Lemon, Custard and Crumble Cake

Ah, the Anchor capstan cake stand! well, what do you do with yours?  A blustery day on the Thames and you couldn't find a finer cake stand. Or a finer cake, I mean look at that beast. As long as no one presses the 'on' button, which would send the cake spinning round in a whirl of custard and crumble spray.

This was my birthday/pageant cake I baked for myself and the Queen. Except she seemed to be a little busy so I shared it with the crew instead. It was well deserved after a day standing in the rain and cold, saluting the Queen, Mexican waving and cheering the boats that went passed us in the Avenue of Sail. What a Birthday it was. And what a cake. I chose some of my favourite sweet flavours and put together what would work best. And work it does. Splendidly. Lemon drizzle cake topped with strawberry jam, custard and crumble. Ace.

The other great thing about this cake is that considering I had a busy day, what with it being my Birthday and the Queen coming to visit along with 999 or so boats that rowed or motored by, I had to make the sponge the day before. But it was still perfectly airy and fresh and would definitely have survived a few more days in tip-top-taste (if we hadn't demolished the entire thing). All I had to do on the day was smear it with jam, custard icing, crumble and strawberries. Which was the fun, bowl-licking bit and perfectly easy to do even after a few glasses of bubbles. And a Pimms.

Or two.

Moving on. So as you can see, in accordance with the grandness of the event, I made this  a  4 tiered cake. You don't have to and I'll give the recipe for a normal 2 tiered cake. But by all means double the recipe next time you have the Queen and 999 other boats coming to town.

So for the most delicious cake ever, incorporating all the best of flavours; lemon-drizzle, custard and crumble cake you will need;

225g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
200g Castor sugar
200g softened butter
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk
zest of two lemons
strawberry jam
Strawberries

For the drizzle;

The juice of two lemons
30g Castor sugar

for the icing;

150g butter, room temperature
250g icing sugar
5 tbsp or 60g or 1/4 cup thick pre-made custard. I used Ambrosia or you could make your own.
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the crumble;

25g flour
25g porridge oats
25g ground almonds
35g butter
40g sugar

Method;

• Preheat your oven to 180C/160F, gas mark 4. Then grease and line the base of two 20cm/8inch sandwich tins. Then, this is how good this cake is, bung the flour, baking powder, butter, sugar and eggs, vanilla and lemon zest into a bowl and mix together using an electric hand whisk. Once everything is incorporated, add the milk and then beat again for a minute. Nice and easy.

• Spoon the mixture into your baking tins and using a spoon level the mixture as much as you can. Pop in the oven and bake for about 40  minutes, checking after 30. You'll know it's done because a sharp thing when inserted into the cake will come out clean and the edges of the cake will have started to come away from the tin a bit. And leave the oven on for the crumble.

• Now whilst the cakes are still pretty warm and in their tins, poke a load of holes in them using a fork. Mix together the lemon juice and sugar then pour the mixture over the tops of the cakes. Leave them to cool a little and to absorb the syrup then turn out onto a cooling rack until you need to decorate. (Which could be the next day)

• Make the crumble by putting all the ingredients into a blender and pulsing until you have a crumb-like texture. Or rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your finger tips which may take a wee bit longer but you'll feel very Julia Child. Then sprinkle the crumble in an even layer onto a baking tray lined with a bit of greaseproof paper and put into the oven for about 15 minutes but check after 10. The crumble should be lightly browned. This too can be made in advance and stored.

• Now for the icing, cut the butter into small bits, add the sieved icing sugar and vanilla extract and beat with an electric hand whisk until you have a thick paste. Add the custard and beat again on the slow setting until it has all mixed. Don't beat for too long or too hard when the custard is added, in case it splits.  Chill this in the fridge until needed.

• Now the building bit. Place one of the sponges on your chosen and bestest serving dish or cake stand. Smear generously with some strawberry jam then over that spread on a thick layer of the custard icing then sprinkle on a good few handfuls of the crumble. Top with the remaining sponge and repeat the process. Then halve some fresh strawberries and arrange these over the custard and crumble. Finally top it all off with a  garnish of any left over crumble.

You can then use a hot, damp, clean cloth to clean the serving dish up so you can then pose suitably with your cake for the cameras as shown...

 

 

 

And I know the whole thing looks a bit long-winded but if you make the sponge the day ahead or even just the crumble and icing then it really is very easy and definitely worth a try. If you do - let me know how it goes!

 

I'm sorry to say that the last day (today) of the Westward cup was cancelled due to uber strong wind. So although we're off to the prize-giving tonight at the Royal Yacht Squadron, we won't be winning anything. But we, the crew of Mariquita don't mind at all. We sailed three races and got line honours for two of them. So we know we are the winning boat really. With a brand new crew and very little training, we went out and gave it our best; sailed hard and with passion.

 

And that's what it's all about.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Banana Cake Pre-Pageant

Well now this is exciting. Tomorrow we head off from stunning Gosport and turn east for the Thames and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pageant. If you haven’t already read about it, I am a Silver Jubilee baby and my 35th Birthday (that was brave) will fall on the day of the pageant on the 3rd of June. And Mariquita will be there, moored up in the ‘Avenue of Sail’. I couldn’t dream of a more exciting way to spend one’s Birthday; I bet the Queen’s with me on that one.

Cake. That’s all I can say about it; lots of cake.

(And possibly some Pimms...)

George and I have just returned from a short trip to our new home in Debenham, Suffolk where we were lucky enough to become more acquainted with some of our new neighbours.  The good people of Debenham will be holding a street party in our beautiful village and if I could split myself in two like a scone in preparation for jam and cream (see, cake on the brain), then I would be there too with bells on. I dreamt for so long of one day owning my own country cottage. Having lived and worked on the high seas for some years now, I am very ready for the life of a land-lubber. (What does that mean do you suppose; ‘land-lubber’? What’s a lubber when it’s at home? ...)

Gosport, early evening

Anyway, the last time I wrote about my craving for life on land, almost a year ago, the accompanying recipe was for barbequed bananas with chocolate. Today I have decided to blog my most favourite recipe for banana cake. I like when things come full circle and link up; blogging Feng Shui.

You see, I’m getting a little excited about baking my ultimate Birthday/Jubilee cake for me and the Queen – Sorry, the Queen and I. How rude. So I had a quick little banana cake experience today despite being pretty busy getting the boat ready for departure and having to stock up with loads of supplies for the trip and our stay in London. We have no idea how easy it will be to food shop once we’re in the Thames, so best to be prepared.

This cake is the easiest but most deliciously moist loaf of nutty banana-ness that it is the only recipe I will ever use when making a banana cake. Why would I look elsewhere when I have the ultimate recipe? It takes about 5 minutes to put together and about 45 minutes to cook – And 2 minutes for a hungry crew of twelve to demolish.

It is a vaguely adapted version of Gary Rhodes Banana cake from his ‘Great British Classics’ Book. I hope he doesn’t mind but I’ve made it a little healthier and a little more – moreish. If I do say so myself.

So for the quickest, best banana cake recipe you will need;

225 g wholemeal self raising flour (Must be wholemeal for the denseness and nuttyness)
100 g softened butter
4 tbsp pure maple syrup or golden syrup
4 beaten eggs
4 mashed ripe to over-ripe bananas
150g roughly chopped walnuts (optional)
A good grating of fresh nutmeg

Method;

•  Pre-heat your oven to 180°C, gas mark 4, 350°F. Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

• Put all the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix with an electric hand whisk till all the ingredients are well incorporated. But not too long, a few lumps are fine. Pour into your prepared loaf tin and put into the oven for about 45-50 minutes. Check on it after 40 minutes depending on how good your oven is. Mine on the boat is rubbish so it needed an hour.

• When a sharp knife inserted into the middle of it comes out clean, the cake is done. Leave to set for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Best eaten warm smeared with proper butter.

• Is that it?

Just to let you know, I forgot to put the butter in once and it was great! So it is a very versatile and forgiving recipe. The wholemeal flour really makes this cake and if you’d like to use pecans or hazelnuts instead of walnuts then do it. A lemon cream cheese topping raises the yum factor by about a million but for a relatively wholesome mid-week cake it’s not entirely necessary.

However for a Birthday/Pageant cake you can bung it all on!

Stay tuned for our trip up to the Thames and Mariquita’s experience in the Jubilee Pageant.  I’ll be back shortly.

Thanks for reading,

Cheers!

Sugar and Wheat-Free Roasted Butternut Muffins.

Well I’ve got myself into such a pickle. I feel cheated of my Lazy Sunday. Things started on the wrong foot when I woke up early enough to go to work. That’s always a disappointment on a Sunday isn’t it?  The laundry pile is threatening to take over the universe and I’ve got so many things to do, I’m in a tiz-woz about where to start. I’ve had to write a ‘To Do’ list with the 3rd entry being ‘Brush Your Teeth’. At least that one is achievable; hang on…

That’s better. And now the recipe for those muffins with a fresh and minty out-look and calming cup of coffee. Everything else can wait. This is what I want to be doing today, my Lazy Sunday. The rest can wait. Everybody else can wait!

I don’t even have kids yet.

But back to those muffins I promised yesterday.  After they had been extracted from the oven and left to cool on their little rack in the kitchen, I returned a little later to find that half of them had already been eaten; the boys licking their lips without a glimmer of suspicion in their eyes. I took the risk of uttering those undesirable words; ‘sugar and wheat-free’ so as not to feel that I had knowingly tricked them into a corruption of their rugged steak and beer-swilling masculinity. But this information didn’t seem to faze them at all.

Interesting.

So as always, these are easy enough to make on a boat or caravan, provide plenty of good energy and fibre, taste fantastic warmed with a little butter and lemon curd or natural yoghurt, however you please. But yes, they are totally sugar-free and wheat-free and if you only use corn (maize) flour, they can be gluten free too. And if you are a steak-eating, beer-swilling sailor type, it would appear that you will also like them. Who knew?

So for 12 large muffins you will need;

1 large butternut squash

200g wholemeal spelt flour

100g of fine corn flour (maize)

2 tsp baking powder

50g unsalted butter

200ml natural sugar free yoghurt (goat or dairy, I used goat)

1 free-range egg, beaten

2 tsp of vanilla extract

25g desiccated coconut (optional)

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp mixed spice (optional)

Zest of 1 lemon, juice of half or if you prefer use an orange instead.

Method;

• Heat the oven to gas mark 5/190ºC, 375ºF.  Cut the squash in half and place cut side down onto a lightly greased baking tray and bake until soft, about 45-mins to an hour.

• When the squash is cooked remove from the oven to cool and turn the oven up to gas mark 6.

• Now sift the flours into a large bowl and add all the other dry ingredients including any of the spices you would like to use

• Melt the butter and then mix into a smaller bowl with the yoghurt, beaten egg, vanilla extract, lemon (or orange) zest and juice.

• Using a fork, roughly mix the yoghurt mixture into the bowl of flours, blending the ingredients together but not too much.

• Mash the cooked butternut squash with a fork. Add this to the muffin mixture and fold the butternut in with a large metal spoon. Again, do this gently and you don’t have to over-do it. Muffin mixtures always work better if they still have a few lumps here and there.

• Put a good couple of tablespoons worth into each muffin hole in your muffin tins and if you like, shimmy a little extra cinnamon over the tops before putting into the oven. Bake for about 25-30 minutes but check them after 20 as your oven probably doesn’t lie about its temperature like mine does.

Well now, that’s another tick in the box. Well done me. My Grandmother used to say, ‘Everything in moderation’, and she lived till she was a hundred. Think I might take a leaf out of her book and leave the ‘to-do’ list till a bit later. Mustn’t over-do things.

Now, lets not all get too excited but I do believe that that is snow over in them there mountains…

Things are looking up.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers!

Magical Sugar Plum Crunch Cake

When I say that this is a good one, I mean, this is a seriously good one. I’m not allowed to carry many cook books with me on the boat due to the weight and size of them. Circa 90 odd cook books on a racing yacht would be ridiculous, there’d be no room for the crew and we wouldn’t win anything. However, the joy of this recipe is that it hails from one of those little ‘Good Food’ mini books that I won’t be keel-hauled for. It’s the BBC Good Food 101 Cakes and Bakes book. It's about 12cm by 12cm and when it comes to good cakes; it’s a little gem of a book. I know; ‘Good Food’, It’s not exactly cool or writen by some groovy, fashionable ‘Nottinghill-type' patisserie, recently published and going large. Or something I found in some back-street dusty book shop in Marseille. It was £4.99 from WHSmiths I think; can’t remember now. But Since making this cake, I’ve never let it out of my sight.

France has almost as many plums at the markets as you guys in the UK. The early cold snap last Christmas in England followed by the warm spring and then wet summer has been great for the fruit and berry produce and this recipe is a must for using up some of those excess plums you might still have.

It’s soft, it’s moist and so moreish, it’s indulgent, it’s almost better than chocolate and believe me, I’m a chocolate cake kind ‘a gal. I will always go chocolate ice cream over berry ice cream. I will always go for chocolate fondant over an apple tart in a good French restaurant but this cake and the best chocolate brownie in the world would go neck and neck for me in a cake-off.

If you dread the rainy, cloudy days of autumn, really, this cake could turn it all around for you. Have I gone too far? I don’t care. Here it is;

For Sugar Plum Crunch Cake you will need

2 eggs, plus 1 extra egg yolk

140g/5oz butter, softened

140g/5oz golden castor sugar

140g/5oz self-raising flour

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

200g/8oz plums, stoned, half roughly chopped into pieces and half cut into wedges. (I always add a few more plums if I have to and it doesn’t affect the final result)

For the topping

1 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice

200g/8oz golden castor sugar

25g/1oz rough sugar pieces or sugar cubes roughly crushed

Method

• Preheat your oven to 160ºC/Gas mark 3/fan oven 140ºC. Grease and line a 1kg/2lb loaf tin.. Lightly beat the eggs and extra egg yolk with a pinch of salt and a few drops of vanilla extract.

• Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl with a handwhisk until light and fluffy. Really, try not to skimp on this part; you really need the butter and sugar to lighten considerably for a good cake. Then, pour in the eggs a little at a time beating well between each addition. If it looks like it’s curdling, add a tbsp of the flour to help bind it. Fold in the flour and orange zest and 2 tbsp of the juice and then fold in the chopped plums.

• Spoon into your prepared tin and scatter the plum wedges over the top and pop into your oven for 50 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

• When it has cooked let it cool for a few moments before turning out onto a wire rack. Mix the lemon juice and castor sugar with the remaining orange juice and pour over the cake. Sprinkle over the roughly crushed sugar cubes and set aside.

The roughly crushed sugar cube pieces soak up the lemony, orangey juices and give the cake that magical sugar crunch. Best served still slightly warm with a cup of tea after a long walk kicking leaves in the woods…

Oh stop it.

It’s all starting to happen here in Provence. A few doors down the Renault garage are selling chestnuts as a culinary aside to changing tyres and fixing my habitually returning Clio. They sell them by the kilo in newspaper for a couple of Euros, raw or roasted. The smell is wafting up the road and could be a plan for my lazy Sunday. If I buy enough of them, monsieur Renault might go easy on the bill when I next take my car in. Maybe I should take him some cake.

Thanks for reading

Cheers!