What are you baking this week?

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KeenCook
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by KeenCook »

I got a pack of 6 small sweet all butter pastry shells in M & S this morning to use up the left over lemon custard as there isn't enough for another large sized one.
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slimpersoninside
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by slimpersoninside »

For various reasons I haven’t baked recently. This week I made a small batch of Suelle's brownies for our daughter as they are her favourites and some cheese scones for my lunch today.
KeenCook
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by KeenCook »

One thing one of you may be able to help me with - when I bake the little tarts, I was wondering how long for. if the large size is 25 mins, then I imagine the smaller ones will be around 15 mins. Hmm ...
KeenCook
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by KeenCook »

One thing one of you may be able to help me with - when I bake the little tarts, I was wondering how long for. if the large size is 25 mins, then I imagine the smaller ones will be around 15 mins. Hmm ...

Sorry, no idea why it double posted ...
mistakened
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by mistakened »

I made a Basque Cheesecake earlier this morning. I can see why it is usually pictured in its paper case, it is almost impossible to transfer safely. It is now firming in the fridge
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herbidacious
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by herbidacious »

Felicity Cloake has 'done' Battenburg cake in this week's Saturday Guardian. She suggests (but does not insist on) a dedicated tin. I'd like to make it for T as he really likes it (and a home made one has to be nicer than Mr K?) But the FC recipe uses a tin size I cannot find anywhere.

Sorry if we have had this before but is there a resource for scaling tins up and and down anywhere?
KeenCook
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by KeenCook »

Gosh Herbi, Battenburg cake! That takes me back. I made one about 50 yrs ago. I recall making 2 separate cakes and then creating the cake itself. It was also the one and only time I made marzipan/almond icing. I seem to remember getting very sticky rolling it out :lol: :oops:

(It's another of those things that I've only ever made once, such as filo pastry and croissants :lol: :lol: )
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herbidacious
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by herbidacious »

It does look really fiddly but it would be nice to do it for him. I associate it with Grandma. I am not sure if she made it or bought it though. (I wouldn't eat it!)

I have actually made marzipan a few times. I prefer the home made variety.

Of course Battenburg maybe one of those things that he prefers the bought, artificial version of...!
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Earthmaiden
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by Earthmaiden »

Is the tin size so very different to standard ones? I think Suelle had a guide which I can't find now but usually you can improvise and just keep an eye o baking time (ie. longer if the cake is deeper or shorter if shallower with tweaks to the temperature and some paper to cover the top if it's likely to burn. Could you use a different recipe?

Agree, fiddly and sticky but suppose it has to be done once!
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aero280
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by aero280 »

After a week of ennui following my flu and covid jabs. I realised that we are out of sweet nibbles for tea. So there's a Delia shortbread in the oven. OH is still out at a singing engagement for a wedding reception.
Last edited by aero280 on Sun Oct 13, 2024 11:24 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Suffs
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by Suffs »

I would make the sponge for a Battenberg in something like a roasting tray lined with foil and a foil central divide. I’m sure that’s what I did in the dim and distant past for an entry in a village show.

I always make my marzipan … I loathed marzipan as a child … then I discovered the ‘proper’ homemade stuff … heavenly … there is no comparison lick lips
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Suelle
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by Suelle »

herbidacious wrote: Sat Oct 12, 2024 6:35 pm Felicity Cloake has 'done' Battenburg cake in this week's Saturday Guardian. She suggests (but does not insist on) a dedicated tin. I'd like to make it for T as he really likes it (and a home made one has to be nicer than Mr K?) But the FC recipe uses a tin size I cannot find anywhere.

Sorry if we have had this before but is there a resource for scaling tins up and and down anywhere?
Using a different tin is difficult with this specific recipe because you need a tin with the same relative proportions to get a square cake at the end. Using a square tin, for example would make the 4 stripes of cake too wide, meaning a lot of trimming to get a square cross-section.

If you did want to try, the easiest way is to take the surface area of the tin Felicity suggests - 28 x 18 (in a recipe I found from 2016) = 504sq cm, then do the same for a tin you think is suitable. I have a 30 x 20 tin which is 600sq cm. Then work out how much more or less batter you'd need on those proportions eg in my case I'd need to divide all the ingredients by 5 and then multiply by 6. Eggs - leave the same and use more milk.

If you're not in a hurry, you can buy cake tins specifically for Battenburg Cakes, but they still might not fit Felicities recipe. Amazon has plenty of choice.
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herbidacious
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by herbidacious »

Thanks. It was a Battenburg tin I was after but none are the size of hers. I think this is actually quite bad... I had a similar problem with an Ottolenghi recipe.

I suppose just use someone else's recipe. Knowing me this won't be done until his birthday (April!) anyway so certainly no hurry.
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Suelle
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by Suelle »

I have one of these, which I find very useful for adjusting to the wide variety of cake tin sizes used in recipes:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/First4Spares-P ... C88&sr=8-5
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Stokey Sue
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by Stokey Sue »

I have made Battenberg, as did my mum, in a Swiss roll tin lined and divided with foil (years ago, I eat Mr Kipling’s now)

We found a tin the usually required a 2 egg sponge to make a cake needed a 2 egg mixture, it’s not like tailoring, the measurements don’t have to be super precise.

I’d avoid using a roasting tin, they are usually quite curvy.

You can get lots of tins with sharp corners and multiple dividers, I’d be inclined to go for one of them rather than a dedicated Battenberg tin
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scullion
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by scullion »

why not use an ordinary loaf tin and make two cakes (with a bit of judicial trimming)? half of the cooked sponges can go in the freezer - if you have space.
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Suffs
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by Suffs »

Some roasting tins are curvy … some are not … but my gt grandpa was a village baker and my gma helped him before she married a local farmer (my gpa) … she always trimmed the edges off when assembling a Battenberg and I have always done the same. The browner edges are not as aesthetically pleasing as a trimmed edge in a Battenberg… so a curvy tin matters not to me (or grandma who taught me to bake).

The trimmings would be crumbled and mixed with cocoa, cream and a dash of rum essence, rolled into balls and covered with chocolate strands and served as (child friendly) ‘rum truffles’.

Eta I’ve always used a Madeira type batter (as did Gma) rather than a victoria sponge type as it cuts with a firmer edge and holds its shape better.
.
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Suffs
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by Suffs »

This looks like a perfectly sound method to me, although as I said earlier, I would use a Madeira type recipe
.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/batt ... cake_60878
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herbidacious
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by herbidacious »

Thanks all.

Yes the FC recipe also involved (sourcing) and crushing a sizable quantity of freeze dried raspberries! Available from Waitrose in small bottles (you'd need 2). Otherwise would probably have to send off for them.
Best to go back to a simple recipe.
He might get one for his birthday ;)

Next up is the Christmas cake. Possibly next weekend. Or maybe later in the week if I can prep it quickly and fit it in around work.
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Stokey Sue
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Re: What are you baking this week?

Post by Stokey Sue »

Funnily enough I think I can get freeze dried raspberries from Wholefoods Market, I do quite like the idea
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