Michelle Darmody: Easy cakes to enjoy with a cup of tea

Spelt works best in cakes that do not need to rise too much, like the orange cake.

A slice of freshly baked cake is a perfect accompaniment to an afternoon cup of tea on an autumn’s day.

What is even nicer than tucking into a sweet slice is the smell of the cake baking in the oven? Baking your own treats can take a little time but is much more cost-effective than buying them. It is also nice to know what goes into making them, and you can amend recipes and flavours to suit your taste.

Spelt is a good grain for cake baking, it has a nuttiness to it and a light texture. Spelt flour is easier to digest than wheat as it is more water-soluble. I find it works best in cakes that do not need to rise too much, like the orange cake. The slices of orange simmered in syrup add to the flavour of the cake and provide a nice sticky layer, but you can also make the cake without these if you wish for something simpler. The grated apple adds a bit of moisture and sweetness to the batter.

Orange spelt cake

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Spelt is a good grain for cake baking, it has a nuttiness to it and a light texture.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 20 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 3 small oranges, sliced to ½ cm in thickness

• 100mls water

• 3 star anise

• 100mls golden caster sugar

• 125g spelt flour

• 1 tsp baking powder, sieved

• 100g self-raising flour

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 225g soft butter

• 200g light muscovado sugar

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

• 200g of cooking apples, grated

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a 9-inch round cake tin with parchment.

2. Place the orange slices, star anise the caster sugar and water into a saucepan and allow to simmer very gently for ten minutes. Set aside.

3. Mix the spelt flour, baking powder, self-raising flour and ground cinnamon together until well combined. Set aside.

4. Beat the butter and muscovado sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the eggs then add in the flour mixture until smooth, Stir in the grated apple.

5. Lay the orange slices onto the base of the tin and keep the syrup. Scoop the cake batter on top of the orange slices. Bake for an hour or until baked through.

6. Once cool enough to handle turn the cake onto a large plate. Remove star anise and pour the remaining syrup over the cake.

Lemon and Cardamom Loaf

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

The perfect accompaniment to an afternoon cup of tea on an autumn's day.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 5 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 25 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 50g butter

• 275g golden caster sugar

• 3 eggs, separated

• 225g natural yoghurt

• 1 tbsp lemon juice and the zest of 3 lemons

• 175g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp baking powder, sieved

• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

• To ice:

• 125g icing sugar

• 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice

• a handful pistachio nuts, finely chopped

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment.

2. Beat the butter, sugar and egg yolks together. Add the yoghurt, juice and zest and combine.

3. Mix the flour, baking powder and cardamom until combined and add this to the butter mixture.

4. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold this into the rest of the ingredients. Scoop it into the prepared tin and bake for an hour and five minutes or until a skewer come out clean. Once cool enough to handle place onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5. To make the icing whisk the icing sugar and lemon juice together. Pour this over the cake and decorate with the nuts.