Rachel Allen - Cake - 200 fabulous foolproof baking recipes

50g (2oz) coconut flakes, toasted ( see the tip), to decorate

For the icing

15ml (½fl oz) coconut milk

250g (9oz) icing sugar, sifted

Juice of ½–1 lime

20cm (8in) square cake tin with 5cm (2in) sides

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, then butter the sides of the cake tin and line the base with a square of baking parchment. Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan and place over a high heat. As soon as it boils, remove from the heat and stir in the desiccated coconut and the milk.

Cream the butter until soft in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Whisk the eggs together with the lime juice and zest in a small bowl, then gradually add the eggs to the creamed butter mixture, beating all the time. Sift in the flour and fold in gently to mix.

Tip the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula or palette knife. Place in the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes. When the cake is ready, a skewer inserted into the centre will come out very slightly sticky.

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then use a small, sharp knife to loosen the edges and carefully remove the cake from the tin before leaving on a wire rack to finish cooling.

As the cake cools, make the icing. In a bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, icing sugar and the juice of half a lime, adding more if the mixture seems too stiff. Carefully pour the icing over the cake, to cover it in an even layer, then sprinkle over the toasted coconut flakes.

Tip This recipe uses a small (165ml) tin of coconut milk. If you can’t get a small tin, then use a larger one and store any leftover milk in the fridge, where it will keep (in an airtight container) for up to four days, or it can be frozen. Coconut flakes can be toasted in a dry, hot frying pan for a few minutes.

Apple and walnut cake

Some spices have their favourite accompaniments: cinnamon, for example, seems to prefer apple to almost anything else. The two are combined here with crunchy walnuts and muscovado (soft brown) sugar for its unrefined, caramel flavour. I’ve used some wholemeal flour in this recipe as I like the difference it makes, adding a little weightiness in both texture and taste. The cake makes a delicious dessert, eaten warm with whipped cream, or you could serve it in the afternoon with tea.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Baking time: 55 minutes

Ready in: 1 hour 45 minutes

Serves: 10–12

300g (11oz) plain flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

175g (6oz) wholemeal flour

225g (8oz) soft light brown sugar

175ml (6fl oz) sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing

3 eggs

150ml (5fl oz) milk

3 eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1cm (½in) dice

75g (3oz) walnuts, roughly chopped

For the glaze

150g (5oz) soft light brown sugar

75g (3oz) butter

25cm (10in) diameter cake tin with 6cm (2½in) sides

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3, then grease the sides of the cake tin with sunflower oil and line the base with a disc of baking parchment.

Sift the plain flour, cinnamon, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl, then add the wholemeal flour and sugar and mix together.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sunflower oil, eggs and milk, then tip these into the flour and whisk until you have a smooth batter, and stir in the apples and walnuts. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

About 5 minutes before the cake is due to come out, make the glaze. Put the sugar, butter and 1 tablespoon of water into a saucepan and place over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat.

When the cake is cooked, take it out of the oven and let it sit in the tin for 10 minutes. Using a small, sharp knife, loosen around the edges and carefully remove the cake from the tin before transferring to a serving plate.

Reheat the glaze and brush all over the cake, then allow to cool before serving. The glaze means this cake will keep for up to a week in an airtight container.

Bakewell cake

The Derbyshire town of Bakewell is responsible for the invention of the classic tart to which the town gave its name. The divine combination of raspberries and almonds makes for a gorgeous recipe – its inventor must have been someone who baked very well indeed! This cake is an evolution of the idea, using fresh or frozen raspberries rather than raspberry jam. It’s a simple recipe but a perfect example of how a simple combination of flavours can be deliciously effective.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 50–55 minutes

Ready in: 1 hour 45 minutes

Serves: 6–8

150g (5oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

150g (5oz) caster sugar

2 eggs

A few drops (not more than ⅛ tsp) of almond essence or extract

50ml (2fl oz) milk

150g (5oz) self-raising flour, sifted

150g (5oz) ground almonds

150g (5oz) fresh or frozen (and defrosted) raspberries

25g (1oz) flaked almonds

Icing sugar, for dusting

Softly whipped cream and fresh raspberries, to decorate

20cm (8in) diameter cake tin with 6cm (2½in) sides

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, then butter the sides of the cake tin and line the base with a disc of baking parchment.

Cream the butter until soft in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Whisk the eggs and the almond essence or extract together in a small bowl for a few seconds or just until combined, then gradually add the eggs to the creamed butter mixture, beating all the time. Next beat in the milk, then add the flour and ground almonds, carefully folding these in just until they are mixed.

Next add the raspberries and fold in gently so as not to break them up too much. Tip the batter into the prepared tin, then scatter over the flaked almonds. Bake for 50–55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Use a small, sharp knife to loosen the edges, then carefully remove the cake from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool down completely before transferring to a serving plate.

Dust with icing sugar. Serve with softly whipped cream if you wish, or decorate with fresh raspberries.

Marbled chocolate crumble cake

I adore marbled cakes – they look so special with the different colours of sponge swirling into each other. In this recipe the crumble topping adds a contrasting crunch as well as an extra hit of chocolate. Serve on its own or after dinner with some softly whipped cream or crème fraîche.