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Recipes from my Lincolnshire kitchen

3 cakes to commemorate a centenary

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… with all the dreadful mess that the world is in at the moment it seems easy to forget that very sadly, we’ve been here before… 2014 marks the 100th year since the start of the First World War.  This was the war that shaped the 20th Century and whilst there are none alive today that were in the war itself there are still those of us with parents or grandparents who were directly effected by the terrors of the conflict.  I consider myself a pacifist and a humanitarian but of course it’s precisely because of our lack of humanity that war happens, which is why we must never forget our terrible past, nor the fallen heroes who gave their lives for our freedoms…

… yesterday in our beautiful village church we held a small exhibition in tribute to the men from Aby and Belleau who were sent to France to fight in the war.  It was a rather beautiful and very poignant day and I was asked to bake some cakes for the event to raise money for the local parish.  I wanted to bake cakes that had a very British and traditional feel to them without being stuffy or too old-fashioned and a trip to the local market which was full to bursting with locally grown summer fruits and berries was the inspiration behind the ingredients in these three beauties…

black cherry and chocolate cake with a whipped chocolate ganache
i’m sure all my British friends will agree that 2014 has been a very good year for local cherries… the rain and then all the sunshine has given us a bumper crop and so this cake is packed to the top with both fresh and preserved cherries… it’s one of those old-fashion ‘all-in-one’ cakes and it works phenomenally well plus the ground almonds really bring out that special cherry taste.
for the cake
250g self raising flour
100g ground almonds
240g butter
240g sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons hot water
2 dessert spoons (4oz) black cherry jam
10 – 15 black cherries – halved and stoned
for the chocolate ganache icing
150g dark chocolate – I used Green & Blacks Organic
300ml double cream
extra chocolate for melting and decorating

for the cake batter I simply threw everything into a bowl and whisked it up with my hand held blender whisk thingy, then poured it into two medium loaf tins that I had greased and lined with parchment.
bake for 45 minutes on 170c but watch it after 40 mins as it will turn golden quickly – set aside to cool

to make the ganache, break the chocolate up into a large bowl.   Heat the cream in a large pan until nearly boiling and then pour it over the chocolate and gently stir until the chocolate has completely melted and mixed together – then whisk frantically until the cream begins to thicken (it will never clot as theres too much chocolate in it) at which point you should pop it in the fridge for about 30 mins until it reaches a thickened state

to decorate the cake simply go wild… I poured on the ganache and then some melted chocolate and cherry halves as well as a few shards of chocolate

strawberries and cream, banana bundt
I think strawberries and cream really conjours up everything that is classically British, it reminds me of those long summer days as a kid, picking fresh strawberries on holidays to Cornwall, picnics on the beach and of course watching Wimbledon. I’ve used a little banana in the cake too as I think strawberries and bananas are a fabulous and much underrated combination, plus the bananas add a thickness to the cake and adds the ‘creaminess’ too…

for the cake
4 large free range eggs
250g butter
250g sugar
250g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
10 large strawberries – cut into small chunks
2 very ripe bananas – mashed with a fork

for the icing
100g butter – at room temp
200g icing sugar
2 tablespoons strawberry jam

grease your bundt tin very well (i use margarine) and pre-heat the oven to 170C

in a large bowl beat the sugar and butter until very pale and fluffy then add 2 of the eggs and beat in until blended well, then add half the flour and beat in again.

scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the vanilla the other two eggs and beat until smooth, then add the remainder of the flour and beat until no flour is left showing

add the jam, the bananas and the strawberries and fold in with a metal spoon

pour the cake batter into the bundt and bake for 30 – 40mins until golden, remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 15 mins before turning out but leave the tin on the turned-over cake till cool

to make the icing simply beat the sugar into the butter until light and fluffy, then beat in the jam

once the cake is cool generously smother the top in icing and fresh fruit



carrot cake
this is a classic carrot cake recipe into which i’ve thrown what I had laying about such as the desiccated coconut and toasted almond slithers which adds a lovely texture and takes the cake just a foot or more into heaven than your regular common or garden carrot cake…

for
the cake
200g self raising flour (or plain flour plus 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
150g dark muscovado sugar
200ml vegetable oil
3 medium eggs
225g finely grated carrot
50g desiccated coconut
50g toasted flaked almonds
50g sultanas

for the icing
175g cream cheese
125g icing sugar
the finely grated rind of one orange
the juice of one orange


pre-heat the oven to 150C and lightly spray your cake tin

sift the flour, spices and if using baking powder and bicarb together into a large bowl
stir in the sugar and mix together well
lightly whisk the eggs and the oil and then pour this into the flour/sugar mix and stir well together
add the carrots, coconut and oats and stir in well
pour into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour or until light and spongy and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean
remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely
to make the icing, combine all the ingredients into a smooth paste, and go wild with decorating

indulge and of course, enjoy!

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Comments

  1. Laura Denman says

    Even though these were made to remember a serious occasion they are all absolutely gorgeous and make such a pretty collection. Normally I would go straight for the chocolate one but this time I don't think I can decide which one I like best =)

  2. Jean says

    What a lovely way to pay tribute to the village's own lost men and boys.
    Three of my own great uncles were killed in France. One was just seventeen. I'm sure he would have enjoyed a home made cake or two in his short life, and I love the idea of making a cake to remember him.

  3. Choclette says

    Sad to say that many of the current conflicts are in some part due to WW1 and some of the decisions made then – it just goes on and on. But what a lovely way to commemorate your village's fallen and mark the day. Fab cakes as always Dom. No wonder the cherry one disappeared so quickly. Well done. And you've reminded me of those adorable little bundt thingies that I missed out on – all gone by the time I made it to Lidl.

  4. Janice Pattie says

    Your cakes are a triumph, Dom. Sadly, the wars and conflicts go on and it seems that as soon as peace comes to one area that another erupts in conflict. X

  5. Kate@whatkatebaked says

    A terrific trio Dom and I do hope the event raised lots of money for the parish and allowed your community to pay tribute and remember all those who gave their lives

  11. Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes says

    How thoughtful and delicious! I find those events very sobering, and I believe we need to remember our past, we're supposed to learn from it!

    My grandfather fought in World War I in France. He traveled from Massachusetts, USA. We have some postcards that he sent, they are very cherished. Thankfully he returned unharmed.

  13. Alison says

    What a lovely tribute, the cakes look amazing. I would have been spoilt for choice. We have many family stories about the war and sadly lost some family members during it. It is nice to look back and remember the past

  14. Mark Willis says

    Is there a connection between your village Belleau and the place in France called Belleau Wood, where the Americans fought a big battle in 1917? Lovely cakes, but I must admit that the title of your post led me to expect cakes in red, white and blue!

  16. belleau kitchen says

    Hey Mark, I don't believe so although there is a French connection but the river that runs through our village is called the Great Eau. I think Belleau was one of those common names for pretty places with water like the Spanish influences Buena Vista.

  17. Susan Lindquist says

    Oh my! Dom, these are truly beautiful cakes! Your post is beautifully written too … it IS sad to think that we haven't learned to find a different and more humane way to deal with our differences, but important to honor those who stepped up when our nation's called them to action. You nailed this one, dearie! And … I'd have quickly glommed onto that banana strawberry number. Back to history, both my grandfathers were doughboys in WW! … my Dad's father was a motorcycle messenger and suffered from a mustard gas attack. Thank goodness he had the cycle to get out of the area. My Mom's father was in the trenches … ugh. What a horrid experience!