While it may not be very sunny outside at the moment, this recipe is sure to give you a taste of summer! Complete with a burst of blackberry and bramble jam, this sandwich cake is the perfect showstopper for your lunch or tea party, if you're looking for a more creative take on the traditional cream sponge. 

Luckily, although this cake packs more of a punch in terms of taste and visual appeal, it's still very simple to make. All you'll need to whip up this marvellous creation are two round cake tins, some baking parchment, a whisk, and our easy-to-follow recipe from BBC Good Food!

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

  • 200g of softened butter 
  • 200g of golden caster sugar 
  • 200g of self-raising flour 
  • 50g ground almonds 
  • 2 eggs and 2 yolks, beaten 
  • 2-4 tbsp of milk
  • A 150g punnet of blackberries

For the Meringue:

  • 2 egg whites 
  • 100g of golden caster sugar, with extra to dust 
  • 2 tbsp of flaked almonds 

For the Filling:

  • 200ml of lightly whipped double cream 
  • 4 tbsp of bramble jelly 

Step 1 - Line your tins with baking parchment and heat your oven to the correct temperature: 160C/140C Fan/Gas Mark 3

Step 2 - Mix all of your cake ingredients (except the blackberries) and half the milk in a bowl. Once the mixture is creamy and well-combined, stir in a 100g of blackberries, and add in extra milk if the mix needs to be loosened.

Step 3 - Divide the mixture between two cake tins, making sure that the tops are level.

Step 4 - Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl, adding in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the mixture is thick and glossy.

Step 5 - Spread the meringue mixture onto one of the cakes, then sprinkle with flaked almonds and another dash of sugar.

Step 6 - Bake both cakes for 40mins, before removing the cake without the mixture and setting it aside.

Step 7 - Bake the cake with the meringue for a further 30mins, before removing from the oven and setting aside.

Step 8 - Remove the cakes from the tins, and leave them to cool further on a wire rack, before pealing off the baking paper.

Step 9 - Once cooled, spread the plain cake with cream, right up to the edges, before spooning over the bramble jelly.

Step 10 - Place the meringue cake on top (meringue side up) to create a sandwich, then use the remaining blackberries to decorate.

Products You May Find Helpful

10 Inch Round Cake Tin
£11.66 inc V.A.T.
26cm Springform Cake Tin
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Deep Sandwich Cake Tin
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bruschetta

As the Queen is celebrating a rather special birthday today, we thought that we'd share a royalty themed recipe for those who are planning to celebrate on behalf of Her Majesty.

Since the invention of coronation chicken for the banquet of Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953, this popular sandwich staple has become a British classic, commonly included on party buffet tables and in work lunch boxes everywhere. It has also become the go-to dish for any royal celebration, which is why we thought it would be the perfect recipe to share with you on the day of this incredible milestone for the British Monarchy.

Although this recipe is all about tradition, we wanted to offer you something with a slight twist on its everyday form, which is why we chose this delicious brschetta recipe from Al Brown over at Bite

Ingredients:

  • A Splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • A Ciabatta Loaf 
  • 2 Cups of Ready-Cooked, Diced Chicken
  • A Squeeze of Mayonnaise 
  • 2 Tbsp of Apricot Jam
  • A Sprinkle of Curry Powder
  • 1 Handful of Dried Currants

Instructions:

Step 1 - Begin by preheating your grill,  then cut your ciabatta loaf into thin slices.

Step 2 - Place your bread onto the grill pan, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and cook until each slice is crispy around the edges.

Step 3 - In a bowl, combine the chicken with mayonnaise and apricot jam. Taste the mixture as you go, to ensure that you have your desired levels or creaminess and sweetness.

Step 4 - Once the base ingredients are combined, add in your desired amount of curry powder, along with a sprinkling of currants for added texture.

Step 5 - Stack equal servings of the coronation chicken onto the slices of bruschetta, and enjoy!

Products You May Find Helpful

Small Grill Pan
£12.49 inc V.A.T.
Large Grill Pan
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Extra Large Grill Pan
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Banana Bread

We like nothing better than a good loaf cake here at British Bakeware, and banana bread has to be one of our favourites! It's moist, sweet, and melts in the mouth; what's not to love right?

Of course, as much as we love cake, we know that it isn't the best for us, even when it has fruit in it. Anyone who's made banana bread in the past will know that despite it's healthy base ingredient, it isn't the most wholesome of foods, as it usually has lots of processed sugar and refined flour packed into it. 

This leaves us with a bit of a dilemma - do we watch our waistline or satisfy our cake cravings? Well, with this healthy recipe developed by Kate over at Cookie and Kate, you can have your cake and eat it!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 a cup of melted coconut oil (can sub for olive or rapeseed oil if you prefer)
  • 1/2 cup of honey or maple syrup
  • 2 eggs 
  • 1 cup of mashed ripe bananas (around 2 large or 2 1/2 medium bananas)
  • 1/4 cup of milk of choice or water
  • 1 tsp of baking soda
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp of salt
  • 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon (and more to swirl on top)
  • 1 and 3/4 cups of whole wheat or spelt flour
  • Optional extras: nuts, choc chips, dried fruit etc. 

Instructions:

Step 1 - Preheat your oven to 160oC.

Step 2 - Grease your loaf tin.

Step 3 - Beat the oil and honey/syrup together in a large bowl, then add the eggs and beat well.

Step 4 - Then, whisk in your mashed bananas and milk. If you're using coconut oil, keep the mix warm to avoid it solidifying.

Step 5 - Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, and whisk gently with the rest of the mixture.

Step 6 - Switch to using a large spoon, and stir in the flour until combined. At this point, you may also wish to add your extras if desired.

Step 7 - Pour the batter into your loaf pan, then lightly sprinkle it with cinnamon, before putting it into the oven to bake.

Step 8 - Bake for 55-60 mins, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool for 10 mins, before transferring it to a wire rack and letting it cool for a further 20 mins.

That's it! You now have a tasty and moreish cake recipe that's all-natural and won't drive your blood sugar crazy! 

*tip* For a snack on the go, why not use our individual loaf tins

Products You May Find Helpful

450g Loaf Tin
£3.95 inc V.A.T.
2lb Loaf Tin
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Individual Loaf Tins
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Baklava

If the glimmer of UK sunshine is making you impatient for your summer holiday, here’s a recipe that will give you a taste of that Aegean bliss.                                                            

Sourced from a lady who was taught how to make this classic dish first-hand by a Greek friend, this sweet and nutty recipe is a truly authentic take on the popular pastry dish. Luckily it’s not too difficult to make either, so you’ll be sitting back and relaxing with a piping hot pastry on your plate before you know it! 

Ingredients:

For the baklava 

  • 250g (9 oz) butter, melted
  • 500g (1 1/4 lb) chopped walnuts (you can use a combination of almonds if you wish
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 packet filo pastry

 

For the sauce 

  • 200g (7 oz) caster sugar
  • 250ml (9 fl oz) water
  • 8 tablespoons Greek honey
  • 1 large piece of lemon peel

 

Instructions:

Step 1 - Preheat your oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4, before greasing the sides and bottom of a large baking tray.

Step 2 - Pour the nuts and cinnamon into a bowl and mix together thoroughly, before setting aside for later.

Step 3 - Unroll your package of filo pastry, then cut the whole stack to fit the size of your tray. You should cover your unused pastry with a wet towel as you prepare the dish, to keep it from drying out.

Step 4 - Place two sheets of the filo onto the tray, before buttering the top layer. You should then repeat this step until you have 8 sheets layers on top of each other. Sprinkle 2-3 table spoons of the nut-cinnamon mixture on top, then top with 2 sheets of filo, butter and nuts, continuing to layer as you go along. Once you get to the top, this should also be 6-8 sheets deep, like the base.

Step 5 - Take a sharp kitchen knife, and begin to cut your baklava into segments. You can choose to cut them into diamond or square shapes, working from the top to the bottom of the dish. Once this is done, pop them into the pre-heated over and bake for around 50 minutes until the pastry is crispy and golden in colour.

Step 6 - Whilst your baklava is baking, prepare the sauce. Begin by boiling the caster sugar and water until all of the sugar is dissolved, before adding the honey and lemon peel. Simmer on a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, then remove the saucepan and allow it to cool. Once the sauce has cooled fully, you can remove the lemon peel.

Step 7 - Remove the baklava from the oven, and immediately pour over the cooled sauce. Eat when the entire dish has cooled, then store uncovered to prevent your pastry from going soggy. 

Source: All Recipes

Products You May Find Helpful

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If you want a recipe to use up any leftover Easter Eggs, this Easter Egg cheesecake is perfect!

From the good people at BBC Good Food, this Easter Egg Cheesecake is a must try at home if you want to do something different with your Easter eggs! Featuring bourbon biscuits, Cadbury creme eggs and passion fruit curd, this recipe has a delicious combination of flavours!

 

Ingredients:

For the Filling

  • 3 x 280g of full-fat cream cheese
  • 4 tbsp of cocoa powder
  • 200g of golden caster sugar
  • 3 tbsp of black coffee
  • 3 large eggs
  • The seeds of one vanilla pod
  • 300ml of sour cream
  • 25g of melted milk chocolate

For the Base

  • 250g of bourbon biscuits
  • 100g of melted butter

For the Decoration

  • 200ml of double cream
  • 100g of passion fruit curd
  • 8 Cadburys Creme Eggs

Instructions:

Step 1-Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celcius/160 degrees celcius for a fan oven/gas mark 4. Take a 24cm Springform Cake Tin and line it with baking paper. Take the 250g of bourbon biscuits and place them in a food processor to reduce them to small crumbs. Take the 100g of melted butter and mix it together with the bourbon biscuit crumbs. Press the mixture in to the bottom of the 24cm springform cake tin with the back of a spoon and bake for 10 minutes. Leave to cool.

Step 2-Before making the filling, turn the temperature of your oven up to 240 degrees celcius/220 degrees celcius in a fan oven/gas mark 6. Start the filling by adding the caster sugar and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl before beating together with an electric whisk. Do this until the mixture turns to a creamy consistency. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla seeds, strong black coffee, 3 eggs, the 300ml of sour cream and the 25g of melted chocolate to the mixture before whisking again. Do this until it is a deliciously smooth consistency.

Step 3-Take your 24cm springform tin with the base already in it and brush the sides with some more melted butter. This is to help stop the mixture sticking to the sides. Pour the cheesecake filling in and ensure the top is smooth. Bake this for 10 minutes before turning your oven down to 110 degrees celcius/90 degrees celcius for a fan oven/gas mark ¼ and continue baking for around 30 minutes. You will be able to tell that the cheesecake is ready as there will still be a slight wobble in the middle. Turn your oven off but leave the door of the oven open to let the cheesecake cool in the oven cavity for about 2 hours. Once cooled, chill the cheesecake until you are ready to serve it.

Step 4-Now you can start decorating the cheesecake. Release the base of your 24cm springform cake tin and remove the baking paper from the base. Take the 200ml of double cream and lightly whip it. Take the cream and place 4 large spoonfuls of it on top, with 4 smaller spoonfuls in between each large one. Put a bit of passion fruit curd on each small spoonful of cream before placing half a Cadbury creme egg on top. Place whole creme eggs in between

Step 5-Now cut a slice of this Easter Egg Cheesecake for you and the rest of your family and enjoy! Happy Easter!

Source: BBC Good Food 

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