The Cake & Bake Show is back from 21st – 23rd October 2022 at ExCeL, London.
The show is brimming with all things baking, cake decorating and sugar craft. Go along to pick up top tips from star bakers like Rosemary Shrager, Freya Cox, Cherish Finden, Paul Jagger, Lisa Marley, Chigs Parmar and Molly Robbins; renowned pastry chefs like Master Pâtissier Eric Lanlard; and inspirational chocolatier Paul A Young.
Plus, there are plenty of opportunities for tasting and shopping from the hundreds of exhibiting brands, and the spectacular Cake Competition once again displaying creative talent!
Whether you’re a baker extraordinaire or simply a lover of extraordinary bakes, there’s something for everyone at the UK’s biggest experiential baking show. Make sure you put this year’s Cake & Bake Show 2022 dates in your diary, taking place 21st-23rd October at ExCeL, London.
See also: Spirit of Christmas Fair Returns
Let’s look forward to the Cake & Bake Show with this tasty recipe for Spiced Plum Cake with Swiss Meringue Frosting from Delicious Magazine.
Ingredients:
- 350-400g red plums, halved and stoned
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
- 6 cardamon pods, crushed with the flat of a cook’s knife
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 225g butter, softened
- 225g golden caster sugar
- 3 medium free-range eggs
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 75g ground almonds
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 200g self-raising flour
- 150g egg whites (about 5)
- 300g white caster sugar
Method:
- Heat the oven to 170ºC fan/ gas 5. Toss the plums in a small roasting tin with the golden syrup, brown sugar and the whole spices. Bake for 30 minutes until the plums are tender and the juice is syrupy. Set aside to cool. Remove and discard the whole spices.
- Turn down the oven to 160ºC fan/gas 4. For the cake, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and golden caster sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs one at a time, beating between additions (see Know How). Mix the baking powder, ground almonds and ground cinnamon with the flour, then mix into the cake batter in a couple of additions.
- Gently stir in 2-3 spoonfuls of the cooled plum syrup, then ripple through the cooked plums. Spoon the cake batter into the prepared tin, level the top, then bake for 45-55 minutes, Turn the oven down a notch if the cake starts to brown too much.
- Leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then unclip the tin and let the cake cool completely.
- To make the frosting, heat 4cm water in a pan over a low-medium heat to a gentle simmer. Put the egg whites and sugar in a stand mixer bowl (or mixing bowl if using a hand mixer). Rest the bowl over the simmering water and, using a flexible spatula or wooden spoon, stir constantly for 10 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reads 72°C on a digital thermometer. Keep the water at the gentlest simmer or you risk cooking the egg whites and you’ll have to start again.
- Once the mixture reaches 72°C, remove from the heat and whisk on medium speed until stiff peaks form (that don’t flop over) and the meringue is no longer warm to the touch.
- Spoon the cooled meringue frosting over the top and sides of the cake, swirling it into attractive patterns, then (if you like) use a blowtorch to caramelise the swirls.
Delicious tips:
- Don’t waste it: If you’d rather not use whole eggs and be left with egg yolks, you can use Two Chicks Free Range Liquid Egg Whites, from most large supermarkets.
- The cake keeps well in a tin somewhere cool for up to 1 week. The unfrosted cake will freeze, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight, then decorate before serving.
- If the butter/sugar/egg mixture begins to curdle, add a spoonful of flour.
See also: Celebrating National Pierogi Day
