Sherry Soaked Almond Cake With Mixed Berries Food

ALMOND RAISIN CAKE WITH SHERRY

Steps:

• Tip the raisins into a bowl, pour over the sherry, then leave for at least 30 mins to soften. Meanwhile, heat oven to 180C/ fan 160C/gas 4. Lightly grease a deep 20cm round cake tin, then line the bottom with a circle of greaseproof paper.
• Mix together the yogurt, oil and eggs. Put the remaining dry ingredients into a large bowl, pour in the yogurt mixture, then stir together until smooth. Scoop half the raisins out of the sherry, then stir into the batter. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with a spoon. Cook in the oven for 50-55 mins until the top springs back when pressed lightly and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• Take a skewer and prick all over the cake. Pour over 5 tbsp of the soaking sherry and let it soak in. You can make up to this point 3 days in advance and store in an airtight container. Serve warm or leave to cool, then dust with icing sugar. Warm the rest of the soaked raisins and sherry, then serve alongside the cake with some vanilla ice cream.

SHERRY & ALMOND CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Mix the fruit, zest, juice and sherry, and leave overnight to soak. Next day, heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and double-line a deep, 20cm round cake tin. Wrap the outside with brown paper or newspaper and secure with string, as this will protect the sides from overcooking.
• Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla seeds together until pale and creamy. Mix the flour, ground almonds and mixed spice together, then tip into the butter mix with the eggs. Beat until combined and smooth. Stir in the whole almonds, fruit and any leftover juices, turn into the tin, then smooth the top and make a dip in the middle. Bake for 1½ hrs.
• Turn down the oven to 140C/fan 130C/ gas 2, then bake for 1½ hrs more until dark on the top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, or with a few damp crumbs clinging to it. Once cool enough to handle, turn onto a cooling rack and peel away the lining paper. Cool completely.
• Keep the cake well wrapped, then feed once a fortnight with 1-2 tbsp sherry. Poke holes into the cake with a skewer and slowly spoon over the sherry. If you don't have time to do this, this cake is delicious freshly made, and can be covered and decorated as soon as it has completely cooled down.

ALMOND SHERRY CHRISTMAS TRIFLE

Steps:

• Make cake layers:
• Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Butter sheet pans, then line bottoms with parchment paper and butter parchment. Dust with flour, knocking out excess.
• Break up almond paste with your fingers into a food processor. Pulse until coarsely ground, then add 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and process until very finely ground.
• Transfer mixture to a large bowl and whisk in yolks, milk, and extracts.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. With mixer at low speed, add remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a slow stream. Beat at medium-high speed until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks. Fold one third of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Fold in remaining 3/4 cup flour.
• Divide batter between pans, spreading evenly, and rap pans against counter a couple of times to release any air bubbles. Bake cakes, switching position halfway through, until pale golden and springy to the touch, 16 to 18 minutes. Cool in pans until warm. Invert onto racks lined with parchment. Carefully peel off parchment from tops and cool completely.
• While cake layers cool, pulse preserves in cleaned food processor until smooth.
• Assemble trifle:
• Trim 1/2 inch from edges of 1 cake layer with a serrated knife to make a 14-by 9-inch rectangle, reserving trimmings; with short end nearest you, halve cake lengthwise. Brush top with some of syrup, then spread 1/4 cup preserves over each piece, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Beginning with a short end, roll up each piece tightly to form a log. Repeat with remaining cake layer. (You will have 4 logs total.)
• Spoon 1 cup custard into bottom of trifle dish.
• Cut 1 log into 5 rounds with serrated knife, then halve each round. Brush generously with syrup all over. Stand half-moons, curved sides up, around edge of trifle dish (at bottom), arranging them snugly and pressing against side to help them adhere. Tear reserved trimmings into pieces, then dip in syrup and arrange over custard in center of dish.
• Cut and brush remaining logs in same manner, arranging slices, curved sides down, against side of trifle dish above first layer (there may be some left over).
• Add remaining custard. Brush any remaining cake slices with syrup and arrange in center over custard.
• Chill trifle, covered, at least 8 hours.
• Make praline almonds:
• Have ready an unoiled sheet of parchment paper or lightly oiled foil.
• Heat almonds in a dry small heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until almonds are hot but not colored. Add confectioners sugar and cook, stirring and tossing, until almonds are lightly toasted and sugar glaze is caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes (not all sugar on almonds will melt completely). Immediately transfer to parchment, spreading in 1 layer. Cool completely.
• Make topping just before serving:
• Beat cream with Sherry and sugar until it just holds soft peaks. Spoon over top of trifle and sprinkle with praline almonds.

MARY BERRY'S CLASSIC CHRISTMAS CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Put all the dried fruit in a container, pour over the sherry and stir in the orange zest. Cover with a lid, and leave to soak for 3 days, stirring daily. Grease and line a 23cm (9in) deep round tin with a double layer of greased greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 140C, 120C fan, gas 1.
• Measure the butter, sugar, eggs, treacle and almonds into a very large bowl and beat well. Add the flours and mixed spice and mix thoroughly until blended. Stir in the soaked fruit. Spoon into the prepared cake tin and level the surface.
• Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 4-4½ hours or until the cake feels firm to the touch and is a rich golden brown. Check after 2 hours, and, if the cake is a perfect colour, cover with foil. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin.
• When cool, pierce the cake at intervals with a fine skewer and feed with a little extra sherry. Wrap the completely cold cake in a double layer of greaseproof paper and again in foil and store in a cool place for up to 3 months, feeding at intervals with more sherry. Don't remove the lining paper when storing as this helps to keep the cake moist.
• When you're ready to decorate the cake warm the apricot jam in a small saucepan or briefly in the microwave. Roll the almond paste to a thin circle that is bigger than your cake and will allow the sides to be covered. Alternatively, some people prefer a thicker disc of almond paste that sits on top of the cake, in this instance roll it to approximately 23cm diameter.
• Brush the cake all over with the warm jam then cover the with almond paste and use a cake smoother to make the paste flush with the cake. Spread the cake with royal icing using a small palette knife. You can opt for a completely smooth texture, or use the palette knife to flick the icing upwards and create peaks.
• Alternatively, you can use the back of a spoon to create texture by pushing it against the icing and pulling away from the cake. Leave to set, then dust with icing sugar and top with your chosen cake topper or decoration.

MIXED BERRY ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
• Combine white sugar, almond paste, and butter in mixing bowl; beat with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high for 3 minutes.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a separate bowl. Add flour mixture to almond paste mixture and beat until just combined. Pour 2 1/4 cups of batter into prepared pan, gently smoothing to edges. Arrange blueberries and raspberries atop the batter layer; top with remaining batter. Sprinkle almonds over the batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Gently slide a knife around the inside edge of the pan and release springform circle.
• Lightly dust cake with confectioners' sugar.

SHERRY FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter with sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
• Separate the eggs and beat in the whites. Sift flour in the baking powder and gradually fold into the butter-sugar mixture with the salt. Mix well and add the ground almonds, candied peel and cherries. Add the currants with the soaking sherry. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold in.
• Grease an eight-inch round cake tin and line it with wax paper. Pour in the batter and decorate top with whole almonds. Bake one hour, then turn heat down to 300 degrees. Bake an hour more. The cake is done when a tester inserted in center comes out slightly sticky but pretty much clean.
• When cooked and while still hot, pour the remaining sherry over cake by spoonfuls and leave until cake is cold. Cover with sherry-soaked cheesecloth, wrap in aluminum foil and store in a tin or sealed plastic container.

ALMOND SHERRY BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan.
• In large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, sherry, oil, pudding mix and nutmeg.
• Mix at low speed for 1 minute, scraping bowl as necessary.
• Mix at medium speed 3 minutes, again scraping bowl as necessary.
• (Or beat by hand about 5 minutes.).
• Pour half the batter into bundt pan.
• In a medium bowl mix first 4 streusel filling ingredients until crumbly.
• Sprinkle evenly over batter in bundt pan.
• Pour in remaining cake batter.
• Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack 15 minutes.
• Unmold from pan and cool completly on rack.
• To make the glaze, mix together the sugar, butter and sherry.
• Add hot water slowly until desired consistency.
• Brush completely cooled cake with sherry glaze and garnish with almond slices.

5-INGREDIENT ALMOND CAKE WITH FRESH BERRIES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 9-inch spring form pan with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper, and flour (use almond meal or a gluten-free all purpose flour blend to keep the cake gluten-free).
• In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and all but 2 tbsp of the sugar. Whisk until the yolks become thick and pale in color, about 1 minute. Whisk in the vanilla extract and the salt and set aside.
• In the bowl of a standard electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a bowl with a hand mixer), beat the 6 egg whites on medium speed until they become opaque, about 1 minute.
• Sprinkle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, and continue to beat the egg whites until they hold medium peaks.
• With a flexible rubber spatula, stir in about 1/4 of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture (no need to be gentle here). Scrape the remaining egg whites over the yolks, and about half of the almond flour.
• Gently fold them into the yolks, but only partially.
• While the mixture still has a few streaks of white left, add the remaining almond flour and fold in, folding until you have a homogeneous batter. Be gentle!
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shimmy until the batter is level.
• Bake the cake for about 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and springy to the touch. Let the hot cake cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then run a butter knife along the edges of the cake pan.
• Invert the cake pan onto the rack, remove the sides and bottom, and peel away the parchment paper. Turn the cake right side up and allow to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar, cut into 12 slices and serve with fresh berries.

MIXED BERRY ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan.
• Add almond paste, sugar and butter to a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat on high for three minutes.
• Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to almond mixture and beat until just combined. Pour 2 1/4 cups of batter into prepared pan, gently smoothing to edges.
• Evenly sprinkle berries across batter. Drop spoonfuls of remaining batter on top of berries and sprinkle with almonds.
• Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Gently slide a knife around the inside edge of pan and release springform circle. Lightly dust with powdered sugar. finish cooling on rack or serve slightly warm. This cake is equally delicious served cold.

SHERRY-SOAKED ALMOND CAKE WITH MIXED BERRIES

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour 10-inch-diameter tube pan with 3 1/2-inch-high sides. Finely grind toasted almonds in processor. Blend in flour and baking powder. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar in large bowl until blended. Beat in almond paste a few pieces at a time. Add vanilla extract and beat until mixture resembles paste. Add 3 whole eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 3 egg yolks. Stir in dry ingredients. Using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat 3 egg whites in medium bowl to soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold white into batter in 2 additions. Pour batter into prepared pan (batter will fill pan less than halfway). Bake until tester inserted near center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 1 hour. Pierce top of cake all over with wooden skewer.
• For syrup:
• Combine cream Sherry, sugar and butter in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer until reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Mix in almond extract. Let syrup stand until just cool. Brush half of syrup over cake in pan. Let cake stand 1 hour. Turn cake out onto platter. Reheat remaining syrup just until butter melts. Pierce more holes in cake. Brush syrup over cake. Let cake stand 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover cake and let stand at room temperature.) Cut cake into wedges. Garnish with dollops of sweetened whipped cream and berries and serve.