T his week, I’m turning my attention to the workhorse of the kitchen, the loaf tin. Nothing fancy, no faffy cheffy finishes, and no hard-to-handle ingredients. These recipes are about a tin, a bowl and the promise that, after 40 minutes, the kitchen will smell considerably better than it did when you started.
These two recipes are very different in flavour, but follow the same structure and technique. The carrot cake is indulgent and leads us firmly in the direction of autumn, and dare I say Christmas. Orange, nutmeg, cinnamon, dates and walnuts bring plenty of warmth and comfort at exactly the point in the year when we need it most. The chocolate swirl cake, meanwhile, is simple and to the point – if you have kids, best of luck in trying to get this to last more than a day.
The carrot cake will make you question yourself when you mix it together, and it starts to resemble a pancake batter as opposed to a cake mix – do not fear, this is exactly what you want. Coconut oil gives it a lovely richness, while the grated carrot brings moisture and sweetness and the walnuts and dates add little pockets of texture. But the clever part comes after baking.
Once the cake is out of the oven, it gets soaked in a simple syrup made with orange juice and brown sugar. This is the key step that turns it from a good bake into a great bake. Lemon cream-cheese icing is designed to cut through the sweetness. Finished with walnuts, orange zest and the delicate green carrot tops, it wouldn’t look out of place in a Parisian patisserie.
The swirl cake is also very simple to put together – a basic cake mix is made before being split into two. Half the mix gets hit with cocoa powder to darken the colour; this is then mixed lightly with the plain batter and swirled together in the tin to create the signature design when you cut through it. Maybe not Parisian patisserie, but potentially set for a modern art museum. Either way, it’s delicious.
Both recipes are designed to be brought together in minutes, resulting in something that looks and tastes like it took hours. Perfect for a cup of tea or a dinner party finish, the loaf tin is a piece of equipment that will always clear the stage for you to be the star.
Tip of the week: Soaking a loaf tin carrot cake in a simple syrup after baking will hugely elevate the flavour.