I’m starting to put together ideas for a new book and have been going into baking overdrive, making at least two cakes a day for the past couple of weeks. The smell of butter and sugar really clings to you and it’s starting to make me feel a bit sick – I keep having to take baths to try to get rid of it. What’s more, my neighbours, who are normally so pleased to receive cakes and biscuits, are starting to get fed up, too. “No, I’ve just done a five-mile run, thank you. I really don’t want more cake.” I won’t take no for an answer, though, or I’ll end up eating it all myself and become the size of a house.
I’ll always have the tiniest sliver to make sure it tastes right, but sometimes I wish cakes could just be for show. When I make something really pretty, I swear I’d be happy just looking at it, and it seems almost a shame to demolish it. Strangely, Abdal and the children don’t feel the same.
This week’s spiced plum crumble cake looks beautifully festive, with the ruby red plum juices bleeding into the sponge. It’s a feast for the eyes as much as the mouth and stomach, and is the perfect bake for people who can’t make up their mind if they want a teatime treat or a pudding. It combines the best of both worlds – the softness of the sponge, the juiciness of the fruit and then the crunch of the crumble topping. I like to think it’s the changes in texture that make it so good.
It’s really no more effort to make than a normal sponge cake because you don’t have to make the crumble separately. You simple take some of the batter out and add more flour to turn that into crumble.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some more baking to do.
Nadiya’s tip
You can endlessly ring the changes with this recipe, swapping nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom or mixed spice for the ginger, or indeed changing the fruit altogether. Whatever fruit you use, though, it needs to be soft and vibrantly coloured so that it shows up against the sponge. Raspberries, blackberries, cranberries or anything that will bleed into the sponge works well. Apples are less successful because you end up with a plain brown cake. It will still taste delicious, mind.
Spiced plum crumble cake
Serves 8-10
250g unsalted butter, softened
250g light brown sugar, plus an extra 1 tbsp
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 eggs, lightly beaten
300g plain flour, plus an extra 7 tbsp
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
300g plums, stoned and quartered
1 Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3. Grease and line a deep, 9in, round baking tin.
2 Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy and very pale in colour.
3 Add the vanilla extract and eggs and beat in until mixed through. Now add the flour and baking powder, folding in with a wooden spoon or spatula.
4 Take out 80g of the batter and to this add the extra flour and mix until crumbly. Now add in the extra sugar and the ginger powder and mix through.
5 Pour the cake batter into the tin, top with the prepared plums and add the crumble on top.
6 Bake in the oven for 75 minutes. Halfway through baking, if the top starts to brown too much, cover with a piece of foil and continue to bake.
7 Test if the cake is baked by inserting a skewer and checking that it comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before cooling on a wire rack.
8 Dust the top with a little icing sugar before serving.