CRACKING CAKES

Indulgent recipes to showcase your home-grown garden goodies

GARDENER'S CAKE See if anyone can guess the vegetables and fruits you used

ETON MESS ICE CREAM CAKE Meringues, strawberries and cream – what a combo!

MAGICAL CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE This started off as a brownie recipe but as if by magic it’s turned into a delicious cake!

A delicious and beautiful cake. Don’t be put off by the use of parsnip – this honestly tastes like carrot cake! It’s also refined sugar free, if you use maple syrup and coconut sugar, which is a big thumbs up. Our preference is to use honey in the icing. Fresh blueberries are also a lovely decoration if you don’t have flowers to hand.

10-12 SLICES

MAKES ONE 20CM CAKE

120g finely grated parsnip (peeled and trimmed weight) 120g finely grated carrot (peeled and trimmed weight) 120g peeled, cored and grated eating apple (about 1 large or 2 small apples) 50g pecans or walnuts, chopped 150ml mild oil such as rapeseed, sunflower or vegetable 100g coconut sugar or soft brown sugar 100ml maple syrup 4 eggs 1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract 2 tablespoons orange juice 250g wholegrain stoneground spelt flour 4 level teaspoons baking powder

FOR THE ICING 175g slightly softened butter 225g full fat cream cheese 3–5 tablespoons mildly flavoured runny honey or maple syrup

TO DECORATE

Edible flowers and herbs such as lavender, roses, borage, nigella, mint, rosemary, nasturtiums, viola, cornflowers or fresh blueberries

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 170°C/fan 150°C/gas 3.

Grate the vegetables and apple and mix together, with the nuts, in a bowl. Put the oil, sugar, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla and orange juice into a mixing bowl and whisk well for a minute or so. Add the grated vegetables, apple and nuts and using a large metal spoon, fold in.

Sieve over the flour (you will need to add the grainy bits back into the bowl once sieved), 2 pinches of fine salt and the baking powder. Using the same spoon, gently fold in until just combined. Spoon into a greased and lined deep, loose-bottomed 20cm cake tin (or a silicone cake tin).

Bake for 55 mins to 1 hour or until cooked through (push a skewer into the centre of the cake – if it’s cooked it will come out clean). If it’s not quite done, simply return to the oven for an extra 5–10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and after 5 minutes cooling, turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Whisk the butter and cream cheese until smooth then whisk in 3 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup. Add extra if you like it sweeter. Cut the cake in half horizontally (into two layers) then spread over a heaped tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. Put the cake back together and transfer to a plate.

Spoon the remaining icing on top of the cake and carefully smooth over the top and sides. Note: for a more professional look, spread over half of the icing first then chill in the fridge for 10 minutes before spreading over the rest. (The first layer is the crumb coat which covers the cake and any crumbs.)

Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes, then decorate with herbs and edible flowers and their leaves or blueberries. This cake will keep in the fridge for two days, just bring up to room temperature before serving.

Meringues, strawberries and cream – what a combo! Even though this is really a cheat’s recipe the end result is a show stopper – great for a party or to end a special meal.

6SERVES MAKES ONE LOAF

250ml fresh double cream 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped 250g fresh custard, ideally a good quality shop-bought carton 250g fresh raspberries, or frozen defrosted raspberries 3 large meringues (shop-bought is fine) 225g ripe strawberries, hulled (green tops cut off) 1–2 tablespoons icing sugar (optional)

METHOD

Line a standard 900g loaf tin with non-PVC cling film or reusable food wrap, letting about 7–8cm hang over the edges. This makes it easier to turn out the loaf.

In a large bowl, beat the cream and vanilla with an electric whisk until it is has formed soft peaks which stand up on their own. With the whisk on low speed, slowly pour in the custard and keep mixing until combined.

In a bowl, use a fork to mash the raspberries, so that they are just a little broken down.

Add the raspberries to the cream and fold in using a spatula. Then add the meringues, crushing between your fingers as you put them into the bowl. Fold in.

Slice 2 strawberries, and place the pieces around the edges of the inside of the tin. They will look very pretty once the loaf comes out.

Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth the top. Wrap the cling film or reusable food wrap over the top and then freeze for 3–4 hours until firm.

In the meantime, blend the remaining strawberries (add 1–2 tablespoons icing sugar if not sweet enough) to make a sauce.

When ready to serve, remove loaf from the freezer about 10 minutes before you want to eat it. It will need to defrost slightly before you slice it. Unwrap it and carefully place a plate on top. Turn it over so that the loaf is sitting on the plate, and slide off the tin. Serve the sauce in a jug or pour a little over the loaf before slicing.

MAGICAL CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE

Sometimes funny things happen in the kitchen. This started off as a brownie recipe but as if by magic it’s turned into a delicious cake! The fact that it uses spelt flour, beetroot and courgette means loads of secret super nutrients and nobody will know! See if anyone can guess what the magical veggies are when they try the finished cake.

20 SQUARES MAKES ONE 20X25CM CAKE

225g good quality, dark chocolate chips 200g unsalted butter 4 eggs 175g golden caster sugar 2 teaspoons good quality vanilla extract 150g courgette, grated finely 100g raw peeled beetroot, grated finely 280g wholegrain stoneground spelt flour (or for a less wholemeal taste you can use 150g spelt with 130g plain flour) 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 1 teaspoon baking powder FOR THE ICING 75g dark chocolate chips 100g soft butter 200g icing sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract TO DECORATE Chocolate sprinkles, raspberries and/or edible flower petals

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.

Melt 100g of chocolate chips with the butter in a bowl over simmering water or carefully in the microwave (if microwaving make sure you take it out before the chocolate has completely melted as it will continue to melt). Stir with a wooden spoon then cool for 5 minutes. Add the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and the grated veggies and mix together.

Sieve over the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Add any grainy bits left in the bottom of the sieve. Scrunch in ½ a level teaspoon of sea salt flakes, add the remaining chocolate chips and fold together.

Pour the cake mixture into a greased and baking paper-lined 20 x 25cm tray. Bake for 25 minutes until the cake is springy to touch. Remove from the tin and cool.

To make the icing, melt the chocolate and 1 tablespoon of water in a bowl again, as per method above. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then add the butter, icing sugar and vanilla and whisk together until creamy.

Spread over the cooled cake and decorate with chocolate sprinkles, fresh raspberries and/or edible flower petals.

Chill for 20 minutes before serving.

Recipes are taken from 'The Little Grower’s Cookbook' by Ghillie James & Julia Parker with photography by Ali Allen, published by Lettuce Publishing, RRP £20 Hardback.

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