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There is something relaxing about switching off, putting on your apron and baking a cake.
Yes, we know you can buy them for pennies in the shops, but making a batch of muffins or baking the perfect sponge is one of the most satisfying ways of spending Sunday afternoon and eating your creations is pretty special too.
We are big bakers here at Pure Beauty and today we are sharing a couple of our favourite tea time treats with you.
We have taken the traditional pink and yellow Battenberg and put a twist on it. This chocolate and orange version looks complicated but it is simply two flavoured sponge cakes cut into strips and wrapped in glorious marzipan.
Ingredients:
225g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
225g caster sugar
225g butter, softened
4 large free range eggs, beaten
2 tsp finely grated orange peel
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp cocoa powder mixed into a paste with 1 tbsp hot water
4 tbsp apricot jam, warmed
450g good quality marzipan
To start, pre-heat your oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl then add the sugar, butter and eggs and beat until the mixture is pale, smooth and creamy. Divide the mixture into two bowls then fold the orange rind and juice into one and the blended cocoa powder into the other.
Spoon the mixture into two separate square cake tins and level the surface, make sure they are greased and we go for an 18cm tin.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cakes are risen and firm to the touch.
Cool for 5 minutes then place on a wire rack and leave to totally cool.
Trim the edges from each cake then cut each cake into four even-sized strips. Use a little of the jam to sandwich two of the chocolate strips of cake with two of the orange strips and this will create one chequered effect cake – it looks pretty fab!
Roll out half the marzipan on an icing sugar dusted surface and create an 18 x 30cm rectangle. Brush the top of the cake with jam and press this gently onto the marzipan. Brush the other sides of the cake with jam and wrap marzipan around all of the cake and crimp along the top edges of the cake with your fingertips – have a clean cloth ready for sticky fingers.
Repeat to make a second cake and serve with tea.
If you are more of a cup cake kind of kid, then how about these lemon drizzle beauties? For a dozen you will need:
175g unsalted butter, softened and at room temperature
175g golden caster sugar
175g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 large free range eggs
2 tablespoons of lemon curd
If you want to add the topping, you will need:
100g granulated sugar
The juice and grated zest of one, organic lemon – they taste the most zingy – and slices of lemon to decorate
To make you will need to preheat your oven to 180C / Fan 160C / Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases.
Put the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and eggs in a bowl and whisk until pale and creamy then gently fold in the lemon curd.
Put the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 15-20 minutes until the cakes have risen and are golden brown.
Whilst the cakes are baking, mix the granulated sugar and lemon juice and zest together and drizzle a little on each cake a couple of minutes after they have come out of the oven, put a slice of lemon on each one, then leave to cool so the topping goes crisp and enjoy at any time of the day.
Got a recipe you love? Send it our way and we might share with everyone else.
Team Pure Beauty
Good Living from Pure Beauty Online 