Baking Music

 

I’ve been a member of our local Choral Society for 3 years now and love the wide range of music we sing at our concerts, usually 3 times a year. Our latest concert was a Jazz evening where we belted out Mass in Blue by Will Todd, Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass and Rutter’s Feel the Spirit, all accompanied by an amazing jazz band – drum kit, double bass and piano.  We have a fantastic musical director and a brilliant resident accompanist.

Yorkshire Brack

At our weekly rehearsals, we always have a break to catch up and revive ourselves with tea, coffee and cake. We volunteer on a rota to bake some tasty, homemade treats. This is one of things which I love doing as baking for others always brings me much joy. So far, I’ve introduced my fellow choir members  to Yorkshire Brack,  Marmalade Spice Cake , Madeleines and lots of other delights from Grandma Abson's repertoire.   

Marmalade Spice Cake 

I may have inherited my passion for singing from my Grandma. Grandma Abson was a keen singer and for a long time was a member and secretary of Mexborough Choral Society. I still have her copies of Messiah (which we performed when I first joined the Choral Society) with autographs from the renowned bass, Owen Brannigan and superb contralto, Constance Shacklock.

 

Last week, it was our AGM, a celebratory occasion to look back over the last year. I baked a couple of cakes – a gluten free Polenta Cake and a traditional Victoria Sandwich  to thank everyone for another wonderful year of singing. It’s such an uplifting experience and I am so privileged to be part of it all. 

Long may the happy times making music and baking music continue!

 

Click on the links to get Meryl’s Recipes and many more from Grandma Abson's repertoire

A special Afternoon Tea for Mother’s Day

I’ve been experimenting with Grandma Abson’s Victoria Sandwich recipe to create a special treat for Mother’s Day. My friend Charlotte asked me to come up with a homemade ‘All in One Afternoon Tea’ sponge cake for her mum as a surprise for Mother’s Day. Since Charlotte’s mum likes all sorts of cakes, I came up with the idea of a 3 tiered sponge cake with each tier baked in a different flavour and finished with different butter cream fillings. You could say a cornucopia of tastes in a slice!

As a basis for the mixture I used Grandma Abson's Victoria Sandwich recipe with 8 inch/21 cms cake tins for each tier or layer.

Basic Sponge Cake for 2 tiers

3 large eggs and their weight (= approx 6-7oz /175g-200g) in each of

6 oz /175g butter 

6oz/175g caster sugar (*see below for Toffee or Butterscotch use soft brown sugar)

60z/175g self raising flour (sieved)

For 3 tiers use 5 eggs and weight of these in butter, sugar and flour

For 4 tiers use 6 eggs and weight of these in butter, sugar or flour

Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Mark 4. Line the cake tins with baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs and add to the creamed mixture. Fold in the flour. Now divide the mixture into 2, 3 or 4 depending on the amount of mixture and number of tiers you have chosen.

Create different mixtures as you wish all at one if you have a large enough bowl and several cake tins. I prefer to do this in batches

For a Victoria Sandwich tier add a little milk

For a Lemon Cake tier add the zest and juice of ½ lemon

For an Orange Cake tier add the zest and juice of ½ orange

For a Chocolate Cake tier add 1 tbsp cocoa powder, ¼ tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp black treacle and a little milk to mix.

For a Coffee Cake tier add ½ dsp coffee essence or powder (Meryl’s Tip : You must grind coffee granules to a powder first!)

*For a Toffee or Butterscotch Cake tier – use soft brown sugar instead of caster sugar.

Put the mixture into the cake tins. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean or the top is firm to the touch. Place on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto the rack and leave until cool.

Butter cream fillings 

(This will be enough for 3 tiers of cakes)

4 oz/110g butter

8 oz/225 icing sugar

A few drops vanilla extract

1-2 tbsps tepid water or milk

Cream the butter and icing sugar. Add the vanilla extract and water or milk.

Now choose your fillings :

For a Victoria Sandwich use raspberry jam and butter cream.

For a Lemon Cake add the zest and juice of ½ lemon or 2 tbsps of lemon curd to the butter cream

For an Orange Cake add the zest and juice of ½ orange to the butter cream

For a Chocolate Cake tier melt 1 oz/25g of plain chocolate into the butter cream.

For a Coffee Cake add ½ dsp coffee essence

*For a Toffee or Butterscotch Cake use soft brown sugar instead of icing sugar.

Spread the butter cream (and raspberry jam for the Victoria Sandwich) on the top of one cake and place the other on top.  Carry on with the different tiers and fillings as you have chosen. If you wish you can cover the sides and top of the cake with butter cream.

 Add a Mother’s Day decoration and your home made Afternoon Tea gift is ready to serve for your special Mum!  Don't forget a card too!

Or try a traditional Simnel Cake for Mothering Sunday as Grandma used to bake. 

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers out there!

Diamonds are forever Part 1

Pat and Colin

I’ve started the cake for P and C’s Diamond wedding celebrations in April. They’ve requested a fruit cake to celebrate their 60 years together. The first stage is to make the cake so I’ve used one of Grandma Abson’s tried and tested Celebration Fruit Cake recipes in an 8 inch or 21 cms cake tin. 

Celebration Traditional Fruit Cake

8oz/225g brown sugar

8oz/225g butter

1 tbsp black treacle (warmed)

1 tbsp golden syrup (warmed)

5 eggs (beaten)

9oz/250g self raising flour

3-4oz/100g glace cherries

4oz/110g mixed peel

10oz/275g each of sultanas, raisins, currants

1tsp each of cinnamon and mixed spice

2oz/50g nut mix +1oz/25g ground almonds or

3oz/75 ground almonds

1/6 pint/110ml stout

Cream the butter and sugar and add the treacle and golden syrup. Add the eggs and half of the flour and spices. Beat the mixture. Stir in the almonds and cherries and then the rest of the flour and dried fruit. Add the stout. Bake for 3 – 3 ½ hours. Start warm for 30 minutes and then gradually reduce and finish in slow oven. (325F, Mark 3, 170C to 250F. Mark ½ 130C)

Celebration Cake ready for the next stage

Meryl's tips : It’s important to cook a fruit cake like this gently and in advance so it can mature over the next couple of months. Wrap it in foil to store until it’s ready for the next stage. I’ve pencilled in a date around mid-March (2 weeks before the Diamond ‘do’) to put on the almond paste and then the end of March (1 week before) to complete it with the icing. I’m going to make a 2 tiered cake with a Victoria Sandwich as the second tier so I’ll keep you posted with the preparations.

I’m wondering how to decorate the cake. Pat carried lilies of the valley at her wedding so I’m on the lookout for a spray of these flowers .....