Vintage Cakes Read online

  Vintage Cakes

  Tremendously good cakes for sharing and giving

  Jane Brocket

  with photography by Polly Wreford

  contents

  introduction

  cake-tin cakes

  everyday cakes

  little cakes

  posh cakes

  fancies & frivolities

  celebration cakes

  index

  useful addresses

  acknowledgements

  a slice of baking history

  When it comes to baking vintage cakes, it’s very reassuring to know that there is a veritable wealth of traditions and reliable recipes to guide and inspire you. It’s this homely, comforting heritage that is at the heart of this book. The cakes featured here are those that have been made by generations of perfectly ordinary home-bakers to recipes that have been perfected over time, so there is very little that can go wrong. There is nothing new-fangled or experimental about them, no weird-andwonderful flavour combinations, and they don’t require difficult-to-find, esoteric ingredients or costly equipment. They are simply classic cakes and treats that can be made by anyone with basic baking skills, cakes that taste of fresh butter and eggs, sweet fruit and gentle spices, cakes that create delicious aromas in the kitchen as well as a lovely warm glow of pride in the maker.

  A generous spread of vintage cakes looks as tempting as it ever did, and now that we have modern ovens and equipment plus widely available quality ingredients, it’s easier than ever to bake these delicious treats.

  This book offers a collection of favourite and fondly remembered cakes and baked treats, and brings together recipes from many different baking cultures and histories. Some of these recipes are very old and some are more recent, but all have been chosen on the basis of their popularity and their ability to induce a sigh of nostalgia, to evoke happy memories of cake-eating, and to prompt a desire to bake.

  Just as vintage cake recipes have stood the test of time, so the utensils and ingredients they require remain very much unchanged. A generously proportioned mixing bowl, a handful of well-worn wooden spoons, an accurate set of scales and a variety of baking tins are pretty much all you need to get going. Once you have started baking vintage cakes, you will soon find that you have enough stocks of flour, sugar, butter and eggs plus all the delightful finishing touches such as pretty paper cases, colourful hundreds and thousands, glacé cherries, pastel candles and sweetshop sweets to be able to make a classic cake at the drop of a hat.

  The joy of vintage cakes does not stop with the baking and eating, as they look wonderful when presented, served or given as gifts in true matching vintage style. It is no wonder that this vintage look is so appealing; it’s delightfully mix-and-match, eclectic and charming and, very importantly, it’s easy and affordable. After a few decades of being unloved, hidden in attics or given away for jumble sales, vintage china, textiles and cutlery are now being sought out by thrifty bakers and home-makers who appreciate their beauty, charm and usefulness. Pretty plates, cheerful hand-embroidered tablecloths, tall, tiered cake stands and graceful silver-plated cake forks can all be pressed into service once more to make cake-time, no matter how ordinary or spectacular the occasion, look and feel very special.

  Home-bakers have never needed much of an excuse to get out the mixing bowl, and have always liked to have a good repertoire of recipes to hand to cover all types of cake-eating occasions. So in this book you will find little cakes for after-school treats for weary children, big cakes for hungry family gatherings, fancy cakes for stylish afternoon teas, centrepiece celebration cakes, and plenty of classics for the cake tin so that you are never short of a good slice for elevenses or when friends drop in. Many have a fascinating history, some are simply much-loved classics and favourites, and a few are relatively modern but with ‘vintage’ stamped all over them. But all are a way of celebrating good company, and life itself.

  essential ingredients

  One of the great things about baking vintage cakes is that they don’t require long lists of ingredients, nor do they need exotic or hard-to-find products. Previous generations of bakers had a much more limited range of products available to them, and had to make do with what they could find. So certain ingredients appear time and again, and today the majority are widely available in the major supermarkets and food shops.

  Nevertheless, modern versions of vintage recipes taste a little different to those made in years gone by, because the quality of so many basic ingredients has improved tremendously. Butter is infinitely nicer than margarine; there is no margarine in this book even though many bakers swore by it in the 1960s and 1970s, because before that time all bakers used butter in their cakes. Some will argue that margarine gives a light, moist sponge, but nothing tastes as good as butter. In addition, we can now choose from a wonderful range of sugars, eggs are fresh and long-lasting, and flour comes without the threat of lumps and weevils. Add to the list dried fruits that don’t need to be picked over, nuts that don’t require peeling, genuine vanilla extract rather than ersatz vanilla essence, fruity jam, fresh spices and generous tubs of thick double cream, and you will see that the modern baker is in a very fortunate position.

  Vintage cakes are made with simple, fresh ingredients and kitchen cupboard staples. It’s worth using good-quality butter, sugar and flour, and free-range eggs as they make all the difference to the taste and texture of a cake.

  THESE ARE THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS:

  EGGS Unless otherwise stated, all the eggs used in the recipes are large, free-range eggs. Eggs can be safely kept at room temperature all year round. If you are not keen on this idea, keep your eggs in a cool place, but not the fridge.

  BUTTER All the butter in these recipes is basic, salted butter (not butter salted with salt crystals, though, as this isn’t good for baking). Unsalted butter has become very popular in baking and pastry-making, but you would never see it specified in vintage cake recipes as it was not widely available. Taste-wise, it tends towards blandness, and lightly salted butter gives much better taste results.

  If you bake regularly, it makes sense to keep a pack of butter out at room temperature so you don’t have to bother softening some every time you fancy making a cake (it will be fine for a couple of days, except in really hot weather).

  If you find yourself wanting to bake but have only cold butter to hand, there are a few ways of softening it. A few moments in a microwave is a quick and easy method. Alternatively, cut the cold butter into cubes, place in a bowl standing in hot water, and warm gently, creaming it with a wooden spoon as it softens. The easiest way, though, is to cut it into cubes and press it between your fingers and palms, using the natural warmth of your hands to soften it.

  SUGAR You can make most cakes with caster sugar, but it’s worth using the various sugars specified in the recipes as they have been chosen to make a significant difference to flavour and texture.

  White caster sugar is the standard type, but golden caster sugar, which is now easy to find, gives excellent results in cakes.

  Light soft brown sugar is the second most used sugar in this book, and it’s a wonderful product. Sludgy and lightly caramel in flavour, it’s excellent in light fruit cakes and richer, heavier sponges. It is interchangeable with light muscovado sugar, which is a little drier and finer.

  CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

  sultanas; light soft brown sugar; dyed glacé cherries; icing sugar; undyed glacé cherries; desiccated coconut; chopped mixed peel; and dark soft brown sugar.

  Dark soft brown sugar is marvellous for rich fruit cakes and very dark sponges. It can be substituted with dark muscovado sugar, which tends to go hard very quickly.

  Demerara sugar is mostly used as a crunchy topping these days,
and rarely in cakes themselves. It is not essential, although it’s good to have a packet in the cupboard and it keeps very well.

  Icing sugar is always white in this book, and although it is very fine and dry these days, sifting ensures you don’t get lumpy icing.

  Other important sweet ingredients are:

  • Honey – when honey is specified, any basic, clear, runny honey can be used.

  • Treacle and golden syrup are both by-products of the sugar-refining process. Molasses is very similar to treacle, but there is no direct substitute for golden syrup (corn syrup is not the same). Fortunately, golden syrup is now widely available around the world.

  • Condensed milk should be the ‘full’ type (and not ‘light’ as this can ruin a recipe).

  FLOUR Despite the vast array of flours on most supermarket shelves nowadays, the baker of vintage cakes needs only to stock their storecupboard with three main varieties: plain, self-raising and strong bread flour. Due to improved quality and milling processes, modern flours do not need to be sifted unless the recipe indicates it is necessary.

  RAISING AGENTS You will also need yeast (fast-action or dried), baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar, which are all cheap and easy to find. All lose their efficacy with time and, once opened, should be replaced every six to nine months.

  DRIED AND GLACÉ FRUITS With their excellent keeping qualities, dried and glacé fruits have always been a boon to bakers. The most popular in vintage cake recipes are raisins, sultanas, currants, dried peel and glacé cherries. If you prefer, you can use bags of mixed dried fruit, although some recipes call for a specific fruit. You can also make substitutions and use any of the more modern dried fruits now available.

  If you can find them, the pieces or strips of candied lemon and orange peel handmade in the traditional way are full of flavour with a dense, sticky texture, but they are expensive. Alternatively, you could make your own or use the little tubs of ready-chopped peel, which are fine but not top quality.

  Although previous generations of bakers used the dyed, bright-red variety of glacé cherries, the modern deep-red, undyed cherries have a markedly better texture and flavour.

  The dates used in the book are medjool dates, which have a plump, sticky texture and delicious, fudgy taste, and are worth using instead of the ready-chopped variety.

  LEMONS Lemons are an indispensable ingredient in cakes and are best stored in the fridge where they will keep well for several weeks. Unwaxed lemons are preferable for zesting – or wash waxed lemons thoroughly before using. The same goes for oranges.

  NUTS Nuts feature prominently in vintage cakes, and it’s worth always having a bag of flaked and whole almonds in the cupboard as almonds are the most frequently used. You can grind the flaked or whole almonds yourself if a recipe calls for ground almonds, or buy them ready-ground. As nuts go off quite quickly, it’s best to buy other types such as walnuts, hazelnuts and pecans as and when you need them.

  DAIRY PRODUCTS When a recipe requires milk, you should use full or semi-skimmed milk, but not skimmed milk. In this book, cream is usually double, and all cream cheese is full fat.

  FLAVOURINGS Vintage cakes seldom require unusual flavourings. However, when any flavouring is required, it is worth buying high-quality as poor imitations can spoil an otherwise good cake.

  Cocoa should be good-quality cocoa powder and not drinking chocolate.

  When a recipe calls for dark chocolate, you need decent chocolate with a minimum 70% cocoa solids.

  When coffee is required, use powdered coffee or coffee granules.

  Although it’s fun to experiment with different spirits, in general brandy is the most useful.

  Always look for genuine vanilla and almond extracts rather than flavour essences. They cost a lot more, but are very long-lasting and worth every penny.

  Ground spices lose their flavour quickly once opened, so buy in small quantities, check freshness before using, and replace regularly. Commercial mixed spices are fine. An exception should be made for nutmeg, which is best bought whole and grated on a fine grater as required. It’s also a good idea to buy other spices (cloves, cardamom, allspice) whole and grind them when needed.

  DECORATIONS In the past, bakers and cake-eaters got excited about pastel candles, silver balls and hundreds and thousands, something that now seems quaint when we see our modern supermarket shelves full of colourful, whimsical cake decorations. Adding the finishing touches to your cakes is a matter of personal taste, but this can be a time to go wild, have fun and create fantastic flourishes.

  FOOD COLOURING PASTE Vintage iced cakes were generally either white or pink, the latter thanks to cochineal, which was the only widely available food colouring. Now we have a brilliant selection of colours to choose from in the form of the concentrated food colouring pastes (available from specialist cake decorating suppliers). These are far better than the liquid colourings, as only a tiny amount is needed, and you can obtain really deep colours should you wish.

  essential equipment

  As with any enjoyable practical activity, there is a wealth of attractive, pleasing equipment a baker can amass and collect. But the reality is that you do not need a huge amount to get started. First and foremost you need an oven that functions, and if you are not sure about the settings, use an oven thermometer to check the heat levels as it is vital to bake cakes at the correct temperatures. Then you need a mixing bowl or two, a wooden spoon, a large metal spoon or flexible spatula, a sharp knife, a cake tin, and that is it. Everything else can be improvised, found elsewhere in the kitchen or bought as you go along.

  However, if you are starting from scratch and need a checklist of general equipment, this is what I would recommend:

  The equipment required for baking vintage cakes has changed very little over the years, and is often just the same as our grandmothers used. It’s easy to find and long-lasting, and you may soon find yourself deeply attached to favourite spatulas and sieves, jars and jugs.

  GENERAL EQUIPMENT

  • A mixing bowi is essentiai, and the ciassic, paie-brown Mason Cash mixing bowls, which were designed with baking in mind, are the best. Buy the largest size you can find – you will be using it a lot.

  • Smaii and medium-sized bowis: one or two of each, made from Pyrex, are invaluable for holding ingredients, making small mixes and melting chocolate.

  • Fiexibie spatuias are possibiy the most usefui new utensil of the last few years. Made from silicone, they are heat-resistant, washable and marvellously flexible for scraping bowls, but also great for folding in, spooning out, levelling surfaces and spreading fillings.

  • A wooden spoon is stiii cheap, cheerfui and very useful for creaming, beating and stirring. It’s also the very vintage way of doing things, and works as well as anything.

  • If, however, your budget stretches a iittie further, you will never regret buying a handheld electric mixer that makes light work of mixing and whisking. If you are very keen on baking and ready to splash out, it may be worth investing in a free-standing mixer. The one thing that is not necessary for baking is a food processor.

  • If you donʹt have an eiectric mixer of any sort, you will need a metal, handheld whisk for whisking egg whites and cream.

  • A smaii coffee grinder is very usefui for grinding nuts, breadcrumbs and spices. If you don’t have one, simply buy ready-ground.

  • A sieve is vitai for sifting cake ingredients together and making icing sugar completely lump-free.

  • Eiectronic scaies are worth every penny they cost. They are accurate, ingredients can be weighed on them in any container (thus cutting down on washing-up) and they take up very little space.

  • A sharp knife is usefui for siicing, chopping, testing cakes for doneness and slicing cakes into layers.

  • A pair of kitchen scissors is necessary for cutting out baking parchment for lining tins, chopping up candied peel and opening bags of ingredients (instead of pulling them apart and watching the
contents fly everywhere).

  • Another way to test for doneness is to use a metai skewer – very cheap and very useful.

  • A fine grater is invaiuabie for grating nutmeg and zesting lemons. Microplane graters are the best – small, easy to clean and they stay sharp.

  • A Pyrex jug for measuring iiquids. Pyrex is difficuit to break and lasts for years.

  • You wiii need a smaii heavy-based saucepan for melting ingredients, and also a large heavy-based pan for melting, mixing and heating larger quantities.

  • A free-standing timer in addition to the timer on the oven. It can be taken out of the kitchen so you can still be sure of knowing when to check a cake.

  • You wiii need a good pair of oven gioves; tea toweis may seem like a good idea, but they don’t allow you to hold a hot tray for longer than a few moments. The huge, ultra-safe ‘gauntlet’ type of oven gloves offer excellent protection.

  • And finaiiy, an apron with a bib (one that goes over your head). Not because we should all act out some vintage domestic fantasy, but because an apron is fantastically practical, and the best way of keeping you and your clothes clean and protected. Choose one with a front pocket for carrying a timer.

  USING WHAT YOU HAVE

  It’s very easy to get carried away with the beautiful, nonstick bakeware that is now widely available, and to feel that you must buy the right tin for every cake. In truth, you do not need many tins to make the cakes in this book. And if you don’t have the one specified in a recipe, you can bake your cake in a slightly different size tin as long as you adjust your timings accordingly. So a 23cm cake can be made in a 20cm tin – but it will be deeper and need longer in the oven. Shapes are interchangeable, and any square/round/loaf/bundt cake can be made bundt/loaf/round/square. It is also possible to make a large cake as individual cakes and vice versa – just be sure to estimate new cooking times.

  Wire cooling racks are one of the best investments a baker will make. Look for sturdy, strong, rectangular racks that are large enough to hold two cake tins and won’t buckle with regular use. It’s worth having at least two, as you’ll need them when you are baking batches of cakes. Vintage racks are hard to find but can be beautiful – and useful.