butter, softened
Icing sugar, sifted, for dusting (optional)
For the glaze
50g (2oz) butter
1-2 tbsp caster sugar
23cm (9in) diameter Kugelhopf or bundt tin or 23cm (9in) diameter spring-form/loose-bottomed tin
1 Generously butter and flour the Kugelhopf tin or cake tin. Sprinkle with the almonds.
2 In a small saucepan, gently simmer the raisins in the brandy for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes to plump up.
3 Sift the flour, salt and nutmeg into the bowl of an electric food mixer.
4 In a measuring jug, mix the caster sugar with the warm milk and yeast and let stand in a warm place for 5 minutes until frothy. Add to the flour, nutmeg and salt, or, if using fast-acting yeast, the sugar, milk and yeast can go straight into the ingredients.
5 With the dough hook attached to the electric food mixer, mix together on a low speed.
6 Whisk the eggs and single yolk in another bowl. With the food mixer on a low speed, slowly pour in the egg, increasing the speed slightly for about 5 minutes or until the dough looks smooth and satiny. Slow it down again and add the butter, mixing until fully incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and beat quite vigorously for about 8 minutes, scraping down the bowl now and then, until the dough is still very soft but elastic. Add the raisins and mix through the dough. Remove the hook and scrape off the dough. 7 Lightly oil a large clean bowl and scrape the dough into it, covering with a butter wrapper or greaseproof paper and a loose plastic bag (it needs to be airtight). Place in a draught-free warm place for about 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.
8 Knock back the dough. Cover and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours—it can be left overnight.
9 Remove and shape the dough into a round disc (no kneading required). Make a hole in the centre, place in the prepared tin and cover with a butter wrapper or greaseproof paper.
10 Place the tin back into the plastic bag again and leave in a warm place for about 2-3 hours or until it has risen two-thirds of the way up the tin. You can leave it in a cool place for up to 8 hours (for example, leave it overnight to bake in the oven the next morning).
11 Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas mark 5. Remove the tin from the bag and bake on the middle shelf of the oven, covered lightly with the butter wrapper, for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3 and bake for a further 25 minutes.
12 Remove the cake from the oven, carefully unmould it onto a baking tray and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes to crisp the outside.
13 Turn the cake right side up on the baking tray, place the tray and cake on a wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
14 Melt the butter for the glaze and spoon over the cake, sprinkling over the caster sugar, which will form a lovely crust. Allow to cool. When ready to serve, lightly dust with icing sugar, if you wish.
RACHEL’S BAKING TIPS
* This cake is best eaten on the day it is cooked, but it is still great toasted and buttered after a day or so. Keep in an airtight container for up to a week.
* For safety reasons, I put my mixer on the floor when it has to work hard, as it has to in this recipe!
SWISS ROLL
Despite appearances, Swiss rolls are in fact very simple to make. The cake itself has no butter in it, so you can feel justified in spreading it with lashings of jam and whipped cream. Use any kind of jam you like; apricot or blackberry, for instance, would do just as well as raspberry or strawberry.
SERVES 8
4 eggs
125g (4½oz) caster sugar, plus 3 tbsp for sprinkling (or use icing sugar for dusting)
2 tbsp warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
125g (4½oz) plain flour
For the filling
6 tbsp (approximately) raspberry or strawberry jam (or make your own)
225ml (8fl oz) double cream, whipped
25 x 38cm (10 x 15in) Swiss roll tin
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas mark 5. Line the base of the Swiss roll tin with greaseproof paper, brush the base and sides of the tin with melted butter and dust with flour.
2 Whisk the eggs and caster sugar together in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until light and fluffy, then add the water and vanilla extract.
3 Sift in the flour, about one-third at a time, and fold it into the mixture using a large metal spoon.
4 Pour the mixture gently into the prepared Swiss roll tin and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the centre of the cake is slightly springy and the edges have shrunk a little from the sides of the tin.
5 Spread out a piece of greaseproof paper (slightly larger than the tin in size) on a work surface and sprinkle evenly with caster sugar (this stops the roll from sticking to the paper). Turn the Swiss roll tin onto the sugared greaseproof paper, then carefully remove the tin and greaseproof paper from the bottom of the cake.
6 Place a slightly damp, clean tea towel over the cake while it cools—this will prevent it drying out and cracking when you roll it.
7 When the cake is cool, spread it sparingly with raspberry jam, followed by the whipped cream. With the longest side facing you, roll up the Swiss roll away from you, then transfer to a plate to serve. Sprinkle with caster sugar or dust with icing sugar to finish.
ALMOND PRALINE CAKE
This delicious cake has been made at Ballymaloe for many years. It keeps very well, due to the large amount of nuts it contains and because the icing keeps the moisture in the cake. It is ideal for a special tea party.
SERVES 8-10
225g (8oz) butter, softened
225g (8oz) caster sugar
4 eggs
225g (8oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp almond praline (see below)
1 tbsp milk
For the praline
250g (9oz) caster sugar
250g (9oz) unskinned (unblanched) almonds
For the praline buttercream icing