Turn onto a wire rack, peel off the lining paper, and let cool.

3 Cut the cake in half horizontally. Put one half back into the pan.

4 Make the mousse: put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of hot water. Heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted. Let cool slightly.

5 Strain the orange juice into a small heatproof bowl and sprinkle in the gelatin. Leave for 3 minutes or until spongy, then stand the bowl in a saucepan of gently simmering water for 3 minutes or until the gelatin has dissolved.

6 Stir the egg yolks and orange zest into the cooled chocolate. Slowly stir in the dissolved gelatin, then fold in the whipped cream. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff but not dry, then gently fold into the chocolate mixture until well-blended.

7 Pour the mousse on top of the cake layer in the pan. Put the remaining cake layer on top. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until the mousse filling is set.

8 Remove the side of the pan and slide the cake onto a serving plate. Decorate with cream and orange zest.

Chocolate & orange mousse cake

  

Pineapple & carrot cake

Passing through a village in Devon, England, I stopped at a tea shop and had a piece of wonderful carrot cake. The owner kindly gave me the recipe and it’s loved by one and all.


Cuts into 8 slices

Special equipment 2 x 8in (20cm) cake pans

Ingredients

3/4 cup sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing

11/2 cups self-rising flour

11/4 cups granulated sugar

11/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large carrot, grated

1 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cups shredded coconut

1 x 7oz (220g) can pineapple slices, drained, chopped, and dried thoroughly

Frosting

7oz (200g) full-fat cream cheese

7 tbsp butter, softened

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Grease the pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Put the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and cinnamon, and stir together.

2 Add the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract and beat well with a wooden spoon or spatula. Fold in the carrot, walnuts, coconut, and pineapple and beat until smooth.

3 Spoon evenly into the cake pans and bake for 35 minutes or until well-risen and golden brown. To check that the cakes are cooked in the middle, insert a skewer into the center—if it comes out clean, they are done. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

4 To make the frosting, put the cream cheese and butter into a bowl, sift in the confectioners’ sugar, add the vanilla extract, and beat with a hand-held mixer until smooth.

5 Remove the cakes from the pans and peel off the parchment paper. Turn one cake upside down onto a serving plate and spread with half the frosting. Set the other cake on top and spread the remaining frosting over the top.

Pineapple & carrot cake

  

Simnel cake

This is now a traditional British Easter cake, but originally it was given by girls to their mothers on Mother’s Day.


Cuts into 12 slices

Special equipment deep 8in (20cm) round loose-bottomed cake pan

Ingredients

12 tbsp soft butter or margarine, plus extra for greasing

1 cup light brown sugar

3 large eggs

11/4 cups self-rising flour

1 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup currants

1/2 cup glacé cherries, quartered, rinsed, and dried

1/4 cup candied peel, roughly chopped

grated zest of 1 large lemon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Filling and decoration

1lb (500g) almond paste

2 tbsp apricot jam

1 large egg white

Method

1 Roll out one-third of the almond paste. Using the base of the cake pan as a guide, cut out an 8in (20cm) round.

2 Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease the cake pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.

3 Combine all the cake ingredients in a bowl. Beat well until thoroughly blended. Spoon half of the cake mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Top with the round of almond paste.

4 Spoon the remaining cake mixture on top and level the surface. Bake for 13/4 hours or until golden brown and firm to the touch.

5 Cover the top of the cake with parchment paper if it is browning too quickly. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool completely.

6 Warm the jam and use to brush the top of the cake.

7 To decorate the cake, roll out half of the remaining almond paste and use the pan to cut out an 8in (20cm) round. Put on top of the jam and crimp the edges. Roll the remaining almond paste into 11 even-sized balls. Place around the edge of the cake, attaching them with egg white.

8 Brush the tops of the balls and the almond paste with egg white. Place under a hot broiler for 1–2 minutes, until the balls are golden.

Simnel cake

  

Marbled coffee ring cake


Cuts into 12 slices

Special equipment 8-cup capacity ring mold or 9in (23cm) tube pan

Ingredients

17 tbsp butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

1 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

11/2 cups self-rising flour

2 tsp instant coffee

1 tbsp hot water

1oz (30g) white chocolate

Icing

4 tbsp butter, softened

3 tbsp milk

2 tbsp instant coffee

12/3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease the ring mold with butter.

2 Combine the butter, sugar, eggs, and flour in a large bowl.