A lighter alternative to the traditional cake.
If you are not a fan of heavy dried fruit cakes then try this light almondy sponge cake speckled with blackberries and blueberries drizzled with glace icing.
How yummy!?
Serves 8
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 40-50 minutes
To decorate: 5 minutes
What you need:
- 175g (6oz) mixed blackberries and blueberries, if the blackberries are very large, cut them in half
- 175g (6oz) self-raising flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 175g (6oz) butter, at room temperature
- 175g (6 oz) caster sugar
- 3 medium eggs, beaten
- 75g (3oz) ground almonds
- Few drops almond essence, optional
To decorate:
- 175g (6oz) icing sugar
- tsp cold water
- 3 tbsp toasted flaked almonds
- Few extra blackberries and blueberries or a few halved strawberries
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
- Brush inside a 23cm (9 inch) diameter or 1.5 litre (3 pint) fluted ring mould with a little oil.
- Add the blackberries and blueberries to a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of the flour and gently stir together until the berries are coated.
- Add baking powder to the remaining flour.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Gradually mix in alternate spoonfuls of beaten egg and remaining flour, beating well after each addition and continuing until both have all been added.
- Stir in the ground almonds and almond essence if using, then fold in the flour coated berries.
- Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and level the top.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until well risen, the top is golden and a skewer comes out cleanly when inserted into the cake.
- Leave to cool for 30 minutes then loosen the edges of the mould, turn out on to a wire rack and remove the mould.
- Leave to cool completely.
- Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, gradually mix in just enough water to mix to a smooth icing that will slowly fall from a spoon.
- Transfer the cake to a serving plate, drizzle the icing over in zig zag lines, decorate with a few extra berries and sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
- Leave to stand for 15 minutes or so for the icing to set, then cut into thick slices and serve.
- As the cake has lots of fresh fruit in the mixture it is best eaten within 2 days.
Recipe and photo credit by- Seasonal Berries