The Hummingbird Bakery Life is Sweet: 100 original recipes for happy home baking. Tarek Malouf
3. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, cream the butter and sugars together for around 5 minutes on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, on a lower speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. In a small jug, mix together the bourbon and buttermilk by hand. Add the flour mixture to the bowl in three additions, alternating with the bourbon and buttermilk, adding the flour first. Only mix until the ingredients are just incorporated. Finish mixing in the last addition by hand.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared ring mould and bake for 40-45 minutes. When the cake is golden on top and bounces back when lightly touched, remove from the oven and leave in the mould.
6. To make the glaze, combine the butter, sugar and bourbon in a saucepan. Place over a low heat and cook just until the butter melts and the sugar is dissolved, then whisk vigorously to combine.
7. Take the cake, which should still be in the mould, and poke holes all over the top of the cake with a skewer. Pour three-quarters of the glaze slowly over the cake, letting it soak in carefully. Save the remaining quarter of the glaze.
8. Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes, then flip over and turn out of the mould. Brush the remaining glaze over the top of the cake.
Chocolate Bundt Cake
Yes, you read correctly, this cake contains mayonnaise! Many vintage American recipes substituted processed shortcuts for separate ingredients. In this extremely delicious chocolate cake, the oil or butter is replaced with mayonnaise – and before you panic, it works beautifully. American Bundt tins, which make for a prettier cake, can be ordered online and will last you for years.
Makes one 25cm (10in) Bundt cake, to slice as desired
For the cake
270g (9½oz) plain flour
1¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
295ml (10½fl oz) buttermilk
70g (2½oz) cocoa powder
235g (8oz) mayonnaise
2 large eggs
165g (6oz) soft light brown sugar
160g (5½oz) caster sugar
1½ tsp vanilla extract
60g (2oz) dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
For the chocolate glaze
2 tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp water
55g (2oz) caster sugar
85g (3oz) dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
One 25cm (10in) Bundt pan or ring mould
1. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Grease the Bundt pan or ring mould with butter and dust with flour and set aside.
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, mix together the buttermilk, cocoa, mayonnaise, eggs, both sugars and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Fold in the dry ingredients and chocolate by hand and make sure everything is well mixed.
4. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared mould and bake for 45–50 minutes. When the cake bounces back when lightly touched, remove from the oven and leave in the mould to cool for about 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. To make the glaze, put the syrup, water and sugar into a small pan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to warm. If you add the chocolate when the mixture is too hot, the chocolate will seize. Stir in the chocolate until it’s smooth. Cool until slightly thickened and then spread or drizzle over the cake.
Ozark Pudding Cake
The Ozark Mountains are mostly in Missouri and Arkansas, and this baked-in-a-skillet cake was supposedly the favourite of President Harry S. Truman, a Missourian. If you want to experiment a little, use pears instead of the apples, but make sure you choose a firm-fleshed variety so that they don’t turn too mushy when baked.
Makes one 25cm (10in) cake, to slice as desired
2 large, ripe, firm apples (such as Pink Lady), peeled, cored and cut into quarters
135g (5oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp salt
60g (2oz) unsalted butter, softened
200g (7oz) caster sugar, plus 1 tsp for sprinkling on top
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
55g (2oz) toasted flaked almonds
One 25cm (10in) cast-iron skillet or ovenproof pan
1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Grease the bottom and sides of the skillet or ovenproof pan with butter.
2. Finely chop one of the apples. The other apple should be thinly sliced vertically. Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt into a bowl.
3. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, cream the butter and sugar together on a medium speed just until it resembles wet sand. Do not cream to light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg and vanilla and blend on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Turn down the speed to low and add the flour mixture in one addition. Mix until just blended – this batter will be stiff. Fold in the chopped apple and half the almonds and stir a couple of times by hand until just blended.
5. Drop the thick batter onto the prepared skillet or ovenproof pan and smooth down gently to make an even level. Arrange the apple slices on top of the batter – fanning out the slices around the centre. Sprinkle the remaining almonds and 1 teaspoon sugar over the top.
6. Bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes until the cake is golden in colour and bounces back gently when lightly touched. The cake will continue to cook in the skillet when removed from the oven, so be careful not to overcook. Serve warm on the day it is baked.
Gingerbread Cake
This cake is seriously dense and rich. Using a combination of dark sugar, dark honey and molasses adds to the intensity and keeps the finished cake moist and slightly sticky. You can make it zingier by adding another tablespoon or two of freshly grated ginger. Eat plain or with some whipped cream to balance it out.
Makes one 23cm (9in) square cake, to slice as desired
225g (8oz) unsalted butter
120ml (4fl oz) water
175g (6oz) pure cane molasses, such as Meridian
175g (6oz) dark honey (chestnut or darker wildflower)
215g (7½oz) dark muscovado sugar
400g (14oz) plain flour
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
¼ tsp ground cloves