Thursday 13 August 2015

Cardamom maderia cake

I imagine many people are just as excited as I am that 'The Great British Bake Off' is back. I also suspect that many of you are inspired to bake the baked good featured in the show, I know I am.

Last week was cake week and the contestants had to make a signature maderia cake, a frosted coffee and walnut cake, with sugar work, and a show stopping black forest gateau. I must admit, I at first thought that I had not made a maderia cake before but as soon as I heard the description and saw a picture I realised that I had made plenty, I was simply uncouth and called them 'loaf cakes', because of the tin used to bake them, well now I know the actual name for such bakes!

The maderia cake round made me realise that I had not made one for ages, and I surprised by Paul and Marys reservations about a cardamom and orange loaf cake because one of my personal favourites is a cardamom maderia cake. I have not made this since I was told to lay of gluten, so I crossed my fingers and got baking.

It turned out perfect. A dome, a crack, a close texture but not dense, and the beautiful perfect flavour of cardamom shining through. I can't recommend this cake enough it may not dazzle in the looks department but it tastes amazing and goes absolutely beautifully with a cup of tea.



Cardamom maderia cake

190g dairy free spread (I used pure)
190g golden caster sugar
The seeds from 10 cardamom pods crushed in a pestle and mortar
1/2 tsp vanilla paste
3 medium eggs
190g plain GF flour (I used dove farm)
1/2 tsp xantham gum
1 tsp baking powder
2 tablespoons of natural soya yoghurt 

Preheat the oven to 160C/140C FAN and grease a 900g loaf tin, lining the base with baking parchment.

Beat the butter, sugar, cardamom and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between each addition. 


Beat in the flour, xantham gum and baking powder until just combined before finally beating in the yoghurt. 

Transfer the cake mix into the prepared pan and level before baking in the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until golden and a cake skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the tin for a few moments before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

This week was biscuits. I wanted biscotti, one of the challenges to eat alongside the show. However I was a smidge short on time after work and so had to cut them while they were too warm, My biscotti are so so craggy but delicious never the less. I really want to share them with you so think I will just have to rustle up another batch in the next few weeks, this time on a weekend!

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