Rachel Allen - Cake - 200 fabulous foolproof baking recipes

Prep time:15 minutes

Baking time:50–70 minutes

Ready in:1 hour 40 minutes

Serves:10–14

325g (11½oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

1½ tsp baking powder

1½ tsp salt

400g (14oz) caster sugar

25g (1oz) poppy seeds, plus 1–2 tsp to decorate

225ml (8fl oz) sunflower or vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

325ml (11½fl oz) milk

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Candied orange slices, to decorate (optional)

For the icing

200g (7oz) icing sugar, sifted

3 tbsp lemon juice

2.5 litre (4⅓ pint) bundt tin (about 23cm/9in in diameter) or 25cm (10in) diameter cake tin

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, then grease the bundt tin with sunflower or vegetable oil and dust with flour. If you’re using a standard type of cake tin, grease the sides and line the base with a disc of baking parchment.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl, add the sugar and poppy seeds and mix together.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until combined. Tip this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix together using a wooden spoon to make a smooth batter. You may need to use a whisk briefly to get rid of any lumps of flour.

Tip into the prepared tin and bake for 50–60 minutes (60–70 minutes if using a standard cake tin). When cooked, the cake should feel springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow to sit for just 2 minutes, then loosen the edges with a small, sharp knife, place a wire rack upside down on top of the cake and carefully turn it over. Gently remove the tin and allow to cool completely.

While the cake is baking, or while it’s cooling, you can make the icing. Beat the icing sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. Carefully transfer the cake to a cake stand or serving plate, then drizzle the icing backwards and forwards from the centre to the outside of the cake in a zigzig pattern. Sprinkle over the poppy seeds straight away and the candied orange slices, if you’re using them, before the icing has a chance to dry.

Orange poppy-seed cake

Make the cakeas in the recipe, replacing the lemon zest in the sponge with the finely grated zest of 1 orange and using orange juice instead of lemon juice in the icing.

Lemon poppy-seed muffins

Prep time:10 minutes

Baking time:20–25 minutes

Ready in:1 hour

Makes:12 muffins

215g (7½oz) plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

265g (9½oz) caster sugar

15g (½oz) poppy seeds, plus 2 tsp for sprinkling

150ml (5fl oz) sunflower or vegetable oil

3 eggs

½ tsp vanilla extract

215ml (7½fl oz) milk

Finely grated zest of ½ large lemon

For the icing

130g (4½oz) icing sugar, sifted

1–2 tbsp lemon juice

12-cup muffin tray and 12 muffin cases

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF), Gas mark 4, and line the muffin tray with the paper cases.

Mix the ingredients for the spongefollowing the main recipe, then divide the batter between the paper cases, filling each case three-quarters full.

Bake for 20–25 minutes or until lightly golden on top and springy to the touch. Allow to cool in the muffin tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool down fully.

Make the icing, then drizzle it over the cooled muffins and sprinkle with the poppy seeds to finish.

Apricot, pistachio and saffron muffins

I adore the combination of the sweet juicy apricots with the exotically perfumed saffron. Use peaches (fresh or tinned) in place of the apricots if you wish. These muffins are delicious served with a spoonful of crème fraîche and a piping-hot cup of coffee or tea.

Prep time:10 minutes

Baking time:35 minutes

Ready in:1 hour 15 minutes

Makes:12 muffins

225ml (8fl oz) buttermilk

2 eggs

Pinch of saffron

300g (11oz) plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

200g (7oz) caster sugar

125g (4½oz) butter, cut into 1cm (½in) cubes

300g (11oz) fresh or tinned apricots (about 7 fresh apricots, stones removed), roughly chopped

75g (3oz) unsalted shelled pistachios, roughly chopped

12-cup muffin tray and 12 muffin cases

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF), Gas mark 4, and line the muffin tray with the paper cases.

Place the buttermilk, eggs and saffron in a bowl and whisk together until smooth.

In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix in the sugar. Add the cubes of butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Add the wet ingredients and mix together, then fold in the apricots and pistachios. Spoon the batter into the muffin cases, filling each case about three-quarters full.

Bake for about 35 minutes or until golden brown on top and springy to the touch. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Pear and ginger muffins

These soft, moist muffins are flavoured with chunks of pear and the gentle heat of ginger. The riper the pears, the sweeter the muffins will be. They would be perfect for a picnic or a quick snack on the run.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 20 minutes

Ready in: 45 minutes

Makes: 12 muffins

275g (10oz) plain flour, sifted

200g (7oz) caster sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp salt

4 eggs, beaten

150ml (5fl oz) vegetable oil

300g (11oz) pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm (½in) dice

12-cup muffin tray and 12 muffin cases

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, and line the muffin tray with the paper cases.

Place all the ingredients, except the pears, in a large bowl and whisk together until smooth, then fold in the pears and divide between the muffin cases, filling each case three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until well risen, golden and feeling springy to the touch.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then take from the muffin tray and place on a wire rack to cool down fully.

Apple and ginger (or cinnamon) muffins

Follow the recipe above, replacing the pears with the same quantity of chopped eating apples and either keeping the ginger or replacing it with 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.

Coconut and lime cake

Ingredients grown together seem to go together. Just as apples and blackberries are a perfect match, so too are coconut and lime. The coconut flavour in this recipe comes from both desiccated coconut and coconut milk. The coconut milk is an unusual addition, but it is nonetheless an excellent baking ingredient that helps make the cake lovely and soft due to its high oil content. If at all possible, serve this cake outside on a summer’s evening, ideally accompanied by piña coladas or margaritas!

Prep time: 20 minutes

Baking time: 30–35 minutes

Ready in: 1 hour 45 minutes

Serves: 8–12

150ml (5fl oz) coconut milk ( see the tip)

50g (2oz) desiccated coconut

25ml (1fl oz) milk

250g (9oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

250g (9oz) caster sugar

3 eggs, beaten

Juice and finely grated zest of 2 limes

275g (10oz) self-raising flour