New shape, new recipe - loaf tin cake

You may have noticed that we have changed the shape of our 1lb (½kg) and 2lb (1kg) loaf tins.
This is response to a number of requests from people who love the characteristics and performance of the tins, but who wanted the shape to be more like a sandwich loaf.
So we obliged.  In every respect, other than the squarer shape, these are just the same as the old ones.  So, the same made to last appeal, natural non stick properties, heavy black iron material for great cooking characteristics and wonderful crusts; just as useful, equally beautiful.

And to prove the point, here is a recipe cooked in the new 1lb loaf tin

120g butter
50g sugar
50g lime marmalade*
2 eggs
50g dried cranberries
120g self raising flour.

80g icing sugar
Juice of half a lemon

* I used home made lime marmalade, which is what you would describe as "soft set".  If you use a well known brand such as Roses, which has a much firmer set, then I would advise adding the juice of a lime or a couple of tablespoons of milk to the mix to loosen it a little.

Pre-heat the oven to 170ºC and lightly grease your loaf tin.  This would also work in our cake tin, but you may need to reduce the cooking time. 

Cream the butter, sugar and marmalade together until well blended and light in colour.  Beat in the eggs.

Fold in the flour and the cranberries and spoon the mixture into the greased loaf tin.

Bake for 30 minutes and check that it passes the skewer test.  If the top is browning too quickly, cover lightly with foil or a used butter wrapper.

Leave in the tin for around 10 minutes and then turn out on to a cooling rack.

Put the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually add the lemon juice until you have a thick icing.  Drizzle artistically over the top of the cake. 

Pop the kettle on and make a cup of tea, to be enjoyed with a thick slice of cake.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2020 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Cranberry and marmalade cake

I have never been one for the type of resolutions that see you having to give up something pleasurable during the grey days of January.  Admittedly the days are technically getting longer, but you'd be hard pushed to admit that that's what it feels like.
There is, I have no doubt, a different shade of grey for every day of the month and yet they all merge into one long, washed out blur of monochromatic misery.  Not quite 50 shades, but let's not go down that road.

It's hard to feel cheerful faced with the monotony of bad, but rarely so bad you can't go to work, weather; the comedown after Christmas, when you no longer have the tree, but the pine needles keep turning up under the sofa, the last of the slightly dodgy chocolates that you received in the secret Santa sack, the sad resignation of not being able to gorge yourself on mince pies for another 10 months, at least;  eating the last slice of Christmas cake; acknowledging that a nice glass of sherry mid afternoon is no longer acceptable; higher heating bills that coincide with the arrival of the Christmas credit card bill. April is most certainly not the cruellest month.
January is not the month to be contemplating fresh starts, it does not live up to the promise of a new year, new start -  more like new year, let's just pull the blankets over our heads and wait for Spring.

But there are reasons to be cheerful - no more bloody trite TV ads for a start and no more celebrities smugly telling us about their perfect Christmas,when we all know that they pay someone else to decorate their tasteful tree, cook their dinner and wrap their overindulgent, social media friendly presents.

Bah humbug indeed.

Mid way through the morning of my day at Otter Farm, Claire presented us with a slice of still warm, marmalade, polenta and thyme cake.  Divine.
I also have my own, slightly different and seasonal marmalade cake, which I shall share with you.
This is a perfect January dish, when you still have cranberries hanging around after Christmas and the first Seville  oranges are in the shops.

I used the last of the cranberry sauce I had made at Christmas, which had been decanted into a jar and stored in the fridge.
You can, of course, use commercially made sauce, but it will be too sweet and sticky without a little adulteration. I suggest that you warm 2 tablespoons of sauce gently over a low heat and add the juice of 2 Seville oranges.
If you want to start from scratch, measure out enough fresh cranberries to cover the base of your loaf tin and then transfer them to a pan. Add the juice of an orange and cook gently until they start to burst and the juice starts to run. Add sugar to taste, but go carefully, this will be the topping for a cake, so don't overdo it or the end result will make your teeth ache.

Pre heat the oven to 180ºC

Weigh 2 medium size eggs, in their shells and then measure the same weight of butter, marmalade and self raising flour.
You will also need ½ tsp fennel seeds, although I know opinion is fiercely divided on this subject, so feel free to omit them if you are not a fan and 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce

Beat butter and marmalade together.  Add the eggs and beat thoroughly.  A food mixer or processor is best for this, you want as much air in the mixture as possible.
Sift in the flour and fennel seeds.

Grease a 1lb loaf tin and spread the cranberry sauce over the base.

Top with the cake mix and spread evenly.

Place in the oven and bake for approx 30 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Leave to stand for 10 minutes

Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert the tin onto a serving plate.

Serve with creme fraiche, mixed with grated orange zest and a sprinkle of icing sugar, or simply eat as it is with a cup of coffee.

© Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2017

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Not exactly a Jaffa cake

Like millions of other people, I take time out from domestic chores to watch Great British Bake Off, although whether it will be the same when it leaves the BBC remains to be seen.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the contestants' efforts to create Jaffa cakes and revelled in a reverie of having 1½ hours to myself to do nothing other than bake and then have someone else come along and clear up after me. Well, one can dream................
It was only when I wandered back in to the kitchen that I realised that it was a school  night and there was no cake to put in OH and kids' lunchboxes for the next day.

Sadly the prospect of rustling up a batch of perfect Jaffa cakes was about as likely as Mary Berry turning up dressed as my kitchen fairy godmother, but the classic combination of cake, chocolate and orange was not to be ignored.

This recipe combines all three into a super simple cake, that any baker could make.

Pre heat the oven to 170ºC

Weigh out 2 eggs and then measure out the same weight of butter, orange marmalade and self raising flour.
I used homemade marmalade, but whatever you choose it needs a good strong Seville orange "bite" - Dundee marmalade would be ideal.
Roughly chop around 50g of dark chocolate - I used up the end of a bar I found in the cupboard.

Cream the butter and marmalade until well mixed and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs and then fold in the flour and the chocolate.

Put the mixture into a greased 10" prospector pan or 8½" cake tin and place in the centre of the oven.
Cook for approximately 20 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack.

We ate it unadorned, but I reckon a coating of orange glace icing or a simple drizzle of melted chocolate wouldn't go amiss.

© Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2016

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

A prelude to the Great British Bake Off

The cricket tea, the village fete, birthday parties, picnics, high tea, cream tea all made better by the addition of baked goodies.  Pies, scones, cakes, biscuits I cannot think of anyone who isn't cheered by a little bit of home baking.  I well remember the best fund raiser at the school summer fayre was always the cake stall, the dads and grandfathers being particularly susceptible to the lure of a slice of coffee and walnut cake or a shortbread triangle.

Tomorrow sees the start of the latest Great British Bake Off and millions will tune in to see baking elevated to a science and an advanced art form, with oohs and aahs in sitting rooms across the nation.

Some will find the competition inspiring, but no doubt for many it will be intimidating, which is a great pity.  We cannot all aspire to becoming the next Nadiya but we can give Mr Kipling a run for his money.

This is not a showstopper, but it is a luscious dessert cake, created because I had some overripe bananas lurking in the freezer and wanted to use them up to make some space.
Nothing complicated, but lovely flavours and with a little bit of artistic licence a great looking pudding.

3 eggs

150g sugar

50g melted butter

100g Greek or Turkish yogurt

3 bananas - I used very ripe ones that had been frozen, but freash ones are just as good.  

3 cardamom pods

150g self raising flour

100g sugar

60g salted cashews

Pre heat the oven to 175º C

In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and very thick

Add the melted butter and yogurt and whisk again.

Mash the bananas until very smooth and add to the mix.

Extract the seeds from the cardamom pods and crush them.

Add the seeds and flour to the mixture and gently fold in.

Pour the batter into a greased 10" prospector pan or cake tin and bake for 20 minutes.

Leave to cool while you prepare the cashew brittle.

Put 100g sugar into a pan, I used a frying pan and place over a moderate heat until it is all melted and a rich brown colour. Do not be tempted to stir it.

Tip in the cashew nuts and swirl the pan to coat the nuts in the liquid sugar.

Pour out on to a greased tray or pan and leave to set.

When the sugar has solidified, break into chunks and grind to a coarse powder with a pestle and mortar.  Otherwise, put into a plastic bag and bash it with a rolling pin.

Don't use an electric grinder as this will reduce it to powder and you want some texture here.

Carefully turn out the cooled cake and cut into slices.
Serve with a large dollop of yogurt (or cream, creme fraiche, Mascarpone or clotted cream) with a generous sprinkle of the cashew brittle.

Store any left over cake - as if - in the fridge, but return to room temperature before serving.

© Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2016

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk