one or 45 mins if split into two. It’s done when a skewer comes out clean and it’s springy to touch.
Let it cool in tin for around ten minutes and then turn out on a wire rack to cool fully. Once cooled you can slice and fill with your favourite fillings.
For our celebration cakes we fill with buttercream and raspberry jam before covering with icing.
Sarah’s tip: place a greased piece of greased greaseproof paper on top the mixture before it goes into the oven, it keeps the cake nice and moist.
Cointreau, Apricot and Almond Cake
This is a delicious moist cake perfect for dinner parties. Serve with cream or crème fraiche.
Ingredients
250g ground almonds
250g caster sugar
6 large eggs
50g chopped apricots
Zest of 1 lemon and 2 oranges
Syrup
125g caster suagr
Juice of 1 lemon and 2 oranges
4 tbs Cointreau
Grease and line a 8” tin
Pre heat oven to 150c (140c for fan oven)
Start off by separating the egg whites and yolks into two separate large mixing bowls. Whisk the egg whites until soft peak. Whisk the yolks and sugar together until pale and thick, stir in the ground almonds and zest. Then fold in the whisked egg whites. Lastly fold in the chopped apricots. Pour into the lined tin and bake for around an hour until a skewer comes out clean.
Whilst the cake is cooking make the syrup. Put all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to boil and simmer for around 10 minutes (be careful it doesn’t overboil- nightmare to clean up). Then turn the heat off and leave to cool whilst cake is cooking. When the cake is out of the oven turn it out onto a plate, make holes on top of the cake with a skewer and pour over the syrup. Leave the syrup to soak in for a few hours and then it’s ready to serve.
Sarah’s Tip: Turn out the cake on the plate you want to serve it on so you don’t need to move it again.