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Quatre-quart cake

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Serves: 6

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What does this mean?

This cake is not too dissimilar to a typical Victoria sponge and referred to as Pound Cake across the pond. The recipe was passed to me by my French teacher back in Sixth Form and she'd be thrilled that I'm now sharing (even if it is in English and not in French as was the challenge back then). It's an everyday cake with the potential for extravagance!

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Ingredients

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  • 200 grams butter (salted, not a mistake - the salt works well!)
  • 200 grams self-raising flour
  • 200 grams golden caster sugar (or vanilla caster sugar if you have made some with a vanilla pod)
  • 3 large eggs (must have a bright yolk - go with organic free-range eggs)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 170C, fill kettle and boil water. Place a roasting tray at the bottom of the oven and fill with boiled water. Bring water to tray, not the other way around, or you will have to carry a large amount of boiling water. I’m perpetually clumsy so have to consider things like this. Shut oven door and allow the oven to reach temperature with water – the steam will make for a light, moist cake.
  2. Grease a 9-10” cake tin with butter or oil and then line with grease proof paper.
  3. In a mixer, cream together butter, vanilla extract and caster sugar until well mixed, a slightly lighter colour and a perfectly smooth texture.
  4. Separate eggs. Beat yolks and whisk egg whites until stiff.
  5. Mix egg yolks into the butter and sugar with small amount of the flour until well combined.
  6. Gradually add the remaining flour and then fold in the egg whites.
  7. Bake in oven for 35-45 minutes, until the cake has a golden complexion and no raw cake mix appears on a skewer/toothpick/knife when placed in the centre. Do not check cake earlier than 30 minutes or it’s likely to sink.
  8. Allow cooling on wire rack and then... ENJOY!

Tips/alternatives:

  1. A small amount of caster sugar can be gently placed on top, prior to baking, to give a crunchy texture; the steam makes for a light, fluffy cake but if you have a gas oven it’s probably best avoided, results are equally as good without.
  2. Can be covered in buttercream for a rich decoration
  3. A chocolate alternative is possible – add 40g cocoa powder and a splash of milk – to balance wet and dry ingredients
  4. For a fun, child-friendly alternative: cover top with a small amount of heated jam (no bits!) and then a disk of thinly rolled royal icing. Release children onto cake with edible food paint (or watered down food colourant) and marvel in their masterpieces.

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