Fresh and fruity
Almond cake
with raspberries
Preparation time: approx. 20 minutes (plus approx. 50 minutes baking and approx. 30 minutes cooling time)
For a 18-cm springform cake tin
200 g raspberries
125 g flour
1 tsp baking powder
125 g ground almonds
125 g soft butter
125 g sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar
pinch of salt
2 eggs
2 tbsp yoghurt
Additionally
butter for the tin
150 g icing sugar
a little pink food paste
1 Put the raspberries in a sieve. Rinse under water and leave to drain completely. Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C (Gas Mark 4). Butter the base and sides of the springform tin.
2 Combine the flour, baking powder and almonds. Whisk together the soft butter, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt until foamy. Add the eggs one by one. Stir in the flour mix and yoghurt, and whisk until smooth.
3 Carefully fold the raspberries into the dough. Spoon into the tin. Smooth over the surface and bake in the middle of the oven for about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven, then take out of the tin and place on a cooling rack until completely cool.
4 Stir together the icing sugar and 1 tablespoon of water until smooth. Add a tiny amount of pink food colouring to colour it raspberry, and coat the cake. Leave to set.
Apple and thyme cake
Preparation time: approx. 20 minutes (plus approx. 1 hour cooling and 50 minutes baking time)
For a 18-cm springform cake tin
For the pastry
50 g cold butter
30 g icing sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg yolk, 100 g flour
1 tbsp ground hazelnuts
pinch of baking powder
For the filling
2 sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp sugar
400 g apples
For the glaze
1 egg, 50 g vanilla sugar
2 tbsp ground hazelnuts
1 tbsp cornflour
35 ml cream
100 g crème fraîche
Additionally
butter for the tin
icing sugar to dust
1 Quickly combine all the ingredients for the pastry. Lightly butter the base and sides of the cake tin, and press the pastry into the tin. Make a little rim up the side of the tin, and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
2 Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C (Gas Mark 4). Pierce the pastry a few times with a fork. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes, then leave until cold.
3 To make the filling, first wash and pat dry the thyme and pull of the leaves. Melt the butter and sugar in a pan. Peel and core the apples and cut the flesh into slices. Sauté in the melted butter for about 5 minutes, then add the thyme leaves. Combine all the ingredients for the glaze, and whisk on the highest setting until light and smooth.
4 Turn the oven down to 150 °C (Gas Mark 2). Arrange the apple slices over the pastry case and pour over the glaze. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 40 minutes until the glaze has set. Remove from the oven and leave until cold. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Apricot and Pinot gris
cake
Preparation time: approx. 40 minutes (plus approx. 45 minutes baking, approx. 1 hour cooling and approx. 1 hour chilling time)
For a 18-cm springform cake tin
For the pastry
1 egg
55 g cold butter
40 g icing sugar
pinch of salt
110 g flour
pinch of baking powder
For the topping
200 g apricots
125 ml apricot juice
½ sachet vanilla blancmange powder
125 ml Pinot gris
50 g sugar
For the cream
pinch of salt
100 g mascarpone
1 sachet vanilla sugar
25 ml cream
Additionally
butter for the tin
baking beans (or similar)
1 To make the pastry, first separate the egg. Chill the egg white for the cream, and knead the egg yolk with all the other ingredients for the pastry. Lightly butter the base and sides of the cake tin and press the pastry into the tin. Shape an edge up the side. Chill until the oven has pre-heated to 180 °C (Gas Mark 4).
2 Pierce the pastry a few times with a fork. Cover with baking parchment and weight it down with baking beans. Bake blind in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Take off the baking parchment and baking beans, and leave the base until cold. Then, turn the oven down to 160 °C (Gas Mark 2.5).
3 To make the topping, first blanche the apricots in boiling water, then remove the skins and stones, and cut the flesh into slices. Measure out 4 tablespoons of the apricot juice and combine with the blancmange powder. Bring to the boil the remainder of the juice, the Pinot gris and the sugar. Pour in the blancmange powder. Return to the boil, stirring continuously, then remove from the heat. Leave until cool.
4 Arrange the apricot slices over the pastry. Pour over the white wine cream and bake in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes. Remove. Unclip the side of the tin and leave until cold. Then chill for at least 1 hour.
5 To make the cream, whisk the left-over egg white with the salt until stiff. Whisk together the mascarpone, vanilla sugar and cream until stiff. Fold in the whisked egg white. Smooth over the cake and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Quince cake
Preparation time: approx. 35 minutes (plus approx. 25 minutes steaming and approx. 40 minutes baking time)
For a 18-cm springform cake tin
For the pastry
125 g flour
½ tsp baking powder
60 g butter, 60 g sugar
1 egg yolk, pinch of salt
For the topping
500 g quince
75 g sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
125 ml white wine
200 g traditional soured cream
60 ml cream
1 egg
½ sachet vanilla blancmange powder
30 ml grappa
Additionally
butter for the tin
2 tbsp quince jelly to glaze
1 Quickly knead together all the ingredients for the pastry. Wrap in foil and chill for about 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C (Gas Mark 4). Butter the base and sides of the springform cake tin and line the base and sides with the pastry. Pierce several times with a fork, then bake in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove and leave until cold.
2 To make the topping, first wash and peel the quince, then core and cut into slices. Put 30 g sugar, the lemon juice, 125 ml of water and the white wine in a saucepan and simmer the quince for about 25 minutes until soft. Remove and drain.
3 Stir together the remainder of the sugar, the soured cream, cream, egg, vanilla blancmange powder and grappa.
4 Arrange the quince over the pastry case. Pour over the cream and smooth the surface. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 40 minutes. Remove and unclip the side of the tin. Brush the top with the hot quince jelly. Leave until completely cool.
Orange flan
Preparation time: approx. 30 minutes (plus approx. 13 minutes baking and approx. 2 hours chilling time)
For a 18-cm flan tin
For the pastry
½ vanilla pod
150 g flour
85 g butter
60 g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
pinch of salt
For the topping
2 eggs
100 g sugar
60 g butter
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange
1 tbsp brown sugar
Additionally
butter for the tin
orange segments to garnish
1 Cut open the vanilla pod and scoop out the pulp. Knead together with all the other ingredients for the pastry. Wrap in foil and chill for about 1 hour.
2 Pre-heat the oven to 200 °C (Gas Mark 6). Butter the base and sides of the flan tin and line with the pastry. Pierce several times with a fork. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 13 minutes. Remove and leave until cold.
3 To make the orange cream, whisk the eggs and sugar until light and creamy. Bring the butter and orange juice to the boil. Pour in the egg cream and briefly bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Remove from the hob. Strain, and leave to cool slightly.
4 Pour the lukewarm cream over the pastry base, and chill for at least 1 hour. Sprinkle over the brown sugar before serving, and caramelise with a cook's blowtorch. Finally, garnish with the orange segments and serve.
Almond-topped
apple cake
Preparation time: approx. 25 minutes (plus approx. 1 hour chilling and 45 minutes baking time)
For a 18-cm springform cake tin
For the pastry
60 g flour
60 g ground hazelnuts
60 g sugar, 50 g butter
1 egg yolk
For the topping
500 g apples (e.g. Boskoop)
1 tsp lemon juice
30 g sugar
pinch of cinnamon
30 g butter, 90 ml cream
1 tsp honey
50 g flaked almonds
Additionally
butter for the tin
flour for the work surface
1 Knead together all the ingredients for the pastry. Butter the base and sides of the springform tin. Roll the pastry out on a floured work surface, then line the base and sides of the tin. Cover with foil and chill for at least 1 hour.
2 Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C (Gas Mark 4). Wash and peel the apples, then quarter them and cut out the cores. Thinly slice the quarters and combine immediately with the lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon. Arrange...
