It never hurts to have an easy brunch cake recipe in your arsenal of recipes.
One that is quick and versatile, that you can use a variety of fruits with.



Berries or cherries, melded into a buttery batter and topped with a spicy nut topping . . . a combination that makes for one very scrummy yummy and leisurely Sunday Morning breakfast!



So quick to put together you can easily have it in the oven and baking in next to no time at all . . .



By the time you've tidied yourself up and gotten your Sunday-Go-To-Meetin' clothes on, it will be done, and you and your family can be digging in.



Then again . . . mmmm . . . this is so good, you just might want to keep the whole thing for yourself!



Oh, what the heck, go on . . . share! They'll never forgive you if you don't, and it is Sunday after all.



*Classic Sunday Morning Brunch Cake*
Makes one 9 inch cake
Printable Recipe

A delicious moist cake that you can adapt to your own tastes or to whatever fruit you have to hand. Quick and easy to make too!

for the cake batter:
4 TBS unsalted butter, softened
6 TBS caster sugar
1 large free range egg
1 tsp vanilla paste
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
4 1/4 ounces plain flour (1 cup)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
100ml of buttermilk (1/3 cup)
7 ounces of fresh blueberries, mulberries, raspberries,
blackberries, red currants or pitted red cherries (1 1/2 cups)

Streusel Topping:
3 TBS plain flour (about 1/4 cup)
2 TBS unsalted butter
3 TBS caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 ounce chopped toasted pecans (1/4 cup)
10 whole pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch deep pie tin and flour it well. Set aside.

Cream the butter for the batter together with the sugar in a bowl, until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and orange zest. Stir together the floru, baking powder and baking soda. Add to the creamed mixture along with the buttermilk, mixing just until the batter is smooth and thick. Spread into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the fruit over top, pressing it down into the batter a little.

Make the streusel by combining the butter, flour, sugar and cinnamon, rubbing all together with your fingertips until crumbly. Stir in the chopped nuts. Sprinkle evenly over top of the batter. Stud with the nut halves.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Serve warm, cut into wedges.

I apologize for the use of a disposable tin foil pie pan. The last few times I have been home to Canada (read twice in 5 years) I have looked high and low for some good metal pie pans. I have not been able find any, and so I have had to bring back the only ones I could find, which were disposable tin foil pans . . . not the best, but hey, beggars can't be choosers!!

I had some apples that I needed to use up this afternoon and I wanted to give my new cooker a trial run, so I thought I would make some delicious apple squares.



Imagine a buttery, nutty crust topped with a spicy cake batter, filled with chunks of apple and nuts, and then baked in the oven until the crust is nice and crisp and the cake all moreishly moist and fragrant.



Then imagine it cut into squares and served warm (or cold, it's up to you) and topped with some softly whipped cream.



The perfect dessert for these late autumn days and evenings . . . or your Thanksgiving Celebrations . . . of to serve to that good friend of yours that just happens to stop off for a nice cuppa after an afternoon of shopping . . .



Family friendly, friend friendly, delicious and easy, this is a winner on all counts!



*Sour Cream Apple Squares*
Makes 12 to 15
Printable Recipe

Delicious and moist apple squares, warmly spiced and served with whipped cream.

280g of plain flour (2 cups)
340g soft light brown sugar (2 cups packed)
4 ounces butter, softened (1/2 cup)
115g of toasted pecan nuts, chopped (1 cup)
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
250ml of sour cream (1 cup)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large free range egg
2 medium apples, peeled and chopped (I use Granny Smith)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Whisk the flour, and brown sugar together in a bowl. Drop in the butter. Beat with an electric hand whisk until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the chopped nuts. Remove 370g (2 3/4 cups) of the crumbs and press into the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch glass dish. To the remainder of the crumbs add the cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, soda and salt, mixing it all together well. Beat in the egg, vanilla and sour cream. Stir in the apples. Spoon evenly over top of the crumb base.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Serve warm or cold, cut into squares, along with some whipped cream.

I recently found myself with an extra jar of marmalade in my larder that would soon be going out of date so wanted to find a way to use some of it up. Normally that isn't a problem, because we both love marmalade.



I think marmalade is one of those things that you either love or you hate. Some people love it's almost bitter tang and others . . . well, they wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole!

Me, I am a lover, from way back. I just can't get enough of it and have been known to slather so much of it on my buttered toast, the actual toast is hard to find!!!




In other words, I could eat it by the spoonful and sometimes do . . . ahh . . . I know . . . I'm incorrigible!



These soft moist cakey squares are only mildly flavoured with it's delicious tang . . . it's unmistakably there, but quite subtle . . .



Combine that with the deliciously tart lemon drizzle icing . . .



And the sweet candied orange peel topping . . .




And you get something quite close to bliss. Seriously.

Well . . . as long as you like Marmalade and cake that is!




*MarmaladeTray Bake Squares*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

Marmalade is one of those things you either love or hate. We happen to love it. Delicious cake squares, with the underlying tang of marmalade, set off by a zingy lemon glaze icing and a garnish of candied orange peel and baby orange jelly slices.

3 ounces of butter, softened (a generous 1/3 cup)
3 ounces soft margarine (a generous 1/3 cup)
6 ounces caster sugar (a scant cup)
the grated zest of one unwaxed lemon
the grated zest of one unwaxed orange
4 TBS of orange marmalade
2 eggs, beaten
8 ounces self raising flour (a scant 2 cups)
3 TBS fresh orange juice

For the decoration:
the peel of half an orange
2 TBS granulated sugar
3 fluid ounces water
the juice of half a lemon
8 ounces icing sugar, sifted (2 cups)

petite orange jelly slices (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter and base line an 11 by 7 inch tin. (I like to leave an overhang on the two short sides for ease of removal.)

Place the butter, margarine and sugar into a bowl, along with the fruit zests. Cream together with an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in the marmalade and then slowly beat in the eggs. Fold in the flour and orange juice to make a soft dropping consistency. (You may or may not need all the Orange juice.)

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, leveling off the surface and making it slightly hollow in th emiddle. Bake for 30 to 25 minutes, until well risen, golden brown and just firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Pare the peel from the orange, taking care to remove any white pith. Roughly chop into small pieces. Dissolve the sugar in the water in a small pan. Add the orange peel and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the peel is candied. Drain the peel from the syrup. (I like to keep the syrup to use in other things. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.) Set the peels aside to cool.

Whisk the icing sugar and lemon juice together until you get a smooth paste. Pour over the top of the cooled cake and spread to cover evenly. Pile 12 small heaps of the peel evenly spaced over the top of the cake, along with a jelly if using. Leave to set completely before cutting into pieces to serve.

We had our usual Monday Night crowd around this week, with the additional pleasure of having our good friends Angie and Keith here as well. They drove up all the way from Scunthorpe just to see little old us!



Angie writes a witty and very entertaining blog called, "Can You All Hear Me At The Back." I just love her to bits! She has a wonderful sense of humour, and I eat up every word she writes. She doesn't think what she does is all that special, but I think she sells herself short, coz it's all very entertaining to me, and a lot of others too!



The last time they came to see us we were living in that little cottage on that Manor House Estate . . . so it was a little bit different this time . . . as we have exchanged tudor white wash and dark beams for a terraced house on a council estate . . . be it ever so humble and all that! It's Home Sweet Home!



I just love having people over and having an excuse to cook above and beyond the norm! The Toddster and I can only eat so much so it's nice to have a few extra bodies around to help eat it all up.



One of the things I had made for their visit was this lovely Morello Cherry and Cream Cheese Brunch Cake! Actually it can be a "Whatever Type of Jam You Have and Cream Cheese Brunch Cake!" It just so happened that this time I had morello cherry jam.



You can use whatever kind you have on hand though . . . it tastes good with most of them . . . Raspberry, Strawberry, Apricot, Blueberry . . . even Rhubarb and Ginger! (Oh so scrummy)

It has a lovely buttery cake base with a cheesecake filling . . . a beautiful backdrop for that sweet jam topping . . .



With a nutty scrummy streusal topping, this is a very moreish cake . . . Only problem was . . . with everything else I had cooked . . . I completely forgot to serve it!!

I know . . . what AM I like!




*Morello Cherry and Cream Cheese Brunch Cake*
Serves 16
Printable Recipe

A lovely buttery cake with a cream cheese filling, topped with morello cherry jam, and a nutty streusel topping. Easy and delicious!!

For the Cake:
9 1/2 ounces plain flour (2 1/4 cups)
5 1/4 ounces caster sugar (3/4 cup)
6 ounces cold butter (3/4 cup)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
6 fluid ounces sour cream (3/4 cup)
1 tsp almond extract
1 large free range egg

For the filling:
8 ounces cream cheese or quark
1.75 ounces caster sugar (1/4 cup)
1 large free range egg

Also:
3 dessertspoons of morello cherry preserves
1 1/2 ounces flaked toasted almonds (1/2 cup)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter and lightly dust with flour the bottom and side of a 9 inch fluted tart tin with a removeable bottom. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix together the flour and sugar for the cake. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Remove 5 ounces of this mixture (approx 1 cup) and set aside. To the remainder of it whisk in the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat in the sour cream, almond extract and the egg, blending in well. Spread this batter over the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the tart tin.

In a small bowl mix together all the filling ingredients until smooth. Pour this into the batter lined pan. Give the preserves a good stir and then carefully dollop them evenly over the top as well as you can. Mix together the reserved crumb mixture and the flaked almonds. Sprinkle this evenly over the preserves.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the creamy filling is set and the crust is a deep golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the pan. Serve warm or cool. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

To my way of thinking there is nothing on earth that smells better baking, or spells C-O-M-F-O-R-T more than a warm Gingerbread . . . fresh out of the oven.



Oh . . . the smell . . . all gingery and spicy . . . cinnamony and warm . . .



It has long been my favourite dessert . . . with or without cream . . .



When you walk into the house after a chilly walk on a windy autumn day, and the comfy spicy smell of a freshly baked gingerbread is wafting through the air . . . how can you not feel totally blissful . . . and welcomed . . . at peace with the world.



This is one of my favourite recipes for it.



Moist, spicy and delicious . . . and topped with a scrummy sticky topping!
I am betting that it will become a favourite of yours as well!

Gingerbread . . . fresh from the oven . . . it's a very good thing.




*Sticky Topped Gingerbread*
Serves 9 to 12
Printable Recipe

Oh so scrummy!

6 1/2 ounces of plain flour ( 1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp of dutch process cocoa powder, pur thru a sieve
2 large free range eggs at room temperature
3.75 ounces of dark soft brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
4 ounces buttermilk (1/2 cup)
2 ounces of golden syrup
2 ounces of dark treacle
(can use 1/2 cup of molasses, or 4 ounces)
4 ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the topping:
3 TBS unsalted butter
2 1/2 ounces dark brown sugar (1/3 cup packed)
2 TBS double cream

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Grease a deep 8 inch square baking pan well, or a deep 9 inch round one. Lightly dust with flour. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon cloves, ginger and cocoa powder. Set aside.

Beat the eggs with an electric mixer until foamy. Beat in the brown sugar until light and lump free. Beat in the buttermilk, melted butter, syrup and treacle, until well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the flour mixture and mix in until just blended. Pour into the prepared pan. Smack the pan down on the counter top a couple of times to release any air bubbles and level the batter out. Bake in the heated oven until the top springs back when lightly touched, and the edges have pulled away from the sides a bit, some 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool a bit while you make the topping.

Combine all the topping ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Remove from the heat and immediately pour over the hot gingerbread, letting it seep down the sides. Heat the grill to medium high. Pop the gingerbread under the grill for about 40 seconds, just until the topping bubbles. Remove immediately. Serve warm, with or without whipped cream.

Every cook needs a recipe like this in their tool box of taste tempting recipes.
A dessert that is not only quick to execute, but very simple and easy as well.



I always have almond paste in my cupboard . . . which is the basis of this great dish. all you need to complete it is some eggs, a bit of flour and some sugar. If you also have tins of fruit, or fruit compote in the larder, then you've pretty much got everything you need to make this very impressive, yet simple dessert.



Nobody would believe that it is as simple as it is.

Rich and buttery, with a delicate almond flavour, it's a fabulous cake. You might think that with the almond paste in it, the almond flavouring might be somewhat overpowering, but that's not the case at all.



It's really quite special. I served this the other night, simply dusted with some icing sugar and along with some apricot compote for spooning over top . . . but any fruit compote goes very well, as would any variety of jams, gently warmed up to loosen them somewhat.



Morello Cherry Jam is very good as is Wild Blueberry.

This is the perfect dinner date dessert! I do hope you'll give this a try. I just know you'll be well impressed!



*A Simple Almond Cake*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

Quick, easy and very tasty. It's very light and has a lovely almond flavour. I like to serve it dusted with icing sugar and some fruit compote. Delicious!

7 ounces almond paste
3 1/2 ounces sugar (1/2 cup)
4 ounces butter, softened (1/2 cup)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 ounces of flour, sifted twice (a scant 1/2 cup)
icing sugar to dust

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 10 inch tart pan very well. Set aside.

Put the almond paste into a food processor with the sugar. Blitz to mix together well. Add the butter. Again blitz to cream well together. Slowly add the eggs with the motor running, until they are completely amalgamated. Scrap into a bowl and then carefully fold in the flour. Pour into the prepared pan and then bake for 30 minutes, or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

To serve, dust with icing sugar and cut into slices. Fruit compote is optional but very nice with this as is a sour cherry jam.

I try to stay topical on here and to post recipes that will go along with the seasons and holidays.



What could be more Halloweeny or Bonfire nightie than caramel apples. Who doesn't love a caramel apple . . .



All that stick toffee coating a sweetly tart and crisp apple . . . sometimes coated in crunchy toasted nuts!!!



These tasty little cakes embody all that is good about a caramel apple . . . except they are a cake . . .



And what a cake they are!! Lightly spiced, buttery and chock full of moist apple . . . with crispy edges . . . a sweet caramel topping gilding and sliding down over the top filled with toasted pecan nuts . . .



Oh my . . . so very, very hard to resist . . .



Topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or my personal favourite . . . clotted cream . . . these are decadent, scrummy, and moreishly delicious!

What more can I say???



I meant to only have a little nibble . . . honest! (Oh dear, my will power got up and went!)




*Caramel Apple Baby Cakes*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

What could be better than a tasty little Caramel Pecan covered baby sized Apple Cake, just for you!

For the Topping:
2 TBS unsalted butter
4 ounces pecan halves or pieces (1 cup)
5 1/2 ounces soft light brown sugar (3/4 cup packed)
6 TBS cream
pinch of fine seasalt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 TBS dark rum. whiskey or bourbon (optional)

For the cakes:
6 1/2 ounces of flour (1 1/2 cup plus 2 TBS)
pinch fine sea salt
pinch ground cloves
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
8 ounces butter, softened (1 cup)
3 1/2 ounces white sugar (1/2 cup)
a scant 4 ounces soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
2 large free range eggs at room temperature
4 sweet tart apples, peeled and grated (about 3 cups)
1 tsp vanilla

To serve:
vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or clotted cream

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Grease a muffin tin very well with vegetable cooking spray. Place the muffin tin on a baking sheet you have lined with some parchment paper to allow for easy clean up.

Place the butter for the topping into a saucepan along with the pecans. Melt and cook over medium heat for several minutes until the pecans are toasted. Add the cream, brown sugar and salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 to 4 minutes. Spoon a portion of this evenly into the prepared muffin cups.

Sift the dry ingredients for the cakes together. Set aside. Cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until completely amalgamated. If the mixture curdles, add a TBS of the dry ingredients. Add all the dry ingredients, mixing gently until thoroughly combined. Fold in the apples and vanilla. Spoon over top of the pecan mixture in the muffin tin, dividing it equally amongst all of them. Don't worry if it seems too much. It's ok to mound it up.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. They will look a bit overflowed and messy but that's ok. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Loosen the edgess of the baby cakes with a small knife. Place some foil over top of them, then set a baking sheet over top and invert cakes. Serve warm with your desired accompaniment. Delicious!