Gifts of cake

My Dad and Father in law are two of the most difficult people to buy for; but do love a nice bit of cake!  So for Fathers day this year it was decided that “the dads” would get a cake each.  I wondered if Royal Mail was capable of delivering a cake in one piece, only one way to find out….

I have very early memories of food people like and a Battenberg cake always seems to remind me of my dad so his gift was decided.  I used the recipe from Farm House Kitchen, (a Yorkshire Television publication) that my Mum has had for years and I managed to pick a copy up in a charity shop for 50p  It is excellent for the basics.  The cake is dead easy just a classic sponge mix split in half and one half coloured with pink food colouring.  Next time I make it I am going to try colouring a flavouring the pink bit with raspberry puree.  I made my own marzipan to cover it which is always more tasty than shop bought of course!

Ian was more difficult and with not such a sweet tooth I finally decided on Bara Brith a Welsh tea loaf where the fruit is soaked over night in tea.  I used the recipie from my new favourite book, Cakes by Pam Corbin (River Cottage Handbook).  Apart from the soaking of the fruit overnight the cake was so simple, Pam suggests making two at a time and freezing one, and fresh they will last a good 2-3 weeks in the tin.  As it was a loaf I could not have a sneaky taste before it was packaged up and posted off, fingers crossed!!!