#NationalCakeDay

If you use social media at all you’re probably used to the never ending list of #National days that clutter up your timeline. I don’t know who sets them but in a lot of cases it’s probably the major producers of whatever product the day is promoting. Today is a little different though as the first thing I saw on Twitter this morning was that it’s #NationalCakeDay. Even with this one I’m happy to admit that there may be the heavy hand of flour producers or cake manufacturers involved, but I’ve ignored that, I’ve joined in and I’ve baked.

Cake to me always feels like luxury baking. The treat that is going to give the day something special. It’s also that one type of baking where the creative spirit can really come to the fore. You may have to follow a set path to produce the cake batter, but the filling, topping and general decoration are all down to you. If you’re a Bake Off watcher you’ll know that the bakers always seem to enjoy and excel most in the cake rounds.

Of course cake doesn’t have to be fancy and highly decorated. There’s a comfort in a slice of simple fruit loaf that can be every bit as rewarding as something smothered in cream or chocolate.

So my suggestion is that you cut yourself a slice, pour yourself a cup of tea, then sit down for a few moments and enjoy #NationalCakeDay.

Alternatively you might fancy some time in the kitchen. If you do the recipe for the cake that I’ve just made is below.

Ingredients for cake

• 150g butter
• 80g dark muscovado sugar (I find that muscovado adds great flavour to the cake)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• Zest of an orange
• 3.5 tbsp milk
• 150g flour (I used wholemeal spelt, but whatever you use in cakes will work)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt

Ingredients for filling

• 175g raspberries
• 1 tsp dark Muscovado sugar
• Double cream

Method

• Pre heat the oven to gas mark 4 and grease two 20cm cake tins.
• Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until pale. Then stir in the eggs one at a time.
• Add the orange zest and milk
• In a second bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Add the dry mixture to the wet in batches. Gently stir until combined.
• Split the mixture across the two greased tin and bake for 20 minutes.

• For the filling put 75g of the raspberries and the sugar into a saucepan. Bring to the build and then lower the sea for a couple of minutes. Keep stirring until the liquid has a jam consistency. Remove from the sea and cool.
• Whip the double cream to whatever consistency you prefer. You can sweeten it with a little icing sugar but I prefer to leave mine plain.
• Once the cakes have cooled spread the jam across the bottom sponge. Then add cream and some of the raspberries. Then add the second sponge and top with more cream and raspberries.