THE COLLECTOR’S EDITION
Florentine tray cake
MAKES 12-16 SLICES. HANDS-ON TIME
45 MIN, OVEN TIME 40 MIN, PLUS COOLING
MAKE AHEAD
Freeze the un-iced sponge at the end of step 1, wrapped in cling film, for up to 1 month. Defrost thoroughly to ice. The iced cake will keep for 24 hours in an airtight tin.
• 200g unsalted butter, softened
• 180g light muscovado sugar
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 100g mixed blanched almonds and hazelnuts, ground quite finely in a food processor, plus an extra 75g, roughly chopped
• 100g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 200g glacé cherries, chopped
• 6 tbsp mixed peel
• 2 x 48g packs Werther’s Original Chewy Toffees, finely chopped (a light dusting of flour will help you chop them more easily)
FOR THE ICING
• 200g dark chocolate, or high cocoa content milk chocolate
• 50ml whipping cream
• Pinch sea salt
YOU’LL ALSO NEED…
• 20cm square cake tin, lightly oiled and fully lined with baking paper
MADE FOR TEA TIME Florentine tray cake
1 Heat he oven to180°C/160°C fan/ gas 4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Using a large metal spoon, fold in the ground nuts, flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt until just smooth. Fold through the roughly chopped nuts, cherries, mixed peel and chopped toffees, then spoon the batter into the prepared tin and spread evenly. Bake for 40 minutes or until the cake is risen, springy to the touch (not wobbly) and golden. Remove from the oven, cool in the tin briefly, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool fully.
2 For the icing, put the chocolate, cream and sea salt in a heatproof bowl over a pan of steaming (not simmering) water. Don’t let the water touch the bowl. Heat, without stirring, until the chocolate has melted, then stir with a wooden spoon until smooth and glossy. Leave to cool.
3 Pour the cooled icing over the cake, spreading to the edges with a palette knife. Use a serrated bread knife to create wavy lines over the icing. Leave for 30-40 minutes to set, then slice.
PER SERVING (FOR 16) 403kcals, 23.9g fat (11.1g saturated), 5.9g protein, 40.1g carbs (23.1g sugars), 0.3g salt, 1.9g fibre
Peanut butter and raspberry bundt cake
SERVES 12-16. HANDS-ON TIME 45 MIN, OVEN TIME 60 MIN, PLUS COOLING
MAKE AHEAD
The sponge is best on the day it’s made but you can freeze it, wrapped in cling film, for up to 1 month. Defrost before icing.
FOOD TEAM’S TIP
If you don’t have a bundt tin, bake in a 23cm diameter, deep cake tin with a removable base. Check on it after 50 minutes.
• 250g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 250g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
• 250g caster sugar
• 5 medium free-range eggs
FOR THE RASPBERRY SPONGE
• 50g freeze-dried raspberries
• 110ml milk
FOR THE PEANUT SPONGE
• 100g peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)