Say it with cake this Mother’s Day

This post has been written in collaboration with Belvoir Fruit Farms

 This Mother’s Day (Sunday 31 March 2019) show your mum how much you care by investing time in creating something special to tantalise the taste buds.  

Time is such a precious commodity these days, so Belvoir Fruit Farms have developed a raft of delicious cake recipes to help you share some good times and a slice of heaven with that wonderful woman to whom you owe so much! 

All the recipes feature one of Belvoir’s fabulous Cordials made with fresh ingredients using natural fruit juices and flowers, and which contain no artificial sweeteners, colourings, flavourings or preservatives.  Perfect cakes for sharing but in true GBBO fashion there’s a showstopper too to really wow her; a layered Semolina & Raspberry cake to be portioned out mum-style so there’ll be no arguments! 

Fruity Rocky Road

 There may have been rocky times between you both in the past, especially as a teenager, but now the only rocky road in sight is this one on a quick journey to your mouth!

Makes 16 squares

Ingredients:

• 200g of dried sour cherries and blueberries
• 90ml Belvoir Blueberry & Blackcurrant Cordial
• 297g can condensed milk
• 100g each of dark and milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 30g of butter, softened
• 200g of digestive biscuits, roughly crushed
• 50g of mini marshmallows
• 100g of white chocolate, chopped

Method

1. Line a 20cm square baking tin with parchment paper.
2. Put the sour cherries and blueberries in a pan with the cordial and 30ml of water and bring to a simmer then remove from the heat and set aside to cool and soak for at least an hour.
3. Pour the condensed milk into a pan, and heat until just coming to a simmer, stirring. Put the dark and milk chocolate in a bowl with the butter and pour over the hot condensed milk.
4. Stir until you have a smooth glossy mix.
5. Strain the fruit, discarding any excess liquid, then add to the chocolate mix with the biscuits and mini marshmallows. Stir with a wooden spoon until completely combined.
6. Tip it into the lined baking tin and spread out with the back of a spoon. Melt the white chocolate, then drizzle it all over the surface. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours until solid. Cut into 16 squares and serve.

Traditional Gingerbread with Ginger & Orange Drizzle

A twist on a classic; everything you’d expect but with a special extra something – just like your mum!  

Serves 16 / Prep time 25 mins / Bake time 50 mins

 Ingredients

• 175g       Unsalted butter
• 175g       Light muscovado sugar
• 175g       Golden syrup
• 175g       Black treacle
• 175g       Self raising white flour
• 175g       Self raising wholemeal flour
• 4 tsp       Belvoir Ginger cordial
• 50g         Crystallised ginger, chopped
• large egg
• 300ml    Whole milk

For the drizzle:

• 150g icing sugar
• ½ tsp     Orange extract
• 1 tbsp    Belvoir Ginger Cordial
• 40ml      warm water

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C/Gas 3 and line a 20cm square baking tin with baking parchment.
2. In a saucepan gently melt the butter, sugar, golden syrup & treacle together, then set aside to cool slightly.
3. Sift the flours into a bowl and add the crystallised ginger. Pour in the melted butter sugar mixture and stir until combined. Add the Ginger cordial, eggs and milk and beat together.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and level with a spatula. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until springy to the touch and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool completely.
5. For the drizzle; sift the icing sugar into a bowl then add the orange extract and ginger cordial, then mix in enough of the water to make a pourable icing that’s not too runny. Pour this over the cooled cake. Leave for about 30 minutes for the icing to set, then cut into squares and serve.

Mini Elderflower and lemon loaf cakes (gluten free)

These are utterly delicious and very moist little cakes which are gluten free, so everyone can join the celebrations. 

You will need 6 mini cardboard loaf cases (8x4x4cm) available online, or from kitchen supply shops or large supermarkets. Alternatively bake 8 little cakes in muffin cases.

 For the elderflower loaf cakes:

Prep: 15mins

Cook: 30-35mins

Makes 10

• 10 individual non-stick loaf cases
• 40g pistachios, roughly chopped, plus a few extra to decorate
• 160g ground almonds 
• 40g rice flour 
• 1½ teaspoon gluten free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine salt 
• 175g unsalted butter, softened
• 175g caster sugar
• Finely grated zest of 2 lemons and juice of 1
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

For the syrup and glacé icing:

• 150g icing sugar, sifted
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• 2 tablespoons of Belvoir Elderflower Cordial (you may need a little extra)

To make the loaf cakes:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC/fan 160ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4 
2. Place the individual loaf cases on a rectangular tray which will hold them all in one tight layer.
3. Lightly roast the pistachios for 5 minutes on a baking tray. Place the ground almonds, rice flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. 
4. In an electric mixer, or using a bowl and electric whisk, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs and almond mixture alternately, beating well between each addition. 
5. Drizzle in the lemon juice and finally fold in the pistachios. Divide the mixture evenly between the cases. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until risen and the centres bounce back when lightly touched. 

To make the syrup:

Whilst the cakes are baking, in a small bowl mix 1 tablespoon of icing sugar together with the lemon juice and elderflower cordial. On removal from the oven, immediately prick the surface of the cakes with a cocktail stick and spoon over half of the syrup. Allow the loaves to cool down completely.

To make the glacé icing:

Gradually add the remaining syrup I teaspoon at a time to the rest of the icing sugar until it is the consistency of pourable double cream. Add a little extra elderflower cordial if the icing is too thick.

Drizzle the icing over the cooled cakes and scatter with the remaining pistachios. Allow the icing to set before serving.

 Lime & Lemongrass Muffins

These muffins might reflect your relationship over the years – sometimes sweet, sometimes sour but together they’re a great combination!

Ingredients

• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt (fine grain)
• 90g sugar
• 225ml milk
• 2 eggs
• 110g butter
• Zest of 2 limes
• 8 tbsp Belvoir Lime & Lemongrass Cordial

Method

1. Sieve the flour into a bowl and add the baking powder, salt and lime zest.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat and allow to cool.
3. Put the eggs, milk, cordial, melted butter and sugar in a bowl and mix together.
4. Pour the dry ingredients over the liquid and fold in but do not over-stir, as this will stop the muffins rising well.
5. Grease your muffin tins well and then fill up the muffin holes with the rest of the muffin mixture.
6. Bake in an oven for about 20 minutes at Gas 6, 400°F or 200°C until well risen and brown.

Garnish: Mix icing sugar with Lime & Lemongrass cordial until a thick icing is achieved which slowly drops from a spoon, once the muffins are iced, grate lime zest over and top with pieces of dried coconut.

Raspberry & Rose Macarons

Pretty, delicate and floral, these macarons are as light on the tongue as a mother’s touch 

Makes: 40 shells or 20 macarons
Preparation time: 1hr 15 mins
Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 200g icing sugar
• 100g ground almonds
• 120g egg white (about 3 large eggs)
• Pinch salt
• 40g caster sugar
• ½ tsp Belvoir Raspberry & Rose Cordial
• ¼ tsp pink food colouring paste

For the buttercream125g unsalted butter, softened
250g Icing sugar
2 tsp Belvoir Raspberry & Rose Cordial

Method

1. Weigh out all the ingredients, line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper and have a piping bag with round nozzle ready.
2. Place the icing sugar and almonds into a food processor and blend for about 30 seconds until thoroughly mixed and transformed to a fine powder.
3. Tip the egg whites into a spotlessly clean, dry mixing bowl; add the salt and whisk until they will just hold a stiff peak.
4. Continue to whisk and add the caster sugar a teaspoonful at a time, mixing well between each addition. The mixture will become thick and glossy.
5. Add the Raspberry & Rose cordial and pink food colour and mix until the colour is evenly blended.
6. Fold in the icing sugar and ground almonds using a metal spoon, until the mixture is thoroughly combined and smooth.
7. Fill the piping bag and pipe evenly sized rounds about 5cm in diameter onto the lined baking sheets. Tap the bottom of the baking sheet sharply onto the work surface, just once, to get rid of any large air bubbles.
8. Leave the macarons for at least 30 minutes, up to 1 hour or so they set and form a dry shell. They should not be sticky or tacky when tested with your fingertip.
9. Preheat the oven to 170°C, 150°C fan, Gas 3. Bake the macarons one sheet at a time for 10-15 minutes until the tops are crisp and the bottoms dry. Leave to cool on the baking sheet.
10. To make the butter cream beat the butter and icing sugar together until smooth and fluffy, then add the Raspberry & Rose cordial and mix until evenly distributed.
11. When cool, spread some buttercream onto half of the macaron shells, then sandwich with the other half and leave for about 30 minutes before serving.

TOP TIP
• To ensure that your macarons are the same size, draw 5cm diameter circles onto the baking parchment, turn it over and then pipe the mixture onto each circle.
• For a more aromatic rose flavour, add rose water to the macaron mixture

 Semolina and Raspberry Layer Cake with Raspberry and Lemon Syrup

The pièce de résistance!  A real show stopper that does your mum proud; after all she taught you all you know!

Serves 10-12

For the cake

• 300ml sunflower oil
• 180g maple syrup
• 6 medium eggs
• 250g fine semolina
• 2 tsp baking powder
• zest of 2 lemons
• 60ml Belvoir Raspberry & Lemon Cordial

For the filling

• 300ml double cream
• 250g raspberries
• edible flowers to decorate
• for the drizzle icing
• 75g icing sugar
• 2tbsp Belvoir Raspberry & Lemon Cordial
• a squeeze of lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160c/Gas Mark 4
2. Grease and base line 3 x 18cm loose bottomed sandwich tins.
3. Either with an electric hand whisk or in a stand mixer, whisk together the sunflower oil, maple syrup and eggs until they are light and fluffy (this takes about 5 mins). Stir in the other ingredients and divide between the cake tins. Bake for about 20 minutes.
4. Warm the cordial in a pan. When the cakes come out of the oven, prick them all over with a skewer and spoon the syrup over and let it absorb. Let the cakes cook completely.
5. Mix the icing sugar with enough of the cordial until you have a thick drizzle icing. Set aside.
6. Lightly whip the cream until it is just holding its shape.
7. Put one of the cakes on a cake plate, spoon over ½ the cream and scatter with raspberries, top with a second sponge and spread the remaining cream over the top and scatter with raspberries. Top with the final sponge.
8. Drizzle the icing all over the top sponge and decorate with edible flowers and a few more raspberries

Six fabulous recipes to share with your mum over a cuppa, or why not try a dash of Belvoir Elderflower Cordial in a glass of fizz for a real celebratory feel?

For other recipe ideas, or mocktail and cocktail inspiration visit www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk