Big Fun With Big Cakes

Fancy a piece of cake? I certainly do!

As you know, it's been recommended that I work on being able to produce traditionally flavoured gluten free cakes, as it seems coffee shops don't necessarily favour cupcakes and cookies, which up til now have been my 'thing'. You also know what utter disasters some of my previous large cakes have been.

Well, I'm pleased to say I seem to have solved the issue. I found a fantastic website that acts as a sort of troubleshooting guide for baking, and it suggested that I was adding my eggs too fast and the oven temperature was too low. Since then, I add the eggs slowly as I mix, and I've turned the oven up so it's around the 190 degrees C mark.

Now I know it's not technically a 'traditional' cake flavour, but I'm a huge fan of almonds, so my first attempt with the new technique was a twist on a victoria sponge, flavouring the sponge with almond extract, and using my homemade rhubarb and strawberry jam and almond buttercream for filling. This was the result:

It's not quite perfect, but it was SO much better than my previous attempts, so I was incredibly proud.

But since the focus is meant to be good old-fashioned, traditional British jolly-hockey-sticks type stuff, I turned to Buttercup Bakery followers on the Facebook group and asked them what their favourite traditional flavour is. Overwhelmingly, the responses fell into two main groups: coffee and walnut cake, and lemon drizzle. Since I had the ingredients I needed already, I decided to have a go at coffee and walnut.

Confession time: I have never made, nor eaten, a coffee and walnut cake in my life. I was always assured I would hate it and nobody I knew liked it so somehow this one passed me by. Nevertheless, I decided to use my tried and tested make-it-up-as-I-go-along approach. So, several tablespoons of coffee and a LOT of chopped walnuts later, this is what I got:

Frankly, even I have to admit this looks like something of a behemoth, as far as cakes go! But I'm really very pleased with it. It also smelled better while cooking than any cake I've ever made or eaten. A homely smell that made me ache for a cup of tea and a slice of cake. I'm telling you, bottle it, sell it as a scented candle and nobody will ever leave your home without eating ever again!

Naturally, I had to try a slice. It's only decent, after all.

How have I missed this cake all these years?! Why did nobody tell me!?

The only thing that's bugging me is that never having had coffee and walnut cake before, I don't know whether it has enough coffee flavour. Should it be very strong? Or should it be a subtle flavour in the sponge and strong flavour in the icing? I just don't know. And that is frustrating. But for now at least, I like it.

And I especially like it with a nice cup of tea.

Next up: lemon cake! Until next time, food fans...