Cherry Bakewell Cake (Recipe) - for Norwich June 2013 Clandestine Cake Club

This was a wonderful cake with a summery feel that I made for the last Clandestine Cake Club mmet (Norwich branch).

Unfortunately, it was made a little too late to fully cool - so suffered a little damage when I removed the paper from the outside.

Lovely soft almond sponge, filled with cherry preserve and dried cherries soaked in kirch. The top had a water icing and glace cherries.

The teapot and cups toppers on the cake are Kanban card toppers (for card making). These were simply taped on to the back of cocktail sticks and then inserted into the top of the cake. If any one is interested, we do keep those in stock.

Sponge Cake Recipe 

200g of salted butter

375g caster sugar

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

2 tsp almond extract

250g plain flour
50g ground almonds

2 tsp baking powder

160ml milk

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and combine followed by egg yolks. Add dry ingredients and milk with canilla, alternating (1/3 of the amount at a time).

Bake in a 170deg C pre-heated oven for approx 50mins in an 8" tin until a cake tester comes out clean

Allow to cool and then refrigerate until firm.

Tort (split) into two or three even layers.

Lemon Macaron Layer Cake - Clandestine Cake Club - Norwich Club (May) - RECIPE

Unfortunately, I've had little time for blogging of late - so have a lot of catching up to do !

This is the cake I made for the May meet of Clandestine Cake Club (Norwich). I'll warn you now if you are thinking of making it - it WAS a labour of love.....

There are a lot of aspects to this cake - sponge, swiss meringue buttercream, macarons and homemade lemon curd. It contained 48 macaron shells as there were also macarons between the layers.

It was very time consuming so wouldn't be a cake that you would want to make on a regular basis. It was also very rich, so only snall slices required.

At a guess, this cake served around 36 portions. I brought a lot of it back and it got handed round several neighboring companies and staff at my work !

Sponge Cake Recipe 

200g of salted butter

375g caster sugar

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla extract

275g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

160ml milk

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and combine followed by egg yolks. Add dry ingredients and milk with canilla, alternating (1/3 of the amount at a time)

Bake in a 170deg C pre-heated oven for approx 50mins until a cake tester comes out clean

Allow to cool and then refrigerate until firm.

Tort (split) into three even layers.

Spread the bottom and middle layers generously with lemon curd, then top with a layer of macarons and a layer of Italian meringue buttercream.

LEMON CURD RECIPE (makes two jars)

200g sugar

3 eggs + 2 yolks

100g melted butter

250ml lemon juice (or 150ml lemon and 100ml lime)

zest 3 lemons

The lemons I bought looked sublime, but infact were very disappointing.... Loads of peel and very little juice.I used 5 lemons and still had to top up with 100ml of lime juice on this occasion as I ran out of lemons !

First of all, melt the butter and them add the lemon juice and lemon zest.

Whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugar in a pan, then whisk in the butter and lemon mix.

Stir continuously over a low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Put into sterilised jars and seal. 

This lemon curd recipe does not need a double boiler. Keep a sink full of cold water nearby. If it looks like it might split, plunge the pan bottom into the water and then whisk like fury. I've never had it split yet...(though I've water dunked it once or twice before).

For the macarons, please see the macaron recipe here : http://www.siliconemoulds.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/seville-orange-curd-and-mallow-macarons.html

This time however, I made lemon macarons instead of orange. These are baked on the Revolutionary Double Sided Macaron Mat from SiliconeMoulds.com.

For applying buttercream and getting lovely straight sides on your cake, use a bench scraper (£6.99 from www.siliconemoulds.com).

These can be butted up to the cake and be flat on the cake board. It gives you a lovely smooth finish with very little effort and a professional finish.

Sarah-Jane Nash - www.siliconemoulds.com

Apple Cider Cake with Butterscotch Glaze

This is the apple cider cake with butterscotch glaze that I made for the August meet of the Norwich Clandestine Cake Club meet. Actually - I made two.... because I wanted to play... but the other one will be a different blog post since I've had requests on my Facebook page for a tutorial !

Our venue was a secret until a couple of days before - but it turned out to be Whitlingham Hall Conservatory. The hall was originally built in 1865. About 50 houses and the hall make up a small private estate with immaculately maintained grounds which are not open to the public. It was a real honour for the cake club to be granted permission to use this as a venue.

This is a photo taken just outside the conservatory showing some of the cakes on offer.

Peek-a-boo !

Which one would you choose ! There were FAR too many to try them all...

For my cake, I used our Five Hearts Tube / Bundt Silicone Bakeware mould. A similar bundt ring mould or cake pan would do.

First of all, lightly butter and then dust with flour the inside of your cake mould. Alternatively, spray with cake release spray.

Preheat the oven to 175deg C Fan.

 INGREDIENTS

315g salted butter

500g sugar

500ml of cider (boil to reduce to 1 cup / 250ml approx)

375g all purpose plain flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

6 eggs

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one by one.

Mix in 1/3 of dry ingredients, followed by 1/3 of the reduced cider. Alternate adding remaining dry ingredients and cider reduction.

Bake at 175deg C Fan for approx 70mins in a greased and floured tube ring / bundt ring silicone bakeware mould or equivalent pan - until a skewer comes out clean.

For the glaze :

1 cup of sugar (250mls)

115g of butter

150ml of single cream

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Put all the glaze ingredients into a pan and bring to the boil. Stir constantly. It needs to boil for about 8 to 10 mins. Remove from the heat. Use a brush to spread half of it over the cake, covering all of the outside.

Put the remaining glaze in a small jug and leave to cool. This can be used for pouring a little extra on over each slice

WARNING - this stuff rises up high in the pan - use a medium size pan - not a tiny milk pan !

Serves approx 15.

Sarah-Jane Nash - www.siliconemoulds.com - August 2012