Too many eggs? Not for long.

Yesterday I decided to do some baking to use up some of my eggs. I got three from the bantams, and three from the girls too.

I gave Pat half a dozen eggs to take to his golf partner – as he loaned him a trolley when Pat’s broke – it was only minor and now is repaired. Two of my neighbours have had eggs too, but now the girls are back on track I will have a surplus now and again.

I made a Victoria sponge cake which will be sandwiched together with some of my home made jam or jelly, and fresh cream. For the moment it has been frozen. For that recipe I weighed the eggs in their shells and added the same weight in sugar, butter and self raising flour, added a teaspoonful of vanilla essence, and a pinch of salt. I used four large eggs for that.

I also made a loaf cake with fresh raspberries – something that I have never tried before – fresh fruit incorporated in a cake. We have just had a taste test – and ended up having two slices each.

It is a melt in the mouth kind of cake, a soft sponge and the raspberries do just melt in your mouth, to give it something extra. It would be lovely served warm with custard or fresh cream, also cold with ice cream or cream.


The picture is a bit blurred – sack the photographer! It must have something to do with the honeycomb colour of the sponge and the photo lookes like the cake is bumpy or cut roughly. But in reality it was cut straight revealing the raspberries and it was incredibly soft and light and moist.

I think that I might try it with loganberries or later blackberries and apple – and as it is such a nice textured cake, I am going to use it to make some cup cakes – and some in moulds for puddings – like mini bowls and serve with a raspberry coulis. It should freeze well too.

Here is the recipe if you want to give it a try.
Ingredients

175g butter
175g caster sugar – golden is nice too
350g plain flour (sifted)
1tsp mixed spice
1tbs black treacle
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda dissolved in 2tbs milk
1 lemon – juice and zest
250g fresh or frozen raspberries

Method

Rub the butter and flour together to breadcrumb stage.
Add the sugar, lemon, treacle, and eggs, until mixed.
Add the bicarb dissolved in milk
Lastly fold in the raspberries taking care not to keep them whole

I used a 2lb loaf tin with a cake liner to make life easier - ready for cooking.

Bake on 170c fan/180c oven for 45 minutes
Reduce heat to 140c fan/or 150c normal oven and cook for a further 20-35 minutes.

I checked mine after 20 minutes and it needed cooking for 30 minutes before it was just done and the scewer came out clean.


Allotment posting may not be done until tomorrow morning!