Soda Cake White
Ingredients:
450g/ 1lb Cream Flour
1 teaspoon Bread Soda
Good Pinch of Salt
1 tablespoon Sugar (optional)
25g/1oz Margarine
½ pint of Buttermilk
Method
Sieve flour, salt and soda into a bowl. Add sugar if used.
Rub in the margarine to resemble breadcrumbs, lifting mixture with fingertips to introduce air to the dough.
Add sufficient buttermilk and mix to make a soft dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead a little.
Turn the smooth side up and shape to required shape. Place the dough on a floured tin.
Cut a cross over the top.
Bake in a pre-heated oven, 400º F 200º C Gas 6 for 40-45 minutes.
When baked the underneath when “tapped” should have a hollow sound.
Cool on a wire tray. Cover with a clean tea towel to give a nice soft crust.
A hand full of raisins may be added to the dry ingredients before adding the buttermilk.
This will make Raisin Bread (Currant Bread).
Dave's Irish Whiskey Cake (loaf tin)
Ingredients:
350g (12 oz) Mixed Fruit (i.e. 5 oz Sultanas; 5 oz Currants; 2 oz Glace Cherries)
175g (6 oz) Butter/Margarine
175g (6 oz) Moist Brown Sugar
4 Tablespoons Whiskey
3 Eggs
225g (8oz) Plain Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
50g (2 oz) Ground Almonds
Decoration:
50g (2 oz) Glace Cherries
METHOD
Soak fruit in whiskey overnight OR heat gently in saucepan, stirring constantly till all the liquid is absorbed and let the fruit become cold.
Cream butter and sugar together till fluffy Beat eggs together and add a little at a time to the mixture - beating well after each addition.
Sift together flour and baking powder. Fold carefully into the creamed mixture. Add the fruit and ground almonds.
Turn mixture into a 2lb loaf tin (lined with grease-proof paper). Decorate top with halved glace cherries, sprinkled with caster sugar.
Bake in a moderate oven at 180 (fan 160) for approx 75 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes clean. Enjoy!
350g (12 oz) Mixed Fruit (i.e. 5 oz Sultanas; 5 oz Currants; 2 oz Glace Cherries)
175g (6 oz) Butter/Margarine
175g (6 oz) Moist Brown Sugar
4 Tablespoons Whiskey
3 Eggs
225g (8oz) Plain Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
50g (2 oz) Ground Almonds
Decoration:
50g (2 oz) Glace Cherries
METHOD
Soak fruit in whiskey overnight OR heat gently in saucepan, stirring constantly till all the liquid is absorbed and let the fruit become cold.
Cream butter and sugar together till fluffy Beat eggs together and add a little at a time to the mixture - beating well after each addition.
Sift together flour and baking powder. Fold carefully into the creamed mixture. Add the fruit and ground almonds.
Turn mixture into a 2lb loaf tin (lined with grease-proof paper). Decorate top with halved glace cherries, sprinkled with caster sugar.
Bake in a moderate oven at 180 (fan 160) for approx 75 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes clean. Enjoy!
Harvest Fruit Loaf
Ingredients:
125g/ 4oz Butter/Margarine (room temperature)
125/4oz Castor Sugar
2 Eggs, large
225g/8oz Self Raising Flour
1 level teaspoon Mixed Spice
25g/1oz Cherries 9 (quartered)
275g/10oz Dried Mixed Fruit
5 tablespoons Milk
Decoration:
8 Walnut haves or 8 whole skinned Almonds
3 Cherries (halved)
METHOD
Place all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until well mixed (2 – 3 minuets).
Place mix in a lined 2lb loaf tin and smooth the top.
Arrange the walnut halves, or whole almonds, and halved cherries on top.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 160ºC, 325ºF or Gas6 for 1 ½ to 1 ¾ hours.
Remove paper and cool on a wire tray.
Store in an airtight container.
Jam Sponge (Sandwich made with 4 eggs)
Ingredients:
100g/4oz Self Raising Flour
100g/4oz Castor Sugar
4 Eggs (separated at room temperature)
Pinch of Salt
Few drops of Vanilla Essence (optional)
Filling: Strawberry or Raspberry Jam.
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6. Grease and line 2x8”/20cm sandwich tins.
Place the 4 egg whites and the pinch of salt in a large, clean, dry mixing bowl.
Stiffly beat until mixture is dry looking in appearance.
Next, add the sugar and beat for a few seconds; then add the egg yolks and beat until mixture thickens and the trail of the beaters is visible.
Finally, sieve in the flour and fold it into the thick mixture using a metal spoon.
To fold, just cut through the mixture, over and over with the metal spoon until all the flour is blended.
Never beat, as that will beat out all the air.
Fold in the vanilla essence (if used), then divide the mixture between the two tins.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes. As soon the sponge is bake transfer to a wire tray.
When cold, spread with jam and sandwich together.
Lemon Drizzle Cake 9" (22.86cm) round or 8" (20.33cm )square)
Ingredients
2 small unwaxed lemons, well scrubbed
275g granulated sugar
175g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the tin
200g self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
3 large free-range eggs
Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/fan 160º/Gas 4. Line the base of a 900g (2lb) non-stick loaf tin with baking parchment and butter the tin well. Finely grate the zest of the lemons. Put 175g of the sugar in a food processor with the butter, flour, baking powder, eggs and lemon zest and blend on the pulse setting until the mixture is just combined and has a thick, smooth texture.
Spoon the cake batter into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake for 35 minutes or until well risen and pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Squeeze one of the lemons to get about 3 tablespoons of juice and mix this with the remaining 100g of granulated sugar.
Turn the cake out onto a wire rack set about a tray or plate. Remove the baking parchment and gently turn the cake the right way up. Make about 50 deep holes in the top of the cake with a skewer.
Slowly and gradually, spoon over half the lemon sugar, allowing it to thoroughly coat the top of the cake and drizzle down the sides. Leave the cake to stand for 5 minutes, then do the same with the remaining lemon sugar. Leave to set for at least an hour or until the sugar and lemon has crystallised.
Light Fruit Cake 7" (17.78cm) round or (6"15.24cm) square)
Ingredients:
275g/10oz Cream Plain Flour
225g/8oz Caster Sugar
225g/8oz Margarine
4 Eggs (beaten)
100g Ground Almonds
Juice & Rind of 1 Orange
100g tub Cherries (halved)
100g tub Mixed Peel
1x375g Sultanas
METHOD
Preheat oven to 150ºC/300ºF/Gas 2. Line a 7”round or 6” square cake tin with baking parchment.
Put sugar and margarine into a large mixing bowl and cream together.
Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition.
Stir in the ground almonds, orange rind and juice.
Add the flour and gently stir until well mixed.
Finally add the fruit-mixed peel, cherries and sultanas.
Transfer to prepared tin.
Bake for about 2 ½ hours or nicely browned and a clean knife inserted into centre and comes out clean.
After an hour cover top of tin with a sheet of brown paper.
Cool in tin. When cold wrap in greaseproof paper and store in a cool dry place.
Dark Fruit Cake 7in (17.78cm) round or 6in (15.24cm )square)
Ingredients:
450g/1lb Strong Flour
350g/12oz Dark Brown Sugar
350g/12oz Margarine or Butter
675g/1 ½ lbs Raisins and the same amount of Sultanas.
125g/4oz Candied Peel
175g/6oz Cherries (chopped)
25g/1oz Apricots (chopped)
50g/2oz Ground Almonds
50g/2oz Almonds (chopped)
½ teaspoon Cinnamon
½ teaspoon Nutmeg
½ teaspoon Mixed Spice
Pinch of Salt
8 Eggs
Juice & rind of 1 Lemon and 1 Orange
1 Glass of Rum
METHOD
Line tin with double layer of greaseproof paper and a layer of brown paper.
Put all the fruit and almonds into a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Add the juice and rind of lemon and orange with the rum and leave overnight.
Sieve the flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and mixed spice together.
Cream butter or margarine with sugar. Add the beaten eggs gradually with half the sieved flour mixture, giving a nice soft mixture. Mix the remaining lour into the fruit mixture.
Combine both mixtures together and stir well. Transfer to prepared tin and bake in the oven 275ºF/140ºC/Gas1 in the middle shelf for 5 hours approximately.
After 4 hours check at half hour intervals.
4 Muffins
This recipe is for Blueberry Muffins.
Ingredients:
250g/9oz / Cream Plain Flour
150g/5oz Butter (melted and cooled)
150g/5oz Light Brown Sugar
150ml/ ¼ Pint of Milk
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
175g/6oz Blueberries.
METHOD
Preheat oven to 200ºC, 400ºF, Gas 6.
Put liners into muffin tins.
Place the melted butter, sugar, milk and eggs into a bowl and beat well until combined.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Gently fold in the blueberries.
Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 muffin cases.
Bake in a central position in the oven for about 25 minutes.
The muffins are baked when risen and golden brown and springs back when gently touched with fingertips.
Cherry Cake (loaf tin)
Ingredients:
225g/8oz Cream Plain Flour
200g/7oz Butter (at room temperature)
225g/8oz Golden Sugar
3 Eggs
200g/7oz Glace Cherries (halved)
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºFGas 4. Grease and line loaf tin.
Put the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add a little flour with each egg, this will prevent the mixture from curdling.
Stir in the remaining flour.
Finally, gently mix in the halved cherries until they are evenly distributed through the mixture.
Spoon the mixture into prepared loaf tin, smooth the top of cake.Bake in a pre-heated oven for approximately 1hr 15 minutes.
To check if the cake is baked, insert a skewer into the centre – it should come out clean.
Leave cake in tin for 10 minute s, then transfer to a wire tray to cool.
Allow cake to cool completely before slicing or storing.
Carrot Cake (loaf tin)
Ingredients:
2 Eggs
140ml/5fl oz Vegetable Oil
200g/7oz Soft Light Brown Sugar
300g/11oz Grated Carrot (weight when grated)
100g/ 3 ½ Raisins
75g/3oz Pecans or Walnuts chopped (optional)
180g/6 ½ oz Self Raising Flour
Pinch of Salt
½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
½ tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg
½ tsp Mixed Spice
For the orange cream cheese filling
250g/9oz Cream Cheese (straight from the fridge).
50g/2oz Butter Softened.
1 tsp Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Essence
275g/10ozs icing sugar sifted
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Method:
Preheat the oven to 150ºC/350ºF, Gas Mark 2. Oil and line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then add the oil, brown sugar, grated carrot, raisins and chopped nuts.
Sift in the dry ingredients and bring the mixture together using a wooden or large metal spoon.
Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, smooth the surface and bake in the oven for 1 - 1 1/4 hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before removing. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
To make the icing:
Beat the cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until combined. Add the vanilla extract, icing sugar and finely grated orange zest and mix to combine. The icing should be smooth and quite thick. Using a palette knife, spread the icing evenly over the cooled cake, dipping the knife into a bowl of hot water if the icing is hard to spread out. Cut into slices to serve.
Victoria Sandwich (jam only, no cream)
Ingredients:
225g/ 8oz Self Raising Flour
225g/ 8oz Margarine or Butter
225g/ 8oz Castor Sugar
1 level teaspoon of Baking Powder
4 Eggs (beaten)
2 tablespoons Milk
Filling Raspberry or Strawberry Jam
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180ºC, 350ºF, Gas 4.
Grease and base line two 18 - 20cm/7 - 8 inch sandwich tins.
In a large bowl, beat all the ingredients together to form a smooth soft batter.
Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and smooth the top with back of spoon.
Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown and the cake springs back when pressed.
Turn out onto a wire tray and allow to cool completely.
When cooled spread with jam of your own choice.
Sandwich both together.
Dust with castor sugar or icing sugar.
Novelty Cake (judged by appearance)
Cup Cakes
Ingredients
125g/4oz Self Raising Flour
125g/4oz Butter or Margarine (room temperature)
125g/4oz Caster Sugar
2 Eggs (room temperature)
Few Drops Vanilla Essence
To Decorate For Butter-cream:
125g/4oz Butter (room temperature)
225g/8oz Icing sugar (sieved)
Few Drops Vanilla Essence
Selection of food colouring
Sweets to decorate (optional)
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Line cup cake tin with baking cases.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs and the vanilla essence. If mixture starts to curdle, add a little of the flour.
- Gently stir in remaining flour with a spoon. Place spoonfuls of the mixture into the baking cases and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until firm to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and leave on a wire tray to cool.
- Make butter cream by beating the butter, icing sugar and vanilla essence together until smooth and creamy.
- Divide the icing into separate bowls for each colour you want to use, gradually add the colouring, mixing well until required colour is achieved.
- Pipe or ‘swirl’ icing onto each cupcake.
Rich Short Crust Pastry
The inclusion of an egg yolk gives a fine, crispy pastry that is ideal for sweet tarts but can also be used for savoury tarts if you need a standing crust.
Ingredients:
200g/7oz Plain Flour
Pinch of Salt
100g/ 3 ½ oz Fat, such as equal quantities of Butter & White Vegetable Fat.
1 Egg Yolk
2-3 Tablespoons of Iced Water.
Preparation Time: about 10 minutes, plus chilling.
Makes 200g/7oz
METHOD
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
Cut the fat into small pieces and add it to the flour.
Use your fingertips to rub the fat into the flour very lightly and evenly until it begins to resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the egg yolk and stir with a palette knife until the mixture beings to clump together.
Add just enough cold water if necessary to make a firm dough.
Turn out the pastry on to a lightly floured surface and press it together lightly with the fingers.
Chill for about 30 minutes before use.
Roll out pastry and place onto your prepared greased plate.
Add fruit, Apples, Rhubarb, sprinkle with sugar.
Roll out more pastry and place on the top of fruit.
Bake in a pre-heated over 180ºC -350ºF – Gas 4 until golden brown.
Tea Brack
Ingredients:
225g/8oz Self Rising Flour
375g Packet of Mixed Fruit
300ml /1/2 Pint of Cold Tea
125g/4oz Caster Sugar
1 Egg (Beaten)
1 Teaspoon of Mixed Spice
METHOD
Place fruit and tea in bowl and leave to soak overnight.
Add sugar, egg, flour and mixed spice and mix well.
Transfer to a greased and base lined 2lb loaf tin.
Bake in a pre-heated oven 170ºC/325ºF Gas 3 for approx, one hour or until risen and firm to touch.
Cool on a wire tray. When cold wrap in greaseproof paper and keep for a few days before cutting.
Scones
Ingredients:
500g/1lb2oz Plain Flour
1 level tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
2 level tsp Cream of Tartar
1 level tsp Salt
125g/4 ½ oz Unsalted Butter (if using salted butter, decrease the salt to ½ tsp)
25g/1oz Caster Sugar
1 Egg (beaten)
274ml/9floz Buttermilk or Milk (plus extra for the egg wash)
Scone Cutter
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 220ºC, 425ºF, Gas 7.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and salt into a large bowl.
Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar and mix well.
Set aside about a third of the beaten egg and combine the rest with the buttermilk.
Then add the flour mixture and mix briefly to combine into a moist dough.
Place on a lightly floured work surface and knead ever slightly to bring together.
Press or roll out to a thickness of 2cm (3/4 inch).
Using the cutter, cut out approximately 12 scones and place on a floured baking tray.
Add about a teaspoon of buttermilk to the remainder of the beaten egg to make an egg wash.
Brush the scones with the egg wash and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool on a wire tray.
Ginger Cake (loaf tin)
Ingredients:
275g/10oz Cream Flour
125g/4oz Treacle
125g/4oz Golden Syrup
1 Teaspoon (Level) Ground Ginger
125g/4oz Margarine
125g/4oz Dark Brown Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Bread Soda
150ml/1/4 Milk
METHOD
Place the treacle, syrup and margarine in a saucepan and heat until melted.
Sieve the flour, bread soda, and ginger into a bowl and mix in the sugar.
Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk and treacle mixture.
Beat well until smooth. Pour into prepared lined loaf tin.
Bake in pre-heated oven 300ºF, 150ºC, Gas 2 for 1 hour approx.
Insert skewer into centre of cake, if it comes out clean, the cake is baked.
Cool in tin for 1 hour, and then allow to get cold on a wire tray.
Wrap in greaseproof paper and foil for at least 2 days before eating.
Porter Cake (loaf tin)
Ingredients:
450g/1lb Cream Plain Flour
Pinch of Salt
1 level teaspoon Baking Powder
1 level teaspoon Mixed Spice
225g/8oz Sugar
225g/8oz Butter
459g/1lb Sultanas
125g/4oz Candied Peel
300ml/ ½ pint Guinness (Porter)
2 Eggs (beaten)
METHOD
Pre-heat oven 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4, Line loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
Sieve the flour, salt, baking powder and mixed spice into a bowl and add sugar.
Rub in the butter and add the fruit and mix.
Add the porter to the beaten egg and add the fruit mixture. Mix well.
Transfer to the prepared loaf tin and bake for approx 1-2 hours.
Special Occasion Cake (wedding, Birthday, Anniversary)
Sugarcraft (judged on sugarcraft)
Christmas Pudding
Ingredients:
Note half this mixture if you want only 1 (2 pint bowl) Christmas Pudding.
175g/6oz Self Raising Flour
1 level Teaspoon Mixed Spice
1 level Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
½ level Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
225g/8oz Fresh White Breadcrumbs
350g/12oz Dark Brown Sugar
375g/ 120z 1 Packet of Currants, Raisin and Sultanas.
125g/4oz Mixed Cut Peel
125g/4oz Cherries, washed, dried and halved.
50g/2oz Chopped Almonds
Finely Grated Rind and Juice of 1 Orange and 1 Lemon
125g/4oz Margarine melted and cooled a little.
125g/4oz Shredded Suet
3 Large Eggs
2 Tablespoons, Brandy, Rum or Whiskey.
275ml/1/2 Guinness
MIX ALL DRY INGREDIENTS TOGETHER
MIX ALL WET INGREDIENTS TOGETHER
METHOD
Have ready two 2 pint/1litre pudding bowls greased and the base lined with a circle of greaseproof paper.
Cut large circles of double greaseproof paper for the top and grease well.
Make pleats crosswise in the paper.
Cut a large circle of foil for each bowl and make pleats as for the greaseproof paper.
TO MAKE THE PUDDING
Sieve the flour and spices into a large mixing bowl.
Add the breadcrumbs, sugar, prepared fruit, orange and lemon rind, then mix thoroughly.
Make a well in the centre then pour in the melted margarine, suet and beaten egg mixture.
Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
Cover and leave to stand for 3-4 hours until mixture thickens.
Mix again very well then divide the mixture evenly between the bowls and smooth the top.
Cover tightly with the greaseproof paper and tie down securely, under rim of bowl.
Cover with foil and tie down again.
Put a loop of string over the top to facilitate removing pudding when cooked.
Boiled or Steamed Christmas Pudding
METHOD
Prepare the puddings and tie down as directed above.
Stand the prepared puddings on upturned saucers in large saucepan and add 3 inches /7.5cm of BOILING WATER to each saucepan.
Cover with tight fitting lids and boil for 6 hours.
Keep the pressure of steam up all the time topping up with BOILING WATER when necessary.
When the puddings are ready remove carefully from the saucepans and allow to cool completely.
Remove original covers and recover with double greaseproof paper (not greased)
Store in a cool dry place.
On Christmas day re-cover with greaseproof paper and foil and steam for another 2 hours.
HINT: If using a steamer fill the saucepan part 2/3 full of BOILING WATER.
Stand the pudding in the steamer and place on top of the saucepan then cover with the lid.
Steam as directed above for 6 hours. Keep the pressure of steam up all the time and keep topping up with BOILING WATER.
Biscuits
Ingredients
125g/4ozs Margarine (at room temperature)
125g/4ozs Castor Sugar
225g/8ozs plain flour, sieved
1 egg beaten
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF, Gas Mark 5. Second shelf from the top.
Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon to form a soft dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead together with the fingertips to form a soft smooth dough. 2oz
Roll out fairly thinly. Cut into desired shapes and place on baking sheets, previously brushed with melted margarine.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 12 - 15 minutes. Cool on a wire tray.
Any of the following can be added to the basic mixture:
Fruit: 50g/2ozs currants
Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon
Vanilla: 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Lemon: finely grated rind of 1/2 lemon.
Declan's White Chocolate Bread & Butter Pudding
Ingredients
1 loaf of sliced bread - buttered and the crusts removed (approximately 16 slices) preferably stale
200g/7ozs caster sugar
5 large eggs
600ml/1pint milk
100ml/31/2 fl ozs pouring cream
75g/3ozs sultanas
110g/4ozs white chocolate
50g/2ozs flaked almonds - optional
1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Method
Butter all the slices of bread and cut off the crusts.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF Gas Mark 4. Break the 5 eggs into a large mixing bowl and add 150g/5ozs sugar and beat together until combined. Add in the white chocolate at this stage (drops or chopped finely).
Put the milk and cream into a large saucepan and heat gently (almost to the boil).
Layer the bread up in an oven proof dish (9 or 10 inch square) and scatter the soaked and drained sultanas in between each layer of bread.
The remaining 50g/2ozs of sugar should be scattered in between each layer also.
You should end up with three (or four) layers of bread altogether with the sultanas scattered in between each. The top layer should be just bread.
Do not put sultanas on the top.
Add the cinnamon to the eggs and sugar and pour the boiled milk over the egg and chocolate mixture and whisk well until combined. Slowly pour all of this mixture over the bread and butter and allow it to stand for about 10 minutes. Scatter the flaked almonds on top also.
Put into the oven and bake for 40 minutes until the mixture is well set.
