Though not currently in season, I was surprised to find a box of beautiful English pears being sold at my local grocer. On the look out for cake ingredients, I dutifully filled my basket with this succulent, juicy fruit – perhaps my favourite – and retreated to the kitchen to bake my Pear and Almond Cake.
Everyone purports to have, in their possession, the recipe for the perfect chocolate cake. This is, of course, nonsense. There is always something better, if only because variety is something we crave. Having said all that, I’ll now dismount my high horse to admit that my recipe for Chocolate Prune Cake is among the most enjoyable and moist chocolate cakes you’re likely to find.
Thanks in great part to the universal success of Guinness, the history of Ireland and stout – a type of porter – is inseparable. Irish Porter Cake, best made with stout, is something of a tradition in the country. Whether it’s a cake eaten but once a year – on St. Patrick’s Day – is up for debate. But it’s certainly a valid excuse to indulge.
The Bûche de Noël, or Yule Log, is a log-shaped chocolate cake traditionally eaten during Christmas. But the origins of the yule log lie away from the decadent realm of cake, though not so far from festive feasting; even taking us as far back as the Iron Age.
There’s a long tradition of home cooking in my family; specifically my Mother’s side. While rooting through the remaining possessions of my great aunt Vi little over a week ago, we stumbled across a recipe for Scripture Cake written either by her or my great great grandmother on my grandfather’s side. What else was there to do but give it a try?