Recipe Number Two Hundred: Page 169.
Wow – I have finally
reached my 200th recipe! I think it is safe to say that I
have made a LOT of cake in the last year and a bit. No wonder my hips
have expanded; I'm not sure I can blame the size of my stomach
entirely on pregnancy! As I contemplated which recipe I should choose
I really did feel a sense of achievement. In a few months my
challenge will be complete – I'm so close to the finishing line!
Of course, this weekend
we have been celebrating the Queen's diamond jubilee. It is such a
momentous occasion. I wanted to choose a recipe which complimented
this very special long weekend. I didn't have much choice as there
are so few recipes left. However, I finally settled on this
strawberry cake. The word Swiss is in the title, but I consider
anything which contains strawberries and cream to be quintessentially
British! It makes me think of long summer days and watching endless
tennis matches on TV. It ticked all the boxes as far as I was
concerned!
After cooking and then
eating a gigantic roast dinner for lunch we found refuge on the sofa.
We just about found the energy to locate the TV remote. With groaning
waistbands we watched the Queen's Jubilee Pageant on the River
Thames. Despite the driving rain it was still enjoyable to watch.
However, I did feel sorry for the choir with the London Philharmonic
Orchestra. They sang gallantly, with their sodden hair plastered to
their faces and clothes stuck to their skin. Eventually I managed to
drag myself away from the nautical spectacle to begin baking.
After greasing and
lining my deep round tin, I dug a mixing bowl out from the cupboard.
I was about to make a fatless sponge. This would require me to whisk
the eggs and sugar together for a very long time. I have learnt
through experience that there is little point in attempting such a
recipe without the aid of an electric whisk. However, if you are
looking for a challenge or have bulging biceps, then you might want
to risk the hand whisk!!! Even with the electric version turned to a
high speed, it still took about four minutes until the mixture had
doubled in volume and developed a thick mousse like consistency. Once
this had been achieved I could sift in a small amount of self-raising
flour, swiftly followed by the chopped walnuts. I wasn't very
impressed with my brand new packet of walnuts – most of them were
soft and didn't look very appetising. It took me a while to pick out
the best ones! I carefully folded the flour and nuts into the thick
mixture. Now it was time to pour the mixture into the awaiting tin,
and then place it into the oven where it would stay for just over
half an hour. Time to return to the sofa!
I never really expect
any fatless sponges I make to rise, so I was surprised as well as
relieved when I took the well risen cake from the oven. Unfortunately
it was a right pain to extract from the tin, so my relief soon turned
to annoyance. After some frantic shaking, the cake finally fell onto
the wire rack; thankfully it stayed in one piece. Once it was cold, I
gingerly sliced the cake into three layers. I must be getting braver,
as normally I would have asked Neil for help! Now it was time for the
cream and strawberries. Isaac's little eyes lit up at the mere
mention of the word and he felt the need to follow me the fridge. I
couldn't resist offering him a few. You'd have thought I'd given him
a brand new train set by his reaction – he was ecstatic! I should
point out that I was forced to use 'normal' strawberries. We couldn't
find any wild ones in the supermarket. I couldn't see that it would
make too much difference!
The amount of whipped
cream didn't look anywhere near enough both to fill and to cover the
cake. I had to spread it thinly between each layer. However I had a
lot of strawberries, so I could be more generous with these. As
feared, the remaining cream was minimal and by no means enough. It
had to be spread over the top and sides of the cake VERY sparingly.
Unfortunately the cake could clearly be seen peeping through and the
crumbs intermingled in the thin layer of cream. I couldn't help
feeling disappointed by the appearance of the cake – I'd had such
high hopes! Lastly I dotted some whole strawberries over the surface
and, for a finishing touch, I couldn't help adding Isaac's plastic
flag for a patriotic flourish!
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| Interesting use of flag! |
As you are already
aware, we are a greedy bunch. We managed to find room for a slice of
cake each. Our stomachs were still incredibly full but we just
couldn't resist! The first thing Neil commented on was the walnuts.
He thought they complimented the strawberries brilliantly. Even
though there wasn't enough cream for decoration purposes, it was in
fact just the right amount; any more and it would no doubt have
become sickly and too rich. It was a lovely light cake; the
strawberries and cream set it off beautifully. Perfect for the
Queen's Jubilee!
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| The flash didn't like this white cake :-( |
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