Yield: 16 CAKES
These little Cherry Bakewell Fairy Cakes are a hybrid between a Bakewell Tart and Almond Cakes - with a hidden surprise of a a spoonful of jam in the centre.
In truth, an authentic Bakewell Tart doesn't have icing on the top, or a cherry, but just flaked almonds, but a certain Mr Kipling added the icing and cherry, which does look the part.
We all love Fairy Cakes, they are dainty and sweet, with no need for excess buttercream icing, which their larger cousins cupcakes seem to have.
These little Cherry Bakewell Fairy Cakes are made with a foundation recipe for vintage almond rice cakes, with raspberry jam, icing, flaked toasted almonds and a cherry.
They somehow feel slightly healthier than the usual Bakewell Tarts, which have a pastry case - which isn't the case at all, but it makes me feel better!
I hope you enjoy them if you make them, serve them with a cuppa, for elevenses or as part of a Sunday Tea Tray, as I did last time I made them.
INGREDIENTS
Cakes:
1 teaspoon baking powder
3ozs. plain flour
3ozs. ground rice
Pinch of salt
3ozs. butter or margarine
3ozs. caster sugar
2 eggs
Almond extract
Icing:
7ozs. icing sugar,
5 to 5 tablespoons water (or lemon juice)
Topping:
16 teaspoons seedless raspberry jam, slightly warmed
Toasted flaked almonds
8 glace cherries, halved
INSTRUCTIONS
- Grease or butter 12 small cake tins, and line with paper cake cases.
- Add the baking powder to the flour, salt and ground rice in a bowl. Mix well.
- Beat the butter (or margarine) with the sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat the eggs.
- Add the flour mixture and beaten eggs a little at a time to the butter mixture, stirring well in between each addition. Continue until all the flour mixture and eggs is used up.
- Add the flavouring last, I used a teaspoon of almond extract.
- Spoon the cake batter into the prepared cake tin and paper cases. (there will be enough batter left for 4 remaining cakes)
- Bake in pre-heated moderate oven (180C/170C Fan/350F) for 15 minutes, until the cakes light brown and well risen.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire cooling rack.
- Place the remaining 4 cakes in to the oven and bake as before.
- Once cold, using an apple corer, and gently take out a small plug of cake in the middle.
- Spoon the jam into the hollow, then replace with the cake, pushing down gently.
- Make the icing by gradually adding the water or lemon juice to the icing sugar, until you have a smooth but thick icing. Add the icing to the top of the cakes, using a butter knife to spread it evenly.
- Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the icing, then add the halved cherry to the middle of the cake. Store the cakes in an airtight tin.
NOTES:
Use cherry jam in place of raspberry jam, or a red berry jam to taste.
Metric Measurements:
5g baking powder
75g plain flour
75g ground rice
Pinch of salt
75g butter or margarine
75g caster sugar
2 eggs
Icing:
175g icing sugar
You can add a tablespoon of ground almonds to the cake mixture, for a nuttier taste. Omit 1 tablespoon of ground rice if you do this.
It's easier to add the jam to the small hollow in the cake, if it's warmed slightly - I warmed mine in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Karen Burns-Booth
Food & Travel Writer
www.lavenderandlovage.com