Bakewell Cake by Rachel Allen

Here is a recipe by the beautiful Rachel Allen- the Irish Domestic Goddess. 

This Bakewell cake is the first recipe I have tried from her book Cake (Collins, £25). 

It turned out absolutely delicious and it didn't take long to prepare. Mine looked pretty much like the picture in the book which is always a challenge. Those food stylists make everything look amazing. 

My rating: 5 STARS without a doubt. 

This is what my Bakewell Cake looked like

Bakewell cake 

Prep time:     15 minutes
Baking time:   50-55 minutes
Ready in:      1 hour and 45 minutes
Serves:        6-8


150g (5oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
150g (5oz) caster sugar
2 eggs
A few drops (not more than 1/8 tsp) of almond essence or extract
50ml (2fl oz) milk
150g (5oz) self-raising flour, sifted
150g (5oz) ground almonds
150g (5oz) fresh or frozen (and defrosted) raspberries
25g (1oz) flaked almonds
Icing sugar, for dusting
Softly whipped cream and fresh raspberries, to decorate

20cm (8in) diameter cake tin with 6cm (2 1/2 in) sides

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F), Gas mark 4, then butter the sides of the cake tin and line the base with a disc of baking parchment.

Cream the butter until soft in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Whisk the eggs and the almond essence or extract together in a small bowl for a few seconds or just until combined, then gradually add the eggs to the creamed butter mixture, beating all the time. Next beat in the milk, then add the flour and ground almonds, carefully folding theses in just until they are mixed.

Next add the raspberries and fold in gently so as not to break them up too much. Tip the batter into the prepared tin, then scatter over the flaked almonds. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Use a small, sharp knife to loosen the edges, then carefully removed the cake from the tin and lead on a wire rack to cool down completely before transferring to a serving plate.

Dust with icing sugar. Serve with softly whipped cream if you wish, or decorate with fresh raspberries.