June Daring Bakers’: Battenberg Cake

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Being Indian I hate wastage. Of any kind. One of the reasons why I gained weight when I came to US (besides, the cliched that I got married) was that I was so used to finish everything on my plate, whenever we went out to eat, I ended up finishing the ridiculously huge portions of food served in restaurants here. Since we stay 4 hours away from all restaurants, doggy pack or to-go was not an option,  and since I had the habit of not wasting, I ate everything. That’s why this month’s Daring Bakers’ challenged proved to be double the challenge it was.

Mandy of What The Fruitcake?! came to our rescue last minute to present us with the Battenberg Cake challenge! She highlighted Mary Berry’s techniques and recipes to allow us to create this unique little cake with ease.

I have missed the last two challenges. Although I did a part of the April challenge, I could not get it posted because I was busy with my in-laws visit. Hopefully I should be able to post the recipe soon. ( I seriously have huge backlog!)

Now, I have been eyeing this cake- the Battenberg cake for a while now, ever since I was introduced to the Great British Bake Off cookbook. I don’t have it yet, but amazon’s site has a preview of the book and in that they show pictures of the cake. Since then it’s been on my mind. So when I saw this month’s Daring Bakers challenge, I knew come hay or sunshine, I would make it.

And make I did. Not one but two.

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Tish Boyle’s Luxe Pound Cake

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I think I’m still a kid and no I do not mean the “young-at-heart” kind of way (though I wish I did). But, in the way that I need my mommy (no, that’s not what I call her) whenever things just seem a little too difficult to handle.

Well, uhm… kid would be putting it mildly. Baby would be the correct (although harsher) term, but let’s just be kind and think of me as a kid.

So the other day, my ankle (the very ankle that had gotten sprained months back) started swelling again, making working in the kitchen kind of difficult.

If that was not enough, I get a huge bump on my head thanks to me hitting it against a real sharp edged table. How did that happen? Let’s just say that I am really clumsy.


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Guest Post for The Heritage Cook: Mom’s Date Cake

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I was introduced to Jane’s site when she was assigned my blog as part of her Secret Recipe Club assignment. But it was when I was assigned her blog a few months later (as part of my SRC assignment) is when I really took to her blog, bookmarking tons of recipes. I finally zeroed in on an apple crisp recipe from her site and loved it.

A few days later I tried her red wine poached pears recipe, one of the many I bookmarked. And that recipe too was absolutely amazing.

Basically what I am trying to say here is that I just love Jane’s blog and all her recipes.

So when she asked for some help with guest posts, I jumped at the opportunity. I also owed her for the delicious coconut layer cake recipe that she had guest posted on my blog.

I decided to share my mom’s famous date cake recipe, which has got my mom several compliments over the past few years.

Some call it the sticky date pudding, but I have always known it as Date Cake with toffee sauce. The sauce is to die for and the cake is perfect served heated for just a few seconds in the microwave.

Head over to The Heritage Cook for the recipe and more. This is one recipe you would definitely want to try!


Guest Post for The Heritage Cook: Mom's Date Cake
 
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Ingredients
Date Cake
  • 225 grams (7-1/4 oz) seedless dates
  • ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 85 grams all purpose flour
  • 60 grams sugar (see note)
  • 100 grams (2-3/4 oz) butter, cut into pieces
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ tsp vanilla essence
  • Pinch salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
Toffee Sauce
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 6 tbsp fresh cream, at room temperature
  • ½ cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts, optional
  • Instructions
Instructions
Make the Cake:
  1. Chop the dates, and soak them in 5 tbsp water and baking soda for 30 minutes. Keep aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 150°C / 300°F. Grease and dust with flour an 8-inch square cake pan. Sift the flour and baking powder in a bowl.
  3. In a stand mixer, or with an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add in the eggs and beat well. Add the vanilla essence. Mix in the dates and walnuts to the flour mixture.
  4. Fold in the flour date mixture into the liquid mixture, mixing only until well combined.
  5. Bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. I would suggest checking after 50 minutes, my cake is generally almost done after 50 min. Remove from the oven and leave in pan for 5 minutes, before unmolding it.
  6. Prick the cake slightly with a fork for the sauce to seep in.
Make the Toffee Sauce:
  1. Caramelize the sugar on medium heat, until just about brown (not too dark, but light golden. It will continue to caramelize when you add in the butter and cream, so don’t let it turn too dark).
  2. Quickly add the butter. Stir for a few seconds only, and then quickly add the cream (be careful as it will sputter a little). Stir as you pour to avoid lumps. Return to low heat.
  3. Stir for a few seconds until well blended, removing the lumps, if any. (My mom sometimes adds a little milk if she has too many lumps of sugar, stirring it until all the lumps are removed). Do not bring to a boil.
  4. Spread on the cake immediately to get an even coating of the sauce. Quickly top with the chopped walnuts.
  5. Yield: 1 (8-inch) square cake or an 8-inch loaf tin (preferable)
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