Tarek Malouf - The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days - Recipes to make every day special

6. To assemble the whoopie pies, take one of the sponges and spread about 1 tablespoon of the filling over the flat side, adding a little more if needed. Then stick another sponge, with the flat side facing down, on the filling to make a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining sponges and filling.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE

This is a very light, subtle cake that doesn’t use butter or oil. Instead, it includes plenty of egg whites to give it volume, so make sure to whisk them enough that they form soft peaks. Serve with berries or fruit compôte.

Serves 12–16

Butter, for greasing

170g (6oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

10 egg whites

1 tsp cream of tartar

180g (6½oz) icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp vanilla essence

½ tsp lemon zest

¼ tsp almond essence

450g (1lb) fresh berries (sliced strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries), to decorate

One 26cm (10½in) non-stick

ring tin

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F), Gas mark 3, then lightly grease the tin with butter and dust with flour.

2. In a large bowl and using a hand-held electric whisk, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until the egg whites form soft peaks. Sift together the flour and icing sugar and carefully fold into the whisked egg whites, incorporating about 3 tablespoons at a time, then fold in the remaining ingredients, apart from the berries.

3. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, gently smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon, then place in the oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes or until the top of the cake is golden brown and bounces back when lightly pressed.

4. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool slightly in the tin before turning it out on to a wire rack to cool completely. When cooled, decorate with fresh berries and dust with icing sugar.

CHERRY CUPCAKES

Sour Kirsch-soaked cherries give these cupcakes a fruit flavour that is fresh yet rich at the same time. The soaked cherries can be bought in tins or jars from large supermarkets.

Makes 12–16 cupcakes

FOR THE SPONGE

80g (3oz) unsalted butter, softened

280g (10oz) caster sugar

240g (8½oz) plain flour

1 tbsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

2 large eggs

240ml (8½fl oz) whole milk

150g (5½oz) Kirsch-soaked cherries, drained, pitted and chopped

FOR THE FROSTING

500g (1lb 2oz) icing sugar

160g (5½oz) unsalted butter, softened

50ml (1¾fl oz) whole milk

80g (3oz) Kirsch-soaked cherries, drained, pitted and chopped, plus extra whole ones to decorate

One or two 12-hole

deep muffin tins

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas mark 5, and fill a muffin tin with muffin cases.

2. Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, caster sugar, flour, baking powder and salt together on a low speed until the ingredients are well incorporated and resemble fine breadcrumbs.

3. Place the eggs and milk in a jug and mix well together by hand, then add three-quarters of this mixture to the dry ingredients and mix in, still on a low speed and scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are well incorporated. Add the rest of the milk mixture and beat again on a medium speed until the batter is smooth, then stir in the chopped cherries by hand, making sure they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

4. Divide the batter between the muffin cases, so that they are two-thirds full. Any remaining batter can be used to fill up to four more paper cases in an additional tin. Bake the cupcakes in the oven for 18–20 minutes or until the sponges bounce back when lightly pressed. Leave to cool slightly, then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool completely before you add the frosting.

5. Using the electric whisk or the freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment, whisk the icing sugar with the butter on a low speed until sandy in consistency, then slowly pour in the milk. Once all the milk has been added, increase the speed to high and whisk the frosting until light and fluffy.

6. Stir in the chopped cherries by hand, then divide the frosting between the cooled cupcakes, smoothing over the surface of each cake with a palette knife and adding a decorative swirl, if you like. Finish by decorating with whole Kirsch-soaked cherries. Add them at the last minute to avoid the colour bleeding into the frosting.

CARAMELISED FRUIT AND NUT TARTS

You can use any combination of dried fruits and nuts in this versatile recipe – just make sure the total amount of fruits and nuts corresponds to the weight given in the recipe. We love these tarts served with whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes 8 tarts

FOR THE PASTRY

110g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened

225g (8oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

80g (3oz) caster sugar

1 large egg

FOR THE FILLING

210g (7½oz) caster sugar

60ml (2fl oz) double cream

6 tbsp unsalted butter

550g (1lb 3oz) mixed dried fruit and nuts (such as apricots, cranberries, raisins, hazelnuts, flaked almonds, walnuts, pecans)

Whipped cream or ice cream, to serve

Eight 10cm (4in) diameter

loose-bottomed tart tins

1. Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and flour until it is crumb-like in consistency. With the machine on a low speed, add the sugar and then the egg, mixing gently just to incorporate.

2. When a dough starts to form, take it out of the bowl and knead gently on a floured work surface to bring it together. Cover the pastry in cling film and put it in the fridge to rest for 20–30 minutes.

3. Once the pastry has rested, cut it in half, then wrap one half in the cling film and pop it back in the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the other half to a thickness of about 5mm (¼in) and large enough to fill four of the tart tins.

4. Line four of the tins with the pastry, gently pressing it down into the base and sides of each tin. Using a sharp knife, cut away any excess pastry in a neat line with the edge of each tin and prick the base of the pastry a few times with the point of the knife. Use the remaining dough to line the other four tins, then place the tart cases back in the fridge to rest for another 20–30 minutes.

5. While the tart cases are resting, preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3.

6. Remove the tart cases from the fridge, line them with baking parchment and fill with baking beans, then place in the oven and bake ‘blind’ for 10 minutes. Take out of the oven, carefully remove the baking beans and baking parchment and bake the tart cases for another 10 minutes, or until completely cooked and a light golden-brown in colour.

7. While the tart cases are cooking, you can prepare the filling. Place the sugar in a saucepan with 4 tablespoons of water and bring to the boil, allowing the mixture to bubble away until you have a rich golden-brown caramel. Remove from the heat and carefully pour in the double cream, followed by the butter, while stirring continuously.

8. Set the caramel aside for about 10 minutes, to cool slightly, and place the mixed fruit and nuts in a bowl. Once the caramel has cooled, pour it over the fruit and nuts, stirring to ensure they are completely coated. Divide the filling between the tart cases and place in the fridge for 30–40 minutes to set. These are delicious served with whipped cream or ice cream.

COCONUT LAYER CAKE

This cake is all about the scrumptious coconut custard filling and frosting. We always use fresh coconut to decorate, making the flavour so much better and more natural. One slice will just not be enough!