Sunday 28 November 2010

Fruity bakewell traybake



I know it sounds silly to choose what to bake on its shape, but I really fancied a traybake this week.
It was partly because I wanted to use my new traybake tin with fitted lid (OK, so I was meant to be Christmas shopping but surely presents for me count?) but mostly because I wanted the delicious cuboid of cakey goodness that only a traybake can deliver. There’s something so appealing about a piece of cake that’s a tall as it is wide and deep. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite achieve it because the recipe requires a 20cm x 30cm tin and I used one that was 25cm x 37cm.


The cake part of this recipe is a rich, buttery almond sponge, lightened by the inclusion of yoghurt.
For the fruit element I visited the supermarket and just chose what appealed to me. The recipe will work at any time of year with a variety of fruits. I picked raspberries and blueberries because I love them in any cake and apricots because I have never used them before in my baking.


Being blessed with a “healthy appetite” (i.e. gluttonous) I categorise most cakes as “cut and come again”, but this one truly is – it’s light and the fruit kids you that it might be healthy.
It isn’t of course …particularly when each cuboid is teamed with a generous splodge of thick cream!


The colours of the fruit looked beautiful alongside each other in my shopping basket and equally as pretty in the finished cake.
Winter blues? I’m more into my winter reds and oranges!


No blog post from me next weekend as Mr CC and I are off on hols (technically it’s our honeymoon but there’s just something about that word that makes my teeth itch so I’m not using it!)…I think this is the first week I’ve skipped since starting my blog in September 2007 thus I hope you won’t judge me too harshly.
Normal service will resume on Sunday 12th December.


Ingredients

250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
250g golden caster sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
240g self raising flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
40g ground almonds
150g Greek yoghurt
300g fruit – you can use any juicy, flavoursome fruit – I used a mix of raspberries, blueberries and apricots.
50g flaked almonds

Optional: icing sugar to dust over before serving

To serve: thick cream

Method

Preheat the oven to 180˚C/fan oven 160˚C/350˚F/Gas mark 4.

Line a 20cm x 30cm tin with baking paper.

Beat the butter until it is soft and creamy, then add the sugar and beat further until it is light and pale. Don’t skimp on this stage as this is where you get the air into your sponge.

Beat in the eggs one at a time – if it looks like it might curdle add some of the flour.

Beat in the almond extract.

Fold in the flour, baking powder and ground almonds.

Fold in the Greek yoghurt.

Gently fold in the fruit taking care to leave as much of it intact as possible.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface.

Scatter over the flaked almonds.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Mine took 40 minutes.

Leave to cool in the tin. It will keep, in an airtight container for several days. I often find that a cake with almonds tastes better a day or two after baking as the almond flavour intensifies and the nutty oils moisten the cake.

If desired, sift over icing sugar before serving.

Serve with a generous dollop of thick cream.

Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have created.

Eat.

21 comments:

I heart cupcakes said...

I spotted that try in Lakeland and had my eye on it - seems like a perfect idea for transporting cakes to work/family.
LOVE the sound and look of your traybake - bet it was very tasty.
Have a lovely holiday/honeymoon

Please Do Not Feed The Animals. said...

What a brilliant tin!

Suelle said...

That's a huge tin to fill! I love the idea of mixed fresh fruit instead of jam, for Bakewell Slices.

Helen said...

That sounds delish!

P.S. You won the giveaway on my blog! Send me your name and address and I'll arrange for the prize to be sent to you.

Baking Addict said...

I love the colours and that looks like a healthy splodge of cream to me :)
Enjoy your holiday/honeymoon. I think I need to get myself to lakeland soon :)

Brownieville Girl said...

Have a fantastic H ... oliday!!!

Love your new tin - I think the rule when Christmas shopping is ... one for X, two for me!!!!!

Traybake looks great too.

Nisrine, Dinners and Dreams said...

It looks truly delicious. I love the almond texture.

Cakelaw said...

LOL, of ocurse presents for you count - if you don't get what you want, no-one else will do it. This looks delicious, and on the basis of the blueberries and yoghurt, I'd categorise it as healthy :)

cocoa and coconut said...

Firstly, enjoy your holiday!
Secondly, that traybake looks divine. For some reason it looks really moist to me. I love that its spiked with bright berries!

Rhyleysgranny said...

Now those look delicious. Would they work with frozen fruit? I have cherries in the freezer which I would love in this. Have a wonderful holiday.
I am gazing with very green eyes at your red KA.;)

The Caked Crusader said...

Hi Rhyleysgranny

My only concern with using frozen fruit would be that I wonder if it will make the cake too wet and thus soggy? I haven't used frozen fruit other than to heat for coulis/sauces etc. Not sure how they behave when baked.

Hope this helps

Victoria said...

hahah I used to work at Lakeland...spotted the brand right away! A great tin!!! one of the top sellers too!! i love bakewell...looks delicious! have a great hol!! :)

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

Have a great time and congratulations! Lots of photos please, I know you won't include any of yourself, but you could take some scenery shots.

I just knew you have been lakeland shopping as soon as you said you had a new tray. A girl after my own heart and boy does that traybake look good. I wasn't overly enamoured when I read the post titles, but when I saw the photos, well yum yum!

Katie said...

Yum it looks wonderfully fruity and flavoursome. Definietly one to keep coming back for another slice!
Traybakes are so easy to keep neating off the edge for that extra slice :)

Scarlett said...

Love the tin!!

Nora said...

Yum! I still remember with fondness and a watering mouth your iced bakewell traybake that I made (in July 2009!), so I really need to give this one a try.

TESOL certification said...

blueberries and apricots. yum. thanks for sharing!

Peggy said...

This cake looks absolutely delicious! I love all the fruit included in it! Enjoy your vacation!

blackbookkitchendiaries said...

what a beautiful tin... i really love this post. thanks for sharing.

Choclette said...

That looks so good. I'm so impressed with yogurt now, I no longer feel safe baking without it. What a nifty tray bake tin - haven't seen anything like that. Hope you're having a good break.

keithy said...

I made this traybake last week and it turned out to be delicious. The cake was light and moist; also I liked the butter and almond flavour combination (I've always used vanilla in the past). The cake is firm enough to cut in half so that I can spread jam on it (I didn't use any fruit in the batter), although I found that the cake is rich and flavoursome enough without it.
I didn't incorporate the yoghurt well enough in the batter so there was a clump of yoghurt in the centre of the cake. I still ate it of course! The creamy texture of the yoghurt and the sponge cake was actually a nice combination.
Thanks for the recipe.