12 cupcakes
200g (7oz) butter, softened
200g (7oz) caster sugar
4 eggs
200g (7oz) self-raising flour
Juice of 1 lemon
150g (5oz) lemon curd
For the crumble topping
75g (3oz) plain flour
75g (3oz) caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
100g (3½oz) butter, chilled and cut into 1cm (½in) cubes
12-cup muffin tray and 12 muffin cases
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, and line the muffin tray with the paper cases.
First make the crumble topping. Sift the flour into a bowl, then add the sugar and lemon zest and mix together to combine. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture forms coarse flakes and crumbs, then set aside in the fridge until needed.
To make the cupcake batter, cream the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl for a few seconds or just until mixed, then gradually add them to the creamed butter mixture, beating all the time. Sift in the flour and add the lemon juice, then fold in gently to incorporate.
Divide half of the batter between the muffin cases, filling each about one-third full. Add roughly ½ tablespoon of lemon curd to each paper case, so that it forms a small dollop in the middle. Then divide the other half of the batter between the cases, spooning it over the lemon curd. Finally divide the lemon crumble mixture between the cupcakes.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until nice and golden on top and lightly springy to the touch in the middle. Don’t worry if some of the curd bubbles over the top of the cupcakes while they cook.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the muffin tray and placing on a wire rack to cool down completely.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ready in: 30 minutes
Makes: 300g (11oz)
75g (3oz) butter
150g (5oz) caster sugar
Juice and finely grated zest of 3 lemons
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
In a saucepan over a very low heat, melt the butter with the sugar, lemon zest and juice. Place the eggs and egg yolk in a bowl and beat together well, then pour into the pan.
Stir carefully over a low heat until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Take care not to let the mixture get too hot, or the eggs may scramble.
Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl or a sterilised jar (tip). The lemon curd will thicken further as it cools. Stored in the fridge, it will keep for a couple of weeks.
Orange curd
Make in the same way, substituting the lemons with two oranges and reducing the amount of caster sugar to 125g (4½oz).
Tip To sterilise jars for jams and preserves, wash them in hot soapy water, then rinse and dry. Place the jars upturned on a baking tray in the oven (preheated to at least 130°C/250°F/Gas mark ½) for approximately 15 minutes or until completely dry. Leave them upturned on a clean tea towel until ready to use. Alternatively, you can put them through a hot cycle in the dishwasher.
Fresh pineapple is almost reason enough to head to sunnier climes – tangy slices dripping with juice can be one of the great culinary pleasures of a holiday in the tropics. The pineapples we get here can be a little dry by comparison. For this recipe it’s fine to use tinned pineapple, however, as it is more predictable in the amount of moisture and sweetness it contains. With the coconut and mango, this cake is a real celebration of tropical flavours.
Prep time: 25 minutes
Baking time: 45 minutes
Ready in: 2 hours
Serves: 8–12
250g (9oz) tinned pineapple (drained weight of a 432g tin)
200g (7oz) soft light brown sugar
225g (8oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
3 eggs
125g (4½oz) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
100g (3½oz) desiccated coconut
1 large mango, peeled and sliced, to decorate
For the icing
250g (9oz) mascarpone
50g (2oz) icing sugar, sifted
23cm (9in) square cake tin with 5cm (2in) sides
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, then butter the sides of the cake tin and dust with flour and line the base with a square of baking parchment.
Place the pineapple in a food processor and whiz for a minute or two until puréed, then put into a saucepan with the sugar. Set over a low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the mixture turns a light brown colour. Then set aside and allow to cool.
Beat the cooled pineapple purée with the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer. Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl for just a few seconds until mixed, then gradually add the eggs to the pineapple and butter mixture, beating continuously. Sift in the flour, add the coconut and fold in gently to combine.
Tip the batter into the prepared tin, then bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to sit in the tin for about 20 minutes, then use a small, sharp knife to loosen the edges and carefully remove the cake from the tin before leaving on a wire rack to cool down completely.
To make the icing, whisk together the mascarpone and icing sugar, then spread over the cooled cake using a palette knife and finish by decorating with the sliced mango.
Toscatårta or Swedish almond cake
There is a banquet of baked Swedish treats, from kanelbullar (cinnamon buns) to kladdkaka (sticky chocolate cake), but one of the most well known is this relatively simple but absolutely