Mother's Day Preparations

Yesterday we gave you brunch options, but if you'd rather give your mum an edible gift that she can share with the family (yourself included) why not go for one of these yummy cake recipes:

Rhubarb and Lemon Cake

Ingredients:

1. 225g caster sugar

1. Zest 1 lemon

1. 4 medium eggs at room temperature, beaten

1. 75g ground almonds

1. 200g Barkat all purpose flour

1. 140g forced rhubarb, washed and cut into small chunks

1. 1 tbsp demerara sugar

1. For the topping

1. 75ml double cream

1. 3 tbsp lemon curd, plus extra for drizzling

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   Method:

• Heat oven to 180C. 
• Lightly butter a deep, round 20cm cake tin and line the base with a circle of non-stick baking parchment.
• Place the butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until light and fluffy, then add the caster sugar and lemon zest and beat again. Gradually add the eggs to the mixture, beating well with each addition, until fully combined. The mixture will begin to look glossy – if at any stage the mixture curdles, beat in a spoonful of ground almonds and continue to add the egg until it is all mixed nicely!
• Stir in the ground almonds, then the gluten free flour, and fold everything carefully together using a large spoon. 
• Fold through half the rhubarb, then transfer the mixture into the prepared cake tin and scatter with the remaining rhubarb. Finish with the demerara sugar sprinkled on top. Bake the cake for 45 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. 
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly in the tin, then remove from the tin. When the cake is cold, make the topping.
• Whip the cream in a large bowl until it forms soft peaks. In a small bowl, loosen the lemon curd with 1 tbsp water and carefully fold it through the cream, without overworking. Spread over the cake, drizzle with a little more lemon curd just before you serve it!

If you're after another fruity option - make your mum one of our favourite baking treats: 

Peach, Blueberry and Soured Cream Muffins

Ingredients:

• 350g Barkat all purpose gluten free flour
• 1 tsp Barkat gluten free baking powder
• 100g light muscovado sugar
• 100g butter, melted
• 142ml carton soured cream
• 2 medium eggs
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 150g punnet blackberries or blueberries
• 2 fresh peaches, stoned and cut into wedges
• 6 tbsp sparkling water
• demerara sugar to sprinkle

Method:

• Heat the oven to 200C and put 8 muffin cases in a muffin tray. 
• Mix the flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl, add the melted butter, soured cream, eggs and lemon zest and beat just long enough to give a thick, smooth mixture – making sure you don’t over-beat. Carefully stir in the fruit and finally the sparkling water (this is what makes the muffins so light and fluffy), until just evenly combined.
• Divide the mixture between the muffin cases – they should be nice and full. Sprinkle generously with the sugar and bake for 25-30 mins or until risen and golden. The muffins are best served just warm.
• They keep fresh for about 3 days and you can just heat them up in the microwave.

If you want an easier option, just order one of our favourite fruity cake mixes by Glebe Farm. You just need to add a couple of basic ingredients and they taste like you've spent hours slaving away in the kitchen! 

We love the blueberry and cranberry muffin mix!

Enjoy these fruity treats with your mum. More ideas to come tomorrow!