大象传媒

John Whaite鈥檚 Fig, Pecan and Orange Bundt Cake

From 鈥楯ohn Whaite Bakes At Home鈥�, photo: Matt Russell.

This is a thing of great beauty. The texture is moist like a carrot cake, but the flavour is packed with light, zesty orange, the earthy nuttiness of pecans and the gooey, malty sweetness of figs. I like to have it smeared with cream cheese and a spoonful of honey. Even better, if you manage to keep your gannet-like friends from eating every slice, this makes for perfect toast, topped with some boisterous Stilton cheese. The bundt (also known as a gugelhopf) tin you use is your choice, but I recommend one with sharply angled edges. Not only does this look impressive, but because of the sharp edges the sugars caramelize in the cake making it, not crispy, but unbelievably chewy.

Ingredients (serves 12)

250g salted butter, at room temperature

400g light brown soft sugar

Zest of 2 medium oranges

2 large eggs

300ml buttermilk

1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or extract

300g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

200g pecan pieces

200g dried figs, roughly chopped

Essential Equipment

23cm/9-inch non-stick bundt tin, sprayed with grease spray or painted liberally with melted butter

Method

Preheat the oven to 170掳C/150掳C fan/Gas 3.

Place the softened butter in a mixing bowl and add the sugar and zest. Beat together until the sugar is well incorporated in the butter and it is fluffy.

Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and beat in. Sift over the flour, baking powder and cinnamon, and stir in until you have a smooth batter. Fold in the pecans and figs, then scoop into the prepared bundt tin.

Bake for 60鈥�75 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for a good 30 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack 鈥� this will help to create a gorgeous crust on the cake.聽

Sheila鈥檚 鈥淓mergency Cake鈥�

I called it my Emergency cake on the programme because it鈥檚 what I always make 聽when I鈥檝e got to produce a cake quickly. Before that I always called it Margy鈥檚 cake because the recipe was given to me a long time ago by my neighbour and friend Margy Knutson.

Ingredients

225g softened butter

170g unrefined sugar

4 eggs

225g flour, mix of white and wholemeal is what I use, but all white is ok

170g ground almonds

680g currants

3 tablespoons of wine (sherry, white, whatever you鈥檝e got鈥�I鈥檝e used sloe gin to good effect)

15 or so whole almonds for decoration if desired

Method

Line an 8鈥� or 9鈥� cake tin with greaseproof paper. 聽Heat oven to 150C (130C fan oven)聽

Beat sugar and butter together till creamy.

Add flour and beaten eggs alternately.

Stir in rest of ingredients (except for whole almonds)聽

Put into cake tin. 聽 Smooth flat. 聽 Add whole almonds in circles if liked (blanched look best, but almonds with skins are also good)聽

Cook for up to 2 hours, but test with skewer after 1 1/2 hours. 聽If browning too fast cover the top loosely with greaseproof or foil. 聽 聽

Remove when testing skewer comes out clean. 聽 Allow to cool till just warm in tin before turning out onto cooling rack.聽

Lynn Hills鈥檚 Fruit Tea Loaf

Ingredients

350ml Freshly brewed tea such as a fruit Tisane or your favourite tea (strained)

350g Mixed dried fruit such as Currants, Raisins and Sultanas

2 Medium eggs聽

200g Light brown sugar

1 teaspoon of mixed spice

270g self-raising flour

Method

Soak the fruit in a large bowl, add the freshly brewed tea and mixed dried fruit and stir well. Cover with a tea towel and leave overnight, to allow all the goodness of the tea to soak into the fruits.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 160 C fan-assisted. Grease and line two x 450g or 1lb loaf tins with baking parchment.

Add the eggs into the soaked mixed fruit and any remaining tea liquid, followed by the sugar. Mix thoroughly.

Sieve the mixed spice and flour together before adding to the fruit mixture. Mix together until well combined.

Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared tins and bake for 45 鈥� 50 minutes or until baked. Testing the centre of the cake with a skewer until it comes out clean.

Leave in the tins to cool completely before turning out.聽

Alternately you can bake this in a 900g or 2lb loaf tin for 60 - 75 mins or until baked. This cake can be made up to a day or two in advance and keeps well for up to a week, if wrapped with baking parchment.聽