Spring is here (finally)!
and suddenly life is completely different in London.
Parks get packed with half naked people having pic nics with disposable barbecues
Pimm's is back on pub drinks menus and the usual pint gets replaced by a jug of Pimms
Barbecue meat takes most of the shelfing space in the supermarkets
People fight for a corner of a table in beer gardens
Music festivals' line ups are the favourite topic of discussion
Fruity cakes take over chocolate cakes in my kitchen
Everybody smiles just a little bit more
Happy Spring!
Blueberry and soured cream cake
with lemon cheesecake frosting
Ingredients
175g
soft
butter
175g
golden caster sugar
3
large
eggs
225g
self-raising flour
1
tsp baking powder
2
tsp
vanilla extract
142ml
carton
soured cream - 4 tbsp used in the cake and the rest in the frosting
3 x
125g
punnets blueberries
For the frosting:
The rest of the sour cream
350ml double cream
2 tbsp of lemon juice
1 tbsp of icing sugar
Make the cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C and
butter and line the base of a
loose-based 22cm round cake
tin with non-stick baking paper
or use a silicone cake tin.
2. Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and
vanilla in a bowl. Beat with
a wooden spoon for 2-3
minutes, or with a hand electric
beater for 1-2 minutes, until
lighter in colour and well
mixed.
3. Beat in 4 tbsp soured
cream, then stir in half the
blueberries with a large spoon.Tip the mixture into the tin
and spread it level.
4. Bake for 40-50
minutes until it is risen, feels
firm to the touch and springs
back when lightly pressed.
Cool for at least 10 minutes, then take
out of the tin and peel off the
paper or lining. Leave to finish
cooling on a wire rack.
5. To make the frosting, beat
the double cream with an electric hand mixer until it forms soft peaks. Add the icing sugar, lemon juice, soured cream until creamy.
6. To finish the cake, 2 options:
Either spread
over the top of the cooled
cake (don't be impatient as
the frosting will melt if the
cake is too warm) and scatter
with the remaining
blueberries.
Or cut the cake in two layers, put half of the frosting and blueberry inside, and the other hald on the top.
6. Bring it to room
temperature for about half an hour
before serving.
The cake will
keep in the fridge for a couple
of days.