Recipe: Strawberry Sponge Cake

I was lucky enough to get the Primrose Bakery recipe book for my birthday last year, and have been working my way through the recipes ever since.  For Christmas I also got a good food processor and all the trimmings, so I now have no excuse not to be baking with every inch of my spare time.  One of the first things I wanted to try was their Strawberry Cake, and having given it a couple of goes I've amended the recipe a little to make it better (in my opinion anyway).

Ingredients:

(for the sponge cake)

. 3 large eggs (have a 4th spare just incase)

. 210g self raising flour

. 25g cornflour

. 1 tsp baking powder

. 225g unsalted butter (can use margarine if you like)

. 225g (or just a regular punnet) of fresh strawberries

. 1 tsp of vanilla extract

(for the butter icing)

. 70g unsalted butter (can use margarine but you will get a runny mixture)

. 350g icing sugar

. 60ml semi skimmed milk (cannot use skimmed as it won't have enough dairy in it)

. 50g finely chopped strawberries

(for the centre)

. 1/2 a jar of strawberry jam, good quality

. 100g of strawberries, sliced - for the centre and to decorate

Firstly, prepare the butter-cream icing (to allow it to cool in the fridge whilst the sponge is cooking).  Simply put the butter into a bowl and stir, gradually adding in the sugar.  Once you have got any lumps out, pour in the milk and the strawberries.  Mix until the mixture is even, and even you lift the spoon out if shouldn't drip - if so add more sugar.  Put into the fridge for later.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and prepare two 20cm baking tins. Next (if you can, use a food processor - failing that then be prepared to mix hard!) put your butter into a large bowl/food processor and pour in the brown and caster sugars (brown is good for fruit cakes - you can change this to combining the weights of both sugars for golden caster sugar if you want).  Mix until even, don't let it get too soft.  Continue to mix and spoon in the flour tablespoon and corn flour (vital as absorbs the moisture of the fruit) at a time, and add the vanilla extract.

Once the mix is even again, crack in each of the eggs at a time - if once the you have added the 3rd it still looks a little doughy, add a 4th.  The mixture should be quite runny.  Finally, add in the strawberries and mix until even.

Separate the mixture into the two baking tins and put in the oven for 20 minutes.  Test if the sponge is ready by putting a knife into the centre of the sponge - if the knife comes out clean then it is ready.  Take the sponges out, allow to cool and then take the base sponge and cover in jam, to taste.  Then place the sliced strawberries on top.

Take the butter icing from the fridge and spoon 1cm thick on top of the strawberries, and then place the top sponge on top.  Put icing on top, as thick as you would like, and you should have enough to cover the sides if you wanted it to.  Eat straight away - will last a good few days.

South Molton St Starving

xoxo

Recipe: Leek, Potato and Pancetta Soup

Continuing the potato loving... making soups is a new venture for me, ever since I stumbled across the Covent Garden Soup recipe book a few weeks ago - they are ridiculously easy to make and you really can put whatever you want in them, great for clearing out the cupboards.  Plus, they freeze well.  I use my leftover takeaway boxes to make servings and keep them in the freezer.  Perfect for a cold autumn evening - plus if you're a bit of a tidy-nut like me, it's quite therapeutic to 'waste not, want not.'  This recipe came about after making a standard leek and potato soup, and wanting a little more punch/flavour..

Ingredients:

(for 4-6 portions)

. 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

. 1 large onion - preferably a few days old for additional sweetness

. 225g/8oz of boiled-till-soft potato (sweet potatoes work brilliantly too)

. 2 large leeks - sliced

. 2 pints of vegetable stock - homemade is best, but if bought buy fresh not granulated/OXO

. 150ml of cream, creme fraiche or unsweetened yoghurt

. Salt and ground black pepper

. 100g of pancetta (bacon and salted ham works well too)

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Having boiled the potatoes, heat the oil in a large saucepan and lightly fry the pancetta and onion (and spice if you wish - suprisingly cumin or a pinch of cinnamon tastes amazing).  Add the leeks and potatoes after 2 minutes. After a few minutes more (when the ham is cooked pink and the onions are softening) add the vegetable stock and allow to boil.  Simmer until the vegetables are soft/tender - test using a fork.

Pour mixture into a new, clean pan and add the cream/yoghurt.  With an electric blender (you will definitely need one of these, for sanity's sake) mix until ingredients are altogether.  Heat until cooked through, and serve.

South Molton St Starving

xoxo

Recipe: The Perfect Roast Potatoes

If you aren't a potato lover in my family, you might as well have three heads.  Being brought up as a true meat and two veg English girl - we know our 'spuds' and know we like lots of them.  Here is a great, simple roast potato recipe that even I have managed to stick to.  I think it started life as a Delia Smith recipe, but has been handed down on various pieces of paper, each time adding something to it in a Chinese whisper type fashion.

According to my father, it's all in the type of potato.  Use Desiree if you can, as they are perfect for all things baking when it comes to potatoes.  They make great roasts, chips and even baked potatoes.  Price wise, they are not the cheapest but certainly not the most expensive.

Ingredients:

. 250g of potato (Desiree or another 'floury' type) per person

. 20g lard/fat per person

. Salt - cut rough

. Chives or herbs to taste

Preparation time: 25 mins

Cooking time: 50 mins (if making for 4 people) add 10 minutes for each additional serving

First place the roasting tray with the fat in it on the highest shelf of the oven while it pre-heats (gas mark 7). Peel the spuds using a peeler, then cut them into fairly even-sized pieces, leaving the small ones whole. Place them in a saucepan, pour over boiling water, just to cover, then add salt and simmer for about 10 minutes. After that lift one out with a skewer/fork and see if the outer edge is fluffy. You can test this by running the point of the skewer along the surface – if it stays smooth, give it a few more minutes.

Drain off the water, reserving some for the gravy.  Shake the saucepan vigorously up and down (with the top on, obviously). This shaking roughens up the cooked edges of the potato and makes them floury and fluffy – this is the secret of the crunchy edges.

Remove the roasting tray containing the fat (which should sizzle) and transfer to the direct heat (medium) on the hob. Then use a long-handled spoon and quickly lower the potatoes into the hot fat. When they are all in, tilt the tray and baste each one so it's completely coated with fat. Place them back on the highest shelf of the oven and leave them unattended for 40-50 minutes or until they are golden brown. There's no need to turn them over at half-time – they will brown evenly by themselves. 

Sprinkle them with the salt before serving; they lose their crunch if you keep them waiting. If they're ready before you are, turn the oven off and leave them inside - open the oven door if you're worried they'll burn.

South Molton St Starving

xoxo

Recipe: White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake

I was first given this recipe by a friend's mother when I visited her a few years ago - but without the raspberries.  Feel free to leave them out, or use a different fruit (mandarin or lemon rind works well too).  This isn't a dish for someone trying to keep a trim waistline - a real treat!  Totally fool proof as you don't need to do any baking - and requires no scales or measuring.  Worth making the night before to allow the mix to hold and stand in shape.

Ingredients:

For the cheesecake mix:

. 3 100g packs of supermarket brand white chocolate (recommend Sainsburys)

. 1 300g tub of Philadelphia cheese (light or full fat)

. 1 250g tub of Mascarpone cheese

. 1 250g tub of Creme Fraiche (light or full fat)

. 1 punnet of Raspberries, or one tin (fresh is better)

For the base:

. 1 small pack of digestive biscuits (branded or supermarket's own)

. Two tablespoons of butter

Preparation time:

25 minutes

Cooking time:

0 minutes

Directions:

First, heat the white chocolate in the microwave - careful not to burn it (add a little water) and then stir to make a bit-less consistency.  Pour the Creme Fraiche into a large mixing bowl, and gently stir in the white chocolate - don't panic if it gets a bit runny, it will change when it cools and you add the cheese.

Next, stir in the cheeses - tablespoon at a time to ensure you have no bits. Once done - taste (yummy) and add whatever else you want to the mix.  Don't be tempted to use an electric mixer unless you are stuck for time as it can over blend the mix and make it runnier, which is harder to get to hold shape (you'll need to give it more time in the fridge when prepared).  Don't add the raspberries just yet - put the bowl in the fridge to help it start setting.  Now, the base!

Get your butter, recommend 2 tablespoons worth and put it into the microwave for 20 seconds so it goes very runny.  Take 2 plastic bags and put one inside the other, to stop crumbs making it through the holes!  Put your biscuits in the bag and get a rolling pin - and bash away (!!) until you have a fine bag of crumbs.

Take your cake tin (ideally one with removable sides) and tip your biscuit crumbs into the base - you choose how much as you can decide how thick you want the base to be.  Pour the butter into the tin and with your fingers and hands, press the mix together and push the mix around the bottom of the tin until you have an equally spread base.  

If you have the time, allow the base to cool before doing the next step - when the base has cooled; Take out your cheese cake mix from the fridge and fold in your raspberries (recommend draining them first) gently so that every portion would have some in... Now spoon in in the mix on top of the cake tin, and once filled gently spread your mixing spoon over the top to create an appealing top!  I sometimes put dried raspberry pieces on the top - you could also shave some white chocolate on the top.

Allow the cake at least 3 hours to cool (ideally overnight) - put it in the fridge - and then serve!  Enjoy!

South Molton St Starving

xoxo