Three Cakes for Easter

We're enjoying the weather, although some of my potted plants have wilted slightly in the heat. We have potatoes growing (we hope) and also a few bean plants. The strawberry patch needs a bit of a tidy up.

All the birds are singing their dawn chorus each morning which is just wonderful. Our hens have been laying quite a few eggs. This morning Springy and I had scrambled eggs for breakfast. Our weaving project needs to be continued but Springy did a spring-themed crossword and wrote in the most beautiful neat writing. We haven't done much writing recently because Springy didn't want to and I was forcing workbooks on her before Christmas due to a lack of confidence - we both hated doing them. It's much nicer when writing comes from a more natural interest and the crossword was just that.


Banana Gingerbread
Ei


Cherry Crumble Cake

175g (6oz) SR flour
100g (3.5oz) soft butter
75g (3oz) caster sugar
50g (2oz) almond flour (ground)
1 egg
2 tbsps milk
1/2 tsp almond essence
1 can black cherries
25g (1oz) almond flakes

1. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper
2. Rub butter into flour to make crumble mix.
3. Add sugar and ground almonds and mix in.
4. Remove 75g (3oz) of the crumble mix (to use as a topping later).
5. Add the milk, egg and almond essence to the remaining crumble mix and blend until smooth.
6. Pour into baking tray.
7. Pour off syrup from the cherries and put drained cherries on top of cake mix in baking tray.
8. Sprinkle on crumble mix that was set aside.
9. Sprinkle on almond flakes.
10. Bake in oven for about 25 minutes, at 180 deg C.

Sultana Soda Bread

150g (5oz) wholemeal plain flour
175g (6oz) plain flour
2 tsps cream of Tartar
pinch of salt
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
50g (2oz) brown sugar
125g (4oz) sultanas
25g (1oz) butter
175ml warmed milk

1. Mix flours, salt, cream of tartar, bicarb, sugar and sultanas together.
2. Melt butter in saucepan and heat milk.
3. Pour in gradually to dry mix until dough is formed.
4. Knead dough on surface (use a sprinkle of flour to help prevent sticking).
5. Roll out dough to form a circle and place on baking sheet.
6. Bake in oven at 200 deg C (180 deg C fan oven) for 25 minutes - the soda bread should sound hollow when tapped.
7. For crusty top wrap in tea towel or leave to cool without one for soft top.