… as is inevitably the way my lovely, barely 2 year-old oven decided to pack it in just a few weeks after its warranty ran out… well, it didn’t quite pack it in but the element in the right hand side turbo-oven gave up the ghost as I was baking bread which was of course a total pain in the arse but being fortunate enough to have purchased a larger oven I simply switched the loaves into the regular oven… they didn’t quite survive but that’s another story for another day…
… what I have learnt is that I was favouring the turbo-oven to the point of neglect of the regular oven… if there were such a thing as an oven cruelty hot-line my left-hand-side oven would have been on speed dial… is any of this interesting in any way… I doubt it… but i’ll continue… so now that the turbo-oven is fixed i’ve decided to use both ovens on an alternate basis depending on the amount of food that needs to be cooked. Now there is a reason as to why i’m informing you very patient readers about all this guff and that is in order to fix my out of warranty oven I had to enlist the help of my very friendly neighbourhood Nigel… you don’t have one? You should get one… oh and ours is not for transfer…
… i’m a very resourcefully person and can turn my hands to most things but when it comes to electrics I bow to the professionals… it’s lucky I do as it’s doubtful you’d be reading this today with the amount of ‘incidents’ with electricity i’ve had… this cake is baked in the new turbo-oven and is a thank you to dear Nigel…
wild strawberry jam bundt
honestly these wild strawberries are the berries that keep on giving, the more you pick the more they come and they have the most wonderful flavour, like a cross between regular strawberries and bubble-gum… I made two batches of jam last week, well i’m slowly trying to fill my wonderful quickjars jars but I think I went a bit to fast on this particular batch of wild strawberry jam as it simply wouldn’t set and I lost patience with it… I still jarred it, knowing I would find something to do with it and it’s worked wonders in this cake and in the icing too…
for the cake
4 free-range eggs
300g butter
200g golden caster sugar
200g self-raising flour combined with 100g ground almonds
100g or 3 tablespoons jam
for the icing
500g icing sugar
the juice of one lemon
jam
pre-heat the oven to 170C and spray your bundt tin with an easy release spray
in a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until nice and light and fluffy then add one egg, beating with a wooden spoon until incorporated, followed by a bit of the four/almond mix, continue this way until the eggs and flour/almonds have been used then add the jam and beat in until you have a pale pink batter (if your jam is really thick and solid simply heat it up slightly before using)
pour the batter into you tin and bake for 40 mins or until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean – set aside to cool completely
to make the icing, halve the sugar into two bowls and into one mix the juice of one lemon until you have a thick but pouring icing and into the other mix in the jam – again, heat the jam first if it’s too thick to pour, then drizzle onto the cold cake for effect
eat and of course, enjoy!
A Trifle Rushed says
Wonderful, wonderful cake!
Hope you can get the cooker sorted quickly, it's just so frustrating if they play up. I've only had one problem with the element in my Brittania, about 8 yrs ago, working like a dream now (17yo!)
pattypan.2 says
Now that looks really lush lucky Nigel! Sorry you have had cooker problems and its always when you need it. I always have a lemon to hand when making strawbery jam of any description as it can be very temperamental and just adding lemon juice (natural pectin) to help achieve a set, is a much nicer way than the Certo (and you know what has gone into it). Then of course you could always make your own pectin and bottle it for future use from wild crab apples or any cooking apples you may have left over or come across.
Take care
Pattypan
x
Sunshine - www.cancersurvivor26.blogger.com says
Looks wonderful!
Jean says
That cake is a work of art!
Shame about your oven. Mine is on the blink, too, but it is about 12 years old, a good age for an oven these days.
Kate@whatkatebaked says
Would you look at that beautiful cake! That opening picture is stunning, so bright and inviting Dom!
Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes says
Nigel sounds like an angel and your bundt looks heavenly! 😉
Janice Pattie says
That's nonsense about not using your turbo oven all the time. I use mine all the time and same with my previous one which lasted 20 years. I think you just got a duff element. Anyways, gorgeous bundt and fabulous neighbour!
Aimee / Wallflower Girl says
Wow, strikingly beautiful cake! And sounds delicious too…
london bakes says
Such a totally beautiful cake!
Anne Szadorska says
I love the vividness of the icing! Always forget my bundt tin, is very neglected wherever it is!
Susan Lindquist says
Lord! What a beauty! Like a piece of modern art! I think we shall call you the Jackson Pollock of cake baking!
Michael Toa says
Sorry to hear about the oven issue.
The cakes looks so beautiful! Such beautiful colour.
Gerry @Foodness Gracious says
I'm the same, I love to dabble but won't go near a plug or socket!
Jenn S says
Sucks to hear of your oven issues… but at least you have a Nigel!!!! 🙂
The cake looks utterly delicious!!!!
Shaheen says
Oh 'tis beautiful, like a jewel, an edible one so to speak. And have to say, really sorry to read about the oven issues, at least the wild strawberries are still giving. I'll have to see if my mothers got some, I harvested a load from her garden a couple of years ago and they were truly truly flavour packed..
Mark Willis says
Your story reminds me of the time when our oven packed up on Christmas Eve! We ended up cooking Christmas Dinner at my brother's place and ferrying hot food up the road in my car (shades of Fawlty Towers here…)
Karen S Booth says
STUNNING! Just stunning and I am so pleased that the oven problem was sorted out! I have wild strawberries in the garden, and as you say, the more you pick the more you have……LOVELY cake and great post Dom! Karen PS: sorry I have been AWOL, have friends staying with us and lots of merriment has been going on!
From Beyond My Kitchen Window says
Appliances just don't last as long as they use to. The cake looks so moist and yummy. Strawberries are so naturally sweet. It's like eating really healthy candy.
I have taken a little break from blogging this summer. I hope to get back on track once school starts up again.
Caroline says
I love the pattern on this, it looks wonderful!