Summer Baking Bliss

It is the glistening autumnal side of summer. I feel a cool vein in the breeze, which braces my thought, and I pass with pleasure over sheltered and sunny portions of the sand where the summer's heat is undiminished, and I realize what a friend I am losing.

Henry David Thoreau

Well, I think I can say without any contradiction, the summer here in the UK has been shite! Actually, since June, the last time we had three consecutive days without rain, one could argue that we’ve not had any summer at all! This time in two weeks’ time, it will be September, meteorologically speaking it’s officially Autumn, that’s fall for you lot over on the other side of the pond!

Don’t get me wrong here, I’m actually a big fan of Autumn, I love the colours in the parks around London, I love the start of the run up to Christmas and I love the return of things like Strictly Come Dancing and The Great British Bake Off – Autumn really has a lot going for it and let’s face it, this year the weather can’t be any worse than it’s been for the last two months!

So, for the next two weeks, I’m going to hang on to summer, I’m going to sit outside and read, I’m going to wear my best summer dresses, I’m going to go for a couple of long runs and, I’m going to bake a cake that screams summer, a household favourite, my summer berry cake with rose geranium cream. Rose geranium I hear you shout, don’t be put off! Rose geranium was a popular ingredient in Victorian baking. You can buy rose geranium water from plenty of retailers online, Etsy and Amazon to name but two.

The cake itself is not only beautiful, it looks divine and makes for a wonderful centre piece for an afternoon tea with friends and family!

Ingredients

325g Butter, at room temperature, plus extra for the tins
425g Caster Sugar
2 tsp Almond Extract
½ Lemon, finely zested
250g Plain Yogurt
4 Large Eggs, at room temperature
375g Self-Raising Flour
225g Ground Almonds

For the filling and to decorate

200g Mascarpone
300ml Double Cream
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
Icing Sugar, to taste, plus extra for dusting
1-2 tsp Rose Geranium water or rose water, to taste
800g Summer Berries (Raspberries, Blackberries, Redcurrants, Blackcurrants, hulled Strawberries)
4 tbsp Caster Sugar
Rose Geranium flowers or other edible flowers

Method

STEP 1

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Butter and line the bases of three 23cm cake tins.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the almond extract and lemon zest.
Use a fork to whisk the yogurt with the eggs.
With the mixer on a low speed, add the flour, ground almonds and 1/2 tsp salt to the butter and sugar, alternating with the yogurt and eggs.

STEP 2

Divide the batter between the tins and bake for 35-40 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Cool in the tins for 5 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack, remove the parchment and leave to cool.

STEP 3

Beat the mascarpone to loosen it.
Whip the cream until it holds its shape.
Combine the cream, mascarpone and lemon juice, then carefully add the icing sugar and flower water to taste.

STEP 4

Assemble the cake just before serving.
Toss the berries with the caster sugar.
Spread the flattest cake with half the cream, then add half the fruit.
Top with a second cake, spread with the rest of the cream and top with the rest of the fruit.
Finish with the last cake, sift over icing sugar, then decorate with rose geranium petals or other edible flowers if you can find them (as long as they’re small).

Honestly, this is an easy cake to make and it’s delicious, go on, have a go!

What’s on this week?