Fill your cakehole with Philippa Vine’s latest recipes

I don’t know what it is about small children and cake, although given Mr V’s large appetite for anything out of the baking oven perhaps I should say ‘small and not-so-small’ children.

Whenever they’re feeling peckish and there’s nothing they fancy in the larder or fruit bowl, they want to make a cake – which is great that they want to make their own.

Having recently read that it is from the ancient Greek word for cake that the word placenta is derived, it made me wonder whether this yearning for cake could be some kind of subconscious desire for a form of womb-like security. What the mess that accompanies the cake-making represents is probably best not to speculate on. Cakes do happen to be on our menu more than usual at this time of year as our annual bluebell walk (now in it’s 40th year) opened on Good Friday and there will be lots of extra baking going on to provide cakes and scones in the refreshment barn.

Battenburg is one of those cakes that needs to be rediscovered, with its perfect sponge, jam and marzipan – what more could you ask for?

It was named in honour of the marriage of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter to Prince Louis of Battenburg who later anglicised his name to Mountbatten. The two-tone nature of the sponge is said to mimic the marbled effect of many German breads and cakes.

I’ve never been one to worry too much about the appearance of my cakes, because whenever I’ve eaten one of those perfect-looking cakes (probably mass-produced) that you get in some bakers and tearooms I’m invariably disappointed with their taste and texture.

As far as I’m concerned the more lop-sided, uneven, soft and squidgy in appearance, the better the cake tastes. They do say “you can’t have your cake and eat it” – but I want to bake it, have it and eat it!

Battenburg

You will need:

• A loaf tin 7cm x 6cm x 26cm long, with a capacity of 2 pints.
• Two quantities of the following sponge mixture:
• 175g/6oz softened butter
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 175g/6oz self-raising flour
• Pink food colouring

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F, gas mark 4). Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Sift the flour well. Add the eggs one at a time with a spoonful of the flour. Finally add all the flour and combine thoroughly. For the second batch add pink colouring to the desired effect. Bake one batch for about 35 minutes or until the cake is well risen, springy to the touch and has shrunk slightly from the sides of the tin, remove from tin when cooled and then bake the second pink batch.

For the marzipan:

• 150g/5oz ground almonds
• 150g/5oz icing sugar
• 1tsp lemon juice
• 1tsp sherry
• A few drops of almond essence
• 1 small egg white

Combine the almonds and sugar in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and sherry. Beat the egg white to break it up and use enough to combine the mixture to a paste. Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate overnight. This makes it less sticky and easier to work with.

For the assembly of the Battenburg cake you will need some jam. You can use any flavour but it is best to sieve it to remove bits and any seeds.

Trim the cake so all the sides are square and cut it into long bars. Assemble four bars together alternating the pink and plain colours using the jam to make them stick. Roll out the marzipan with enough width to accommodate the cake and about the thickness of a pound coin. Spread one side of the assembled cake with jam and place it across the marzipan near the end nearest you. Trim the end of the marzipan where the cake sits and trim the edges to the size of the cake. Spread the other three sides of the cake with jam and roll it forwards wrapping it in the marzipan. When it is completely encased trim the last edge of the marzipan. It is now ready to slice.

Best-ever chocolate cake

You will need:

• Two round cake tins 20cm in diameter – buttered
• 110g/4oz softened butter
• 150g/5oz Muscovado sugar
• 150g/5oz condensed milk
• 75g/3oz ground almonds
• 25g/1oz cocoa
• 50g/2oz plain chocolate, 70% cocoa solids ideal
• 2 eggs
• 100ml/3½floz boiling water
• 2tsp baking powder
• 150g/5oz plain flour

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F, Gas mark 4).  Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder and stir in the ground almonds.  Pour the boiling water onto the chocolate and stir until it melts.  Add the condensed milk and stir well.  Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Work in the eggs one at a time with a spoonful of flour with each one.  Work in the chocolate and condensed milk mixture with the rest of the flour and mix until smooth.  Divide into the two prepared cake tins and bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes until the centre is springy to the touch. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

For the chocolate frosting:

• 225g/8oz plain chocolate, 70% cocoa solids
• 275ml/1/2 pint soured cream

Melt the chocolate over hot water in a plastic bowl (glass or china holds the heat and alters the consistency of the chocolate). The water does not have to be continually boiling, from the kettle will do. Remove the bowl from the heat source and tip in the cream. Stir until smooth and glossy. It should now be a spreading consistency and you can assemble your cake. There should be enough frosting to sandwich it together with some more for the top. If you want to do the sides as well, you may need a bit more. Alternatively you can sandwich your two cakes together with some jam and cream and then you will have enough chocolate to do the sides and the top.

Banana cupcakes with peanut butter icing

Makes about 16.

• 16 small cup cake cases
• 225g/8oz plain flour
• ½tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2½tsp baking powder
• 110g/4oz softened butter
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 2 small ripe bananas
• 55ml/2floz buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 110g/4oz golden caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F, gas mark 4). Mash the bananas well. Sift the flour with the bicarbonate of soda and the baking powder. Beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time with a spoonful of the flour. Finally work in the rest of the flour, the vanilla extract, mashed banana and buttermilk and mix well. Pipe or spoon into the cupcake cases to about three-quarters full and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool.

To make the icing:

• 225g/8oz crunchy peanut butter
• 110g/4oz unsalted butter, softened
• 140g icing sugar

Beat together the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy, and then work in the peanut butter. Using a star nozzle pipe the icing onto the cooled cup cakes. Decorate with chopped roasted peanuts and crumbled chocolate flake.