Summer of Yum

A medley of treats this week including an Apricot Cake, Roasted Strawberry Karpatka, and a Tonka, Mango and Coconut Princess Slab Cake.

Hey Friends!

It feels like it has been a little while since I last wrote a newsy to you and for that, I am SINCERELY so sorry. To say the last 5 weeks has been a whirlwind would be an understatement. So, shall we start at the beginning?

Picture this…

It’s my wedding day. I had spent a large portion of the night before furiously typing away a newsletter I was determined to get out on time (spoiler alert – it got sent late) so woke up a smidge tired but overall excited. Sat down to get my hair done at 9.30 am and saw my phone was ringing. It was James. Hmm. That’s weird? Is this the bit where he tells me he has cold feet and is doing a runner?

Nope.

It’s the part where he tells me the wedding car he had booked for me, had broken down so I had no transport to the registry hall.

Ahhh, fine. No worries. ‘I’ll take an uber’ I said, much to his dismay. ‘Oh, don’t worry, I’ll go for the exec option to be fancy’, I retort back smugly.

He, like the rest of the people in the room, was mortified. Me on the other hand, was totally fine. If that’s the worst thing that can happen today, I will be a happy bunny. Ohhhh ho ho, okay famous last words.

Fast forward a few hours to my makeup not going how I had envisioned. I somehow looked worse with makeup on than I did with makeup off? I was internally dying because we were running mildly late, my makeup looked nothing like the inspo pics I had shared, I was fretting that I looked so orange I could pass off as an oompah loompah, all whilst my hairdresser was doing the finishing touches so I could leave, when he pulled something off my forehead.

He asks, ‘what’s this Rubes?’.

It was…a false eyelash which, if you are unaware, is not where that belongs. Cool cool cool. It’s all fine. I now have glue on my forehead, I am missing some eyelashes on one eye, I looked partially like someone who was in the Clockwork Orange but least my dress was beautiful and I was wearing my dream shoes.

I’m then bombarded with phone calls with people asking where the coach was. In amongst our planning, we thought it would be easier to put on a coach for everyone, taking them all to the registry office and then back again to our lunch venue. Very smart of us. Very considerate of us.

Except the coach decided to leave with just 3 people on it, left 27 people stranded and everyone nearly missed the wedding. Collectively everyone was so late, we had to do an express version of the registry ceremony. We said our vows, skipped the readings, cut down on any additional faff so we could be in and out in our allocated time slot. The ceremony lasted about 20 minutes, James tried to hi five me soon as they pronounced us husband and wife, and the top of my dress was covered in makeup splotches (still confused how and why there were there) but…we were married. YAY.

8 tequila shots later, all of the above did not matter. We had a great day, left with a tonne of stories and a horrendous hangover. There I go, skipping off all merrily on honeymoon to wake up on day 1 with a stye. How did I get it? My guess is the eyelash curlers which left the rogue eyelash on my forehead the day before. But ya know, we can live with that.

Day 2 and 3 of honeymoon were spent in the shadows, behind sunglasses because my eye was so swollen, I had to get some antibiotic drops. All those cute outfit pics I had previously planned for were on indefinite hold.

Day 3 was also the day I decided to have my first iced coffee of the season. Holy moly, it was strong. I naively thought maybe the Greek coffee is just coffee but on steroids. So, with that useless logic, I decided to have it again the next day.

That aforementioned steroids turned out to be E.coli and woweeee wow was it downhill from there. Every day was a lottery. Is this food I consume going to stay down or will it call for an emergency evacuation? Your guess was as good as mine.

The peak of my demise was when we decided to go on a boat day. Ohhh we bloody love a boat day in the summer. So, we splurged, and I spent half the time on the boat forcing myself to go to sleep because I had an almighty migraine, followed by an intense bout of queasiness which resulted in me projectile vomiting off the side of the boat, just as a catamaran was pulling up beside me for a front row seat to my one man show. Lovely.

The sickness was so bad we cut the trip short because whilst being on holiday is lovely, being away and being sick is hell. Get me in my comfort pj’s pronto. Give me my home comforts asap. Let me bed rot in my own bed. Then we welcome a period of about 2 weeks of feeling sorry for myself, eating nothing but white bread cause that’s all I could keep down and sleeping A LOT. I finally feel better. Wooohooo.

Until I wake up the next morning with a sore throat. Weird. It’s summer. I shouldn’t have a cold? So, I ignore it. I ignore the accompanying stiff neck. I ignore the intense fatigue. I go to my Pilates class thinking I am just being lazy. Come back home complaining how sweaty the class was, when my dad asks me if I had done a covid test. No?? Because who does them anymore. Is it even still a thing? YES PEOPLE. YES, IT IS STILL A THING.

I got a test thinking it was going to be negative and alas, I couldn’t have been more wrong. There I was testing positive loud and clear, I then had to miss a trip to Wales to walk up Mount Snowdon for my sisters birthday, spent the rest of the week in bed and 2 weeks later, here I am, feeling 87% better.

The fatigue is still real, the cough is still lingering and I am operating in what feels like constant slow mo BUT we are back in the kitchen and more importantly, back to eating cake.

I cannot apologise enough for how awol I have been but as you can see from the above, life has truly been lifeing but I promise to be back at it, in no time.

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We have a LOT of recipes to catch you up on, including the 2 latest Around the World Cakes plus our main bake of the day:

• First up we have an Austrian Apricot Cake, also known as a Marillenkuchen. A delicious, simple yet giving cake. A simple vanilla sponge, studded with apricots, baked until golden and finished with a dusting of icing sugar. This is a perfect coffee cake. Serve up as is or go a little fancy with adding a crumble before baking. One slice is never an option. Multiple slices is always a guarantee.

• Finishing up the duo of world cakes, we have an untraditional (as many people in my insta comment section told me), Polish Karpatka. Think of this like a jumbo sized profiterole. Traditionally made up of layers of crisp choux pastry sandwiching a custard buttercream filling, in my version we cheat a little and opt for an easier (and tastier) option of a whipped custard cream filling rippled with roasted strawberries. The filling alone is so good, I’d happily eat that all day long with nothing else.

• Rounding off the newsy this week, we have my Tonka, Mango & Coconut Princess Slab Cake. I don’t say this lightly – this week’s main bake is a special one. I made a larger slab cake version of this for my father in law’s (this makes me sound so grown up??) 60^th birthday last week and just knew straight away I had to share it with you. The sponge is MELT IN THE MOUTH SOFT and heavenly spiced. Teamed with a whipped mango mascarpone, mango compote and a whipped coconut cream, it is a tropical dream. A special cake, especially for you.

• PLUS a bonus Roasted Strawberry Loaf Cake recipe from One Bake Two Ways. Is this a guilt addition? I think so. I feel SO bad for being so delayed and MIA on the newsy front, that I am sharing a great recipe from my first book. Think of a Victoria Sponge but in loaf form. Easy, delicious and satisfying. Strawberries are my favourite fruit hands down. But strawberries roasted??? Elite. Divine. Sublime. Unbeatable.

Please note I’ll be adding the downloadable PDF’s for all the recipes shared over the course of this week.

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We have a mountain of goodness to get through in this newsy, so without wasting more time, let’s dive head first into all of the glorious offerings we have on the menu.

First up, we are back with the never-ending cake list, edging our way oh so closer to the top 20 (about time am I right?!).

In at number 21 in my Around the World series is a Marillenkuchen - also known as an Apricot Cake. It’s a simple, fuss free, easy to make, quick to bake, perfect sort of coffee cake. After Austria's Sachertorte, I was keen to see what else it had to offer and thankfully this did not disappoint.

Most recipes I saw online for this one used lemon zest in the sponge base but I worked with what I had lurking in the fridge and went with orange instead – and you know what folks, I am not mad at it. Not mad one single bit. The zest helped to add a bit of oomph to an otherwise singular flavoured cake and willingly sat in the background, not stealing the thunder of the apricots but merely assisting in letting them shine.

Whether apricots are your thing or not, the base of this cake will work well with pretty much any stone fruit - peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries - the works. Top simply with icing sugar, sprinkle over some crumble before baking or drown it in custard once done, it's a crowd pleasing bake which will tickle just about anyone's pickle.

pre and post glaze

As the weather gets warmer, I appreciate spending hours in the kitchen is not a high priority for anyone so at the moment, I am big into the simple cakes. Cakes that don’t ask much from you but deliver big on flavour and on taste. Cakes that are speedy. Cakes that aren’t needy. Cakes that you can throw together, change up and work with whatever fruit you have lying around. And cakes that also can sit around for a few days, mature over time and get better in flavour. Cakes that you can steal a forkful from every time you open the fridge door. Sneak a bite every time you make eye contact with it. A cake that is simple but simply warrants a second slice.

A cake, much like this.

I have used fresh apricots for this cake but whenever they aren’t in season and for a cheaper alternative, feel free to substitute for tinned apricots.

Recipe Makes: 20 by 30 cm / 8 by 12 inch deep cake tin

Recipe Serves: 20 slices

Y O U – W I L L – N E E D –

4 Large Eggs, whole

280 g Golden Caster Sugar (can sub for regular)

300 g Plain/AP Flour, sifted

80 g Potato Starch, sifted (can sub for Plain Flour)

2.75 tsp Baking Powder, sifted

¼ tsp Salt

330 ml Double/Heavy Cream, room temp

1 Extra Large Orange, zest only

1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

12 Apricots, halved & destoned

2 tbsp Apricot Jam, strained (optional)

M E T H O D –

1. Preheat your oven to 150°C Fan/170°C/340°F and grease and line a deep 20 by 30 cm / 8 by 12 inch cake tin with baking paper.

2. Add the eggs and sugar into a stand mixer bowl and use the whisk attachment on high speed for 5 minutes until you reach the ribbon stage (i.e. the whisk leaves a trail of batter on the surface).

3. In another bowl, add the flour, potato starch (if using), baking powder and salt. Use a balloon whisk to combine.

4. Turn the mixer speed to the lowest setting before going in with ¼ of the flour mix, ¼ of the cream, orange zest and vanilla bean.

5. When there are little to no flour streaks visible, go in with the next ¼ of flour and ¼ cream and repeat until everything has been added. Stop mixing once everything has just combined.

6. Scrape the base of the bowl and sides with a rubber spatula to remove any hidden flour pockets.

7. Transfer the batter to your lined cake tin and use the back of a spoon to level out.

8. Add the apricot halves to the top of the batter but don’t press all the way in.

9. Pop into the oven to bake for 32 to 34 minutes until the top is golden brown and bounces back when gently pressed.

10. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes before using a pastry brush to brush over the strained apricot jam. Cover with clingfilm and leave to completely cool.

11. Once cool and before serving, generously dust the top with icing sugar and serve.

Next up on the menu, we have the latest Around the World cake, but this time we head back to Poland for a slice of their Karpatka.

A Karpatka is a popular Polish bake, which was originally created as an ode to the Carpathian Mountains. Think of this as giant profiterole. The rugged choux pastry top is heavily dusted in icing sugar to resemble the mountain tops and filled with a custard-based buttercream. The crisp pastry shell teamed with the velvety smooth middle is a match made in sweet, sweet heaven.

If you love profiteroles or eclairs, this is the one for you. Arguably easier to make, bake and construct than the former two, a Karpatka doesn’t require a tonne of skill to whip together and assemble. What you are after here with the choux pastry is imperfection. We are looking for a rugged finish, so if finessed desserts aren’t your bag, this may well be the answer.

Traditionally, a Karpatka is left simple. No additional fillings and a custard-based buttercream is a must. Whilst a crème mouselline (custard buttercream) is an indulgent choice, here we have prioritised ease and speed – much to the dismay of some of my Polish followers on Instagram. Instead I have opted for a whipped mascarpone filling instead. Something equally (if not, more so) delicious than its traditional counterpart and a filling you can make with your eyes closed in a matter of minutes.

The true magic lies within the roasted strawberry compote. If you have been here for a while now, you will know it doesn’t take much for me to roast just about any fruit. I BLOODY love it. Roasted peaches. Roasted cherries. Roasted apricots. Roasted mixed berries. Roast whatever you can get your little mitts on because the flavour depth and intensity is second to none. So, you can bet your ass on me roasting strawberries whenever they are in season because it takes something magical and turns it into something majestic. Use this roasted strawberry compote to sandwich cakes, top toast, add to parfaits, drizzle over granola, ripple through ice creams or as a side serving to a simple flavoured cake.

Is it a necessity here? To traditionalists, absolutely not. But for those who want a little extra in life, then absolutely yes. You won’t regret it.

It’s the perfect cake to whip up for a summer soiree and enjoy in good company or do as I did and serve it up at your party for one. The cake will last for up to 3 days in the fridge well wrapped or in an airtight container, but the choux pastry will begin to soften the longer it is kept.

Recipe Makes: 2 x 23 cm / 9 inch springform/loose bottomed tins

Recipe Serves: 8 to 12 portions

Y O U – W I L L – N E E D -

• Roasted Strawberries

550 g Frozen Strawberries

20 g Caster Sugar

½ tbsp Cornflour

¼ tsp Vanilla Bean Paste/Powder

• Choux Pastry

125 ml Whole Milk

125 ml Water

5 g Salt

10g Caster Sugar

110 g Unsalted Butter, diced

140 g Plain Flour, sifted

3 Large Eggs, beaten

• Vanilla Crème Diplomat

500 ml Full Fat Milk

1.5 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

6 Large Eggs, yolks only

110 g Caster Sugar

30 g Cornflour, sifted

20 g Plain Flour, sifted

0.5 tsp Sea Salt

100 g Mascarpone

450 ml Double Cream

• To Finish

Icing Sugar

M E T H O D –

1. For the roasted strawberries, preheat your oven to 180°C Fan/200°C/390°F/Gas Mark 6.

2. Add the frozen strawbs to an ovenproof dish, sprinkle over the caster sugar, cornflour and vanilla and give it all a good mix. Pop the dish into the oven for 15 minutes, give them a quick stir and pop back in for a further 15.

3. Remove from the oven and use the back of a fork to gently mash any large strawberries so you are left with a chunky compote. Leave to one side to cool.

4. For the choux pastry, turn the oven temperature up to 200C/390F/Gas Mark 6 and grease and line 2 x 23 cm / 9 inch springform or loose bottomed tins. Leave to one side.

5. Pour the milk, water, salt, sugar and butter into a small heavy bottom pan and gently bring to a boil, ensuring the butter has melted before the milk begins to boil.

6. Once boiling, add all the flour and baking powder into the pan in one go, remove from the heat and immediately mix with a wooden spoon until the flour has been combined.

7. Place back on to a medium heat and continue to cook out the flour for approx. 5 mins, mixing well until a dough ball forms.

8. Transfer the dough into a mixer bowl and use the paddle attachment on a low speed to help release the steam, cooling the dough.

9. When the base of the bowl is cool enough to touch, slowly add the eggs, beating well between each addition, until the mixture is shiny and smooth – this shouldn’t be liquidy or too thick. The pastry should fall into a v shape from the paddle attachment. If yours doesn’t fall like this, beat 1 more egg and add a tsp at a time to the bowl and combining until you reach this consistency - do not pour all the additional egg in one go, otherwise your pastry mix will be too loose.

10. Transfer the pastry to a piping bag or use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly between the two lined tins. Use the back of a spoon to help spread the pastry into an uneven layer – this will help the pastry form an irregular, peaked top. Place into the oven on the middle shelf for 28 to 30 minutes until golden.

11. Remove the pastry layers from the tin and transfer to wire racks to allow the pastry to completely cool.

12. Whilst they are cooling, make the crème diplomat, start by pouring the milk and vanilla into a saucepan and placing over a medium heat. Bring to a near boil.

13. Whilst the milk is warming, add the egg yolks, caster sugar and flours to a bowl. Whisk well until smooth.

14. Once the milk is near boiling, pour half over the egg yolks and immediately mix to avoid the eggs from scrambling.

15. Pour the milk back into the saucepan and continue to stir until thickened. We want the custard base to be thick so go past the point of pourable and veer more towards a scoopable stage.

16. Remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the custard to a large bowl and cover with clingfilm to prevent a skin from forming.

17. Once cool, pass the set custard through a sieve and add to a stand mixer bowl, alongside the mascarpone.

18. Pour in the double cream and whisk until you reach stiff peak. Once the strawberries are cool, add ¾ of the compote to the stiff cream and gently fold through to lightly ripple. Place bowl in the fridge until you are ready to construct.

19. Once all the components are cool, construct the cake, by lining the sides of a springform or loose bottomed tin with acetate or greaseproof paper. Add the flattest choux layer to the base.

20. Add half of the whipped cream on top, levelling out with the back of a spoon or offset palette knife.

21. Spoon over the remaining strawberry compote, using a skewer or tip of a knife to ripple through before adding the remaining whipped cream.

22. Level out once again before topping with the second choux pastry layer. Gently but firmly press down to sandwich.

23. Place the cake into the fridge to set for at least 2 hours before serving.

24. Remove from the cake tin, carefully peeling back the acetate before liberally dusting the top with icing sugar before using a sharp, warm knife to slice and serve.

Are you ready? Are you?? I know I toot my own horn with some of the bakes I share on here but goodness me, this next one deserves every single bit of it. Sumptuously soft, decadently delicious, I made my Tonka, Mango & Coconut Cake for my FIL last week for his 60^th birthday and whilst in theory, I knew the flavours would all work together, in reality I had no idea just how well.

This trio of yum creates a seamless blend of magic. Lightly spiced, tender, delicate sponge soaked in coconut milk, sandwiched between layers of whipped mango mascarpone, mango compote, whipped coconut cream and encased in a layer of marzipan to finish. This is special from start to finish.

The initial version of this was a big slab cake, smothered in a coconut swiss meringue buttercream, topped with fruit and flowers and adorned with piped decoration but here we remove half of that faff for something equally spectacular. You all know by now that I am obsessed with Princess cakes, particularly when they are untraditional and even more so when they are in a slab cake style.

Ever since my first one back in January (which featured a similar tonka sponge), we have had a chocolate version, a lemon and blueberry variation and now this tropical number. My fave out of the lot? Hard to say between the very first and this very latest iteration but having tweaked and worked on the sponge, I find it hard to believe it can get much better. The sponge, despite being largely butter based, is so moist and soft, it will melt in your mouth. I cannot wait to have this on my future bakeries menu – I just know you will all love it as much as I do.

Decorated simply with braided marzipan and flower cut outs, this cake requires you to prep ahead for that faultless finish. Make the sponge the 2 days before you are planning to serve, leaving it to cool and set firm in the fridge overnight, making it easier to handle. Similarly, you want to make the mango compote the same day, so the next day just sees you constructing, and day 3 sees you eating.

A diva in every way. I am already eager to make another.

Recipe Makes: 30 x 40 cm / 12 x 16 inch shallow baking tray

Recipe Serves: A lot – a good 10 slices, which can then be sliced in half depending on your cake consuming abilities.