Emergency Microwave Cake

 

Ingredients

• 30g butter
• 1 large egg*
• 30ml milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 50g granulated sugar
• 50g flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• Tiny pinch of salt

• Instructions

  • Microwave the butter it until just melted.

    Whisk in the egg

    Stir in the milk, vanilla, almond and sugar.

    Add the flour, baking powder and salt.

    Whisk the batter until smooth..  It can be kept in the fridge for up to a couple of days at this stage.

    When ready to serve, divide batter into 3 ramekins.

    Microwave for 1 minute and 20 seconds

    Top with whipped cream and fresh berries or just have it with strong coffee.

    
    

Walnut Cake (Claudia Roden)

 

Fast, simple, light, delicious dessert.  There is no flour so is it a cake at all? No matter, the fusion of walnut and orange flavours is very Mediterranean.  Make sure the nuts are fresh as they have a tendency to spoil with age.

It's a very thin cake  - about 2cm

Serves 4-6

• 200 g walnuts
• 3 large eggs
• 200g caster sugar
• grated zest of 2 medium oranges
• icing sugar for dusting

Method

• Preheat oven to 200C.  Grease a 24cm round non-stick cake or tart tin with a removable base with butter or oil .
• Grind walnuts in a food processor - not too finely
• Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and thickened.  Add the orange zest and fold in the walnuts until well mixed.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake until firm to the touch.  Claudia says about 40 mins but more like 20 mins in my experience
• Leave to cool before removing from the tin. Dust with icing sugar before serving