Porter Cake Mary Berry Food

PORTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a fluted tube pan (such as Bundt®).
• Combine brown sugar, butter, and stout beer in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until butter is melted and brown sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add raisins, sultanas, and cherries. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
• Sift flour, mixed spice, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Stir in stout-fruit mixture. Add beaten eggs gradually, stirring until incorporated. Fold in orange zest. Spoon batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

PORTER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas2. Butter and line the base of a deep 20 cm round cake tin. Put the butter, dried fruit, orange zest and juice, sugar and porter in a large pan. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the boil, stirring until the butter has dissolved, then simmer for 15 mins.
• Cool for 10 mins, then stir in the bicarbonate of soda. The mixture will foam up, but don't worry, this is normal.
• Stir the eggs into the pan, then sift in the flour and spice, then mix well. Pour into the prepared tin, smooth the top with the back of a spoon and sprinkle with the flaked almonds and Demerara sugar. Bake for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hrs. cool in the tin for 15 mins, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.

MARY BERRY'S MAPLE SYRUP CAKE

Steps:

• You will need a deep, round, 8 inch cake tin.
• Lightly grease the cake tin and line the base with a circle of nonstick baking parchment.
• Pre-heat the oven to 325.
• Put all the ingredients for the cake except the pecan nuts into a large mixing bowl and mix well until evenly blended; an electric mixer is best for this but, of course, you can also beat by hand with a wooden spoon.
• Stir in the chopped pecan nuts.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and level the surface.
• Bake for 1-11⁄2 hours, until well risen, golden and springy to the touch.
• Allow to cool slightly, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack, peel off the lining paper and leave to cool completely.
• Whip the cream until it just holds its shape and then fold in the maple syrup.
• Split the cake horizontally into three and fill and cover with the cream, using a small palette knife to smooth it evenly over the top and sides.
• Decorate the top with the shredded orange zest.
• Store in the refrigerator.