By C he f Nathanie l Re id. Photos by Erik Ke llar.Recipe taken from
Heirloom Kitchen by
Anna Francese Gass,
published by Harper
Design (£20).CAKE HEAVENWWW.FOODHEAVENMAG.COM OCTOBER baking heaven 31
Hazelnut and
milk chocolate
pound cake
MAKES 1
For the pound cake
185g (6½oz) sugar
60g (2oz) almond powder
20g (½oz) toasted hazelnut flour
70g (2½oz) plain flour
(^1) / 3 tsp baking powder
200g (7oz) free-range egg whites
1 tsp honey
135g (4½oz) brown butter
20g (½oz) hazelnut butter
grated zest of 1 orange
grated zest of 1 lemon zest
For the chocolate hazelnut glaze
175g (6oz) milk chocolate
35g (1¼oz) toasted hazelnuts,
chopped
35ml (1¼fl oz) rapeseed oil
candied orange peel (optional)
1 Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas
Mark 3.
2 Sift the sugar, almond flour,
hazelnut flour, plain flour and baking
powder together.
3 Add the egg whites and honey to the
dry ingredients and whisk together.
4 Slowly whisk in the hot melted
brown butter, hazelnut butter and zest.
5 Portion the cake batter into a buttered
and floured 20x9cm (8x3¾in) cake tin.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until golden
brown. Unmould, cool, then freeze.
For the chocolate hazelnut glaze
1 Melt the chocolate, then add the oil
and the hazelnuts. Cool to room
temperature, then pour the hazelnut
glaze over the frozen hazelnut cake.
2 Decorate with candied orange peel.
Poppy seed cake
SERVES 8
For the cake
4 large free-range eggs
165g (5¾oz) poppy seeds
125g (4½oz) plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g (7oz) sugar
240ml (8½fl oz) kefir or buttermilk
3 tbsp cognac
For the frosting
960ml (33½fl oz) full-fat sour cream
100g (3½oz) sugar
2 tbsp cognac
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 Make the cake: Whisk the eggs
and the poppy seeds in the bowl of a
stand mixer until the eggs are light and
the poppy seeds are fully incorporated,
about 4 minutes. Cover and
refrigerate overnight.
2 Preheat the oven to 175°C/Gas Mark
- Thoroughly grease three 20 cm (8in)
round pans.
3 Whisk the flour and bicarb in a
medium bowl and set aside. Remove
the egg mixture from the refrigerator
and whisk to re-combine. Whisk in the
sugar, then the kefir. Whisk the flour
mixture into the egg mixture.
4 Divide the batter evenly among the
three pans. Bake for 15 minutes, until the
edges begin to brown. Remove and cool
completely in the pans on a wire rack.
5 Once cool, remove the cakes from the
pans and trim any brown edges. Using a
cake tester, poke holes all over the cakes.
Brush 1 tbsp cognac on each layer.
6 Make the frosting: Using a stand or
hand mixer with the whisk attachment,
whisk together the sour cream, sugar,
cognac and vanilla until very firm.
7 To assemble, place one cake layer on a
serving dish and cover with one-quarter
of the frosting (about 240ml (8½fl oz))
and spread. Place a second cake layer on
top and spread with another quarter of
the frosting. Place the final cake layer on
top. Cover with a generous helping of
frosting, and use it to cover the top and
sides – you may not need all of the
frosting. Sprinkle the poppy seeds
all over.
8 Chill for at least 2 hours, or up to
overnight, before serving.