TREACLE CRUNCHES

I love these; black treacle is a good source of iron and there’s no added sugar, so I like to think they’re a slightly healthier option than some of the other cakes in this section.

MAKES ABOUT 18:
1/2 lb (approx 225 g) milk chocolate
1 heaped tbsp black treacle
8 oz (220 g) digestive biscuits (roughly 16 biscuits)
4 oz (100 g) butter or margarine

METHOD

• 1.Crumble the digestive biscuits into tiny pieces (use your hands, or bash them up with a heavy object; a mug or a rolling pin will do) and break the chocolate into squares.
• 2.Melt the butter first in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, then add the black treacle.
• 3.Add the chocolate to the bowl and stir for a minute or two until it’s thoroughly melted and there are no lumps left.
• 4.Mix the broken biscuits into the chocolate, then spoon the mixture into cake cases and leave to set in the fridge for about an hour.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

You can buy chocolate chips in the baking section at the supermarket, but these are more fun if you use Smarties and crush them up yourself by putting them in a plastic food bag, or something similar, and bashing them with a cup or rolling pin.

MAKES ABOUT 24 BISCUITS:
8 oz (225 g) self-raising flour
5 oz (150 g) butter or margarine
4 oz (100 g) caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 oz (50 g) broken Smarties or chocolate chips

METHOD

• 1.Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the butter or margarine in small pieces and rub in until the mixture resembles medium-fine breadcrumbs.
• 2.Stir in the sugar then make a well in the centre, add the beaten egg and mix to a stiff dough.
• 3.Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes until smooth, then work in the Smarties or chocolate chips, wrap the dough in clingfilm or foil and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• 4.Roll out the chilled dough to about 1/8″ thick (3 mm) and cut out biscuits with a pastry cutter, cup or beaker.
• 5.Place the biscuits a little way apart on greased baking sheets, prick them with a fork a few times, and bake on Gas Mark 4 (180°C) for about 10 minutes, until golden.

WHOLESOME CAKES

No matter how sugary, scrumptious and inviting a shop-bought cake appears to be on the outside, the instant you bite into it you realise how unappetising it is, whereas, what these wholesome cakes may lack in the looks department, they more than make up for in taste, texture, and the sheer enjoyment of eating something sweet that’s actually quite good for you.

CARROT CAKE

There are lots of methods for making carrot cake. I think this is probably the easiest and the result is a lovely moist cake that keeps in the fridge for a few days, assuming it’s around that long. I use Quark, the virtually fat-free soft cheese for the topping, but you can use any other low-fat cream cheese, or even full-fat cream cheese if you prefer, it doesn’t make much difference to the end result either way.

FOR THE CAKE:
8 oz (225 g) self-raising flour
8 oz (225 g) soft brown sugar
8 oz (225 g) butter
4 eggs – whites and yolks separated
1 tsp baking powder
5 small or 3 large carrots
1 orange
1 lemon

FOR THE TOPPING:
8 oz (225 g) tub of cream cheese or Quark
3 tbsp runny honey
orange/lemon juice

OPTIONAL:
5 oz (150 g) walnuts – broken into small pieces

METHOD

• 1.Grease and line the bottom of two 7″ (18 cm) sandwich tins with greaseproof paper or baking parchment. Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 4 (180°C).
• 2.Wash and cut the orange and lemon in half; put the finely grated rind of half the orange into a small bowl with the juice, plus the juice of one of the lemon halves. (Put the remaining halves of orange and lemon aside for the topping.)
• 3.Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until pale and fluffy.
• 4.Beat in the eggs yolks and then add the lemon/orange juice and rind.
• 5.Fold in the flour and baking powder
• 6.Whisk the egg whites till stiff and smooth-looking (all the bubbles will have disappeared) and fold into the cake mixture, followed by the grated carrots – and the walnut pieces if you’re using them.
• 7.Divide the mixture equally between the prepared tins and bake in a moderate oven for about 45 minutes.
• 8.When the cakes are cool, beat the honey and cream cheese together with the remainder of the orange and lemon juice. Use half to sandwich the cakes together and spread the rest on the top.

BRAN LOAF

More delicious than shop-bought malt loaf and so easy to fling together a child can do it. This must be one of the only cake mixtures that looks and tastes pretty revolting in the bowl, but honestly, the end result is well worth the complete lack of effort...

Best sliced thinly and eaten with butter or jam.

1 mug of Kellogg’s All-Bran
1 mug of either currants, mixed dried fruit, or sultanas
1 mug of milk
1 mug of self-raising flour
A generous half-mug of caster or soft brown sugar

METHOD

• 1.Put everything except the flour in a large bowl and leave the mixture to stand for about an hour.
• 2.Grease and long-strip-line a standard size loaf tin and preheat the oven to approximately Gas Mark 3 (160°C).
• 3.Sift the flour into the soggy mixture; stir it in well and pour the whole lot into the loaf tin, spreading it evenly up to the sides.
• 4.Bake in a cool oven for about an hour and a half, until a skewer or sharp knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

ROCK BUNS

These aren’t much like the rock cakes I’ve found in the supermarket, which were pale and flat with only about 3 sultanas in each one. I use more fruit, slightly less fat and a lot less sugar than I’ve found in other recipes, but these rock cakes are as good as any I’ve eaten – and I’ve got a sweet tooth. I like to use soft brown sugar, but there’s no reason why you can’t use demerara, caster, or just plain granulated if that’s all you’ve got.

MAKES ABOUT 24 BUNS:
1 lb (450 g) self-raising flour
6 oz (150 g) butter or margarine
2 oz (50 g) soft brown sugar
2 eggs
1 lb (450 g) bag of dried fruit
A big splash of milk
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice

METHOD

• 1Grease two baking sheets and pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 6 (200°C). Wash the fruit in warm water and assemble the rest of the ingredients.
• 2.Sift the flour into a very large mixing bowl and rub in the butter or margarine in small pieces.
• 3.Don’t over-work the mixture; as soon as it vaguely resembles rough breadcrumbs, add the sugar, spices and fruit and mix it all together.
• 4.Make a well in the centre and pour in the beaten eggs with a big of splash of milk, then gradually work the liquid into the mixture to make a stiff, moist, dough, adding another splash of milk if you think the mixture is too dry.
• 5.Using a dessert spoon and your fingers, shape the mixture into rocky lumps (roughly the size of ping-pong balls) on the greased baking sheets, and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until they’re a light, golden brown.

GINGER CAKE

Ginger cakes are always best left for a couple days before eating (some recipes recommend waiting a whole week!), which gives them time to develop that lovely soft, sticky texture. If you haven’t got black treacle, use twice the amount of golden syrup; the end result will still be good, but a bit lighter in colour and texture.

4 oz (100 g) golden syrup
and
4 oz (100 g) black treacle
or 8 oz (225 g) golden syrup
8 oz (225 g) plain flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp mixed spice
2 oz (50 g) butter
2 oz (50 g) lard
1 tsp ginger
4 oz (100 g) soft dark brown sugar
A very little milk

METHOD

• 1.Put the syrup and treacle in a small saucepan with the butter and lard on a very low heat while you assemble the rest of the ingredients and long-strip-line a square cake tin. Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 3 (170°C) or slightly lower; this takes over an hour to cook and you don’t want it to burn.
• 2.Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl with the sugar and spices, mix everything together and make a well in the centre.
• 3.Pour the melted fat and syrup/treacle mixture into the centre.
• 4.Beat the mixture well, starting in the centre and working outwards to incorporate all the dry ingredients, adding just enough milk to make a thick, smooth batter.
• 5.Scoop the batter into the cake tin and bake near the bottom of the oven for 1–1 1/2 hours until the cake is firm and dark brown.
• 6.Allow the cake to cool on a wire cooling rack, then wrap it up well in greaseproof paper and foil, or store in an airtight tin for a couple of days.

BANANA CAKE

You can also make banana cake by following the recipe for a basic Victoria sponge (see Fairy cakes earlier in this chapter); just use brown sugar instead of white and add the mashed bananas to the mixture after you’ve folded in the flour. There’s not much to choose between these two methods, except this one uses less butter and sugar, making the end result a bit lighter in texture and slightly less rich.

8 oz (225 g) self-raising flour
4 oz (100 g) butter
4 oz (100 g) dark brown sugar
3–4 bananas, depending on size (mashed)
2 eggs
A very little milk

METHOD

• 1.Grease and long-strip-line a square cake tin (or a loaf tin, although the top of the cake may split slightly in the standard 1lb size).
• 2.Gently rub in the butter and flour in a large bowl, using your fingertips and being careful not to over-work the mixture.
• 3.Stir in the sugar.
• 4.Add the eggs and the mashed bananas, beating well and adding a little milk to make a soft dropping consistency.
• 5.Bake on Gas Mark 4 (180°C) for about 45 minutes.

ALL-IN-ONE APPLE CAKE

I once met someone who told me she used to eat whole, raw cake mixtures before she could get them into the tin. I don’t think I could, but if I was ever going to be tempted by an uncooked cake mixture, it would have to be this one.

6 oz (15 0g) self-raising flour
1 level tsp baking powder
4 oz (100 g) brown sugar
4 fl oz (100 ml) sunflower oil
2 eggs
5–6 sweet apples (not cooking apples)
4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice

METHOD

• 1.Grease and line the cake or loaf tin with butter or margarine and pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 5 (190°C).
• 2.Cut the apples into quarters (or smaller) one at a time, peeling and removing the core and skin, then slicing into small, fine chunks.
• 3.Mix the prepared apples with the sugar and spices – setting aside a few pieces to stick into the top of the cake, if you like.
• 4.Sieve the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, make a well in the centre; add the sunflower oil, eggs, and the spiced apples in no particular order, then beat the whole lot together on high speed for half a minute.
• 5.Pour the mixture into the tin and gently press the reserved pieces of apple into the top. Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean – approximately 40 minutes.

BREAD PUDDING

Make bread pudding in a square 8″ x 8″ (21 cm x 21 cm) cake tin or Pyrex roasting dish; as long as you grease and long-strip-line it properly, either one will do.
1 pint (500 ml) of cold tea and 1 teabag (if you’re using a milder tea, use 2 teabags)
8 slices of bread from a large, white medium-sliced loaf
8 oz sultanas (half a 500g bag)
4 oz (100 g) brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons mixed spice

METHOD

• 1.Break the bread into tiny pieces with your hands (you don’t need to remove the crusts if you’re using soft sliced bread) and put in a bowl with the cold tea. Mash the bread up well with a fork and leave it to stand for at least 10 minutes.
• 2.Mash again; add the fruit, beaten egg, sugar and spice, and mix it all up. (The mixture should be nice and stodgy, but not too soggy.)
• 3.Put the mixture in the prepared tin, press down well and bake in a moderate oven, Gas Mark 5 (190°C) for about 30 minutes until the cake is dark brown and firm to the touch. While it’s cooling, sprinkle the top of the cake with a teaspoonful of caster sugar.

FLAPJACKS

Flapjack recipes generally contain added sugar, but with so much syrup in the mixture I don’t think you need it, especially if you include the dried fruit.

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 16 SMALL SQUARES:
12 heaped tbsp porridge oats
6 oz (150 g) butter
6 tbsp golden syrup

OPTIONAL:
2 tbsp dried fruit, chopped; apricots, dates, sultanas...

METHOD

• 1.Grease and long-strip-line a 7″ (18 cm) square tin and preheat oven to Gas Mark 3 (160°C).
• 2.Melt the butter and syrup in a pan on the stove and put the porridge oats in a large mixing bowl.
• 3.Pour the melted butter and syrup over the oats and mix together thoroughly (adding the dried fruit at this stage, if using) and making sure there are no dry lumps of oats hiding in the middle of the mixture.
• 4.Press the mixture firmly into the tin, using the back of a fork to even it out, and bake in a cool oven, Gas Mark 3 (160°C ) for about 20 minutes.
• 5.Leave the flapjacks to cool for 10 minutes, then mark them into squares or slices with a sharp knife and lift the whole lot out of the tin, using the greaseproof paper.
• 6.After 40–45 minutes, cut the flapjacks up, then separate and leave to cool completely on a wire tray.

SEED CAKE

This is a very old recipe; the sort of thing your great-granny would have made between putting a week’s-worth of washing through the mangle and making dinner for 13 children. Perhaps this isn’t quite as wholesome as some of the other cakes in this section, but caraway seeds are good for the digestion apparently, and if all else failed I’d sooner give a child a piece of homemade sponge than a cereal bar for breakfast.

Caraway seeds are slightly bitter, so although the vanilla extract isn’t vital, putting it in will give the cake that little bit of added sweetness and flavour it needs.

6 oz (175 g) butter or margarine
6 oz (175 g) caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
4 oz (100 g) plain flour
4 oz (100 g) self-raising flour
2 tsp caraway seeds
Vanilla extract, 1–2 tsp, according to taste
Splash of milk

METHOD

• 1.Grease and completely line a 7″–8″ (18–21 cm) round cake tin and preheat the oven to Gas Mark 3/4 (170/180°C).
• 2.Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract together in a large mixing bowl until pale and fluffy.
• 3.Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating constantly to prevent curdling.
• 4.Fold in the flour and caraway seeds with a large metal spoon and add a splash of milk to get the mixture to a soft dropping consistency.
• 5.Scoop the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the lower-middle half of the oven on Gas Mark 3/4 (170/180°C) for 1 hour. Test the cake with a skewer or sharp, thin-bladed knife to see if it’s ready; if the cake is cooked on the outside but still a bit gooey in the middle, put it back in the oven with a big piece of foil or greaseproof paper folded in four over the top to allow the cake to finish cooking without burning.

PLUM CAKE

This is a lovely cake with a soft texture and not too much sugar – even less if you use prunes in natural juice instead of syrup – so dust it with a couple of teaspoons of icing sugar at the end if you like; it still counts as a wholesome cake in this book.

7 oz (175 g) self-raising flour
1 heaped tsp baking powder
4 oz (100 g) soft brown sugar
6 oz (150 g) butter or margarine
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp mixed spice
1 standard size tin of prunes in syrup or natural juice

METHOD

• 1.Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 4 (180°C), grease and long-strip-line a 7″ (18 cm) square cake tin.
• 2.Empty the tin of prunes into a bowl with the juice or syrup, split the prunes lengthways and remove the stones.
• 3.Sift the flour, baking powder and mixed spice together.
• 4.Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy and gradually add the beaten egg with a teaspoon of flour each time to stop the mixture curdling.
• 5.Add the prunes with the juice or syrup and blend on the slowest setting for just a few seconds to mix everything together without breaking up the fruit too much.
• 6.Fold in the flour with a large spoon, making sure it’s completely incorporated, then scoop the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
• 7.Bake in the middle of the oven on Gas Mark 4 (180°C) for 30 minutes, or until a skewer or sharp knife comes out clean, then lift the cake out of the tin and leave to cool.

ALMOND & APRICOT MUFFINS

Unlike creamed sponge cakes, muffins don’t need to be beaten to a super-smooth batter, so fold the butter and eggs in gently – just enough to get everything loosely combined – and try not to overwork the mixture.

Use whichever kind of dried fruit you want for these; the amounts don’t have to be exact. There’s no reason why you can’t make muffins with fresh fruit either – blueberries and raspberries are ideal – but because I find blueberries too expensive unless they’re on special offer, when I do buy them I always feel as if I ought to chew each one 32 times instead of squandering them in cake recipes.

If you do use fresh fruit and it’s dripping in juice, gently strain off some of the liquid without pulping the fruit to mush, and reduce the amount of milk to prevent the mixture from ending up too soggy.

Finally, if you don’t have muffin cases to hand, ordinary paper cake cases will do.

MAKES 16 – 24 DEPENDING ON SIZE:
8 oz (225 g) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp salt
4 oz (100 g) butter, melted
4 oz (100 g) caster sugar
1 large egg
4 fl oz (125 ml) milk
4 oz (100 g) dried apricots, finely chopped
2 oz (50 g) flaked almonds, broken up

METHOD

• 1.Melt the butter and leave to one side to cool.
• 2.Pour the milk into a measuring jug, add the egg and whisk together with a fork.
• 3.Into a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt and bicarbonate of soda and add the sugar, chopped apricots and broken almonds.
• 4.Make a well in the centre, add the melted butter, egg and milk and mix the whole lot together as sloppily as you like, for a lumpy, uneven mixture.
• 5.Spoon the mixture into the muffin or cake cases and bake on Gas Mark 5 (190°C) for 10–12 minutes.

MUESLI MUFFINS

If you use completely unsweetened muesli you may want to add an extra tablespoon (1 oz or 25 g) of soft brown sugar.

MAKES 16–24 DEPENDING ON SIZE, I.E. IF USING MUFFIN CASES OR REGULAR CAKE CASES:
8 oz (225 g) plain wholemeal flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp cinnamon
4 oz (100 g) butter, melted
4 oz (100 g) soft brown sugar
1 large egg
4 fl oz (125 ml) milk
1 mug of muesli

METHOD

• 1.Melt the butter and leave to one side to cool.
• 2.Measure the milk in a mixing jug, add the eggs and whisk together with a fork.
• 3.Into a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices (tipping the grains from the flour back into the bowl afterwards) and add the sugar and muesli.
• 4.Make a well in the centre, add the melted butter, egg and milk and mix the whole lot together as sloppily as you like, for a lumpy, uneven mixture.
• 5.Spoon the mixture into the cases and bake in the middle of the oven, Gas Mark 5 (190°C) for 10–12 minutes.

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

This is the same method as the other two muffin recipes (see above.) It’s hard to give an exact quantity for the pumpkin; everyone’s estimation of size differs wildly, as we know, so grate the pumpkin before you start; be careful when you’re adding it to the mixture and leave some out if you think you’ve got too much.

MAKES 16–24 DEPENDING ON SIZE, I.E. IF USING MUFFIN CASES OR REGULAR CAKE CASES:
8 oz (225 g) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
4 oz (100 g) butter, melted
4 oz (100 g) caster sugar
1 large egg
4 fl oz (125 ml) milk
1/2 small pumpkin
1–2 tbsp crushed pumpkin seeds

METHOD

• 1.Melt the butter and leave to one side to cool.
• 2.Pour the milk into a measuring jug, add the egg and whisk together with a fork.
• 3.Into a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt and bicarbonate of soda, then add the sugar and give it a good stir.
• 4.Make a well in the centre, add the melted butter, egg and milk and mix the whole lot together just a little before carefully adding the grated pumpkin and loosely combining to a lumpy, uneven mixture.
• 5.Add the crushed pumpkin seeds to the mixture, or add some and save the rest for the top of the muffins.
• 6.Spoon the mixture into the muffin or cake cases, sprinkle the crushed seeds, and bake on Gas Mark 5 (190°C) for 10–12 minutes.