114 TAKE YOUR TIME

Enjoy the process of creating heartwarming bakes with recipes from A Good Day to Bake by Benjamina Ebuehi.

When you have a moment to slow down, enjoy the rituals of baking with heartwarming bakes from A Good Day To Bake by Benjamina Ebuehi.

I’M NOT SOMEONE WHO needs an excuse to bake. Being able to whip out my mixer and hide away in the kitchen for an afternoon or evening, just to satisfy a sweet craving, is something that my mum still can’t get her head around. Setting aside a little time during the week to use my hands to create something that will bring a smile to people’s faces and joy to their bellies is an act I don’t take for granted. Going through the ritual of bringing out my measuring scales, pouring out flour, whipping up eggs, stirring the batter and impatiently slicing up warm cake is a beautiful thing that deserves to be enjoyed all year round, no matter the day, season or occasion.

More than ever, I find myself appreciating the little things and taking more time to celebrate those small daily wins alongside the big ones, and I love that I can do that through food. I want this book to help us all remember and hold on to those moments of pause. Every day could do with a bit more slowing down, a little more stirring, kneading, folding and peering into the oven watching bread puff up like magic. More than what the end result looks like, the route to get there can be just as fulfilling.

RHUBARB, GINGER & WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE SERVES 6–9

I can’t be the only one who often forgets rhubarb is a vegetable. When in season during winter in the UK, the bright-pink stalks of forced rhubarb have me like a kid in a candy shop. I simply cannot resist buying it, if only just to admire its unique hue. When I do get round to using it, this is one of the things I go for. A wonderfully soft afternoon tea cake, warm with ginger and chunks of white chocolate snuggled around all the rhubarb. It can also double up as a pudding if served slightly warm with custard.

150g (5½oz) fresh rhubarb

200g (7oz/¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter,

softened, plus extra for greasing

180g (6¼oz/scant 1 cup) light brown sugar

3 eggs

225g (8oz/1¾ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour 2 teaspoons ground ginger

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) ¼ teaspoon salt

80g (2¾oz/generous ⅓ cup) sour cream,

at room temperature

75g (2½oz) white chocolate, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°f/gas mark 4). Grease and line a 20-cm (8-in) square cake pan, leaving an overhang of baking paper to help you lift the cake out later.

Wash and trim the ends of the rhubarb. Chop into 2-cm (¾-in) chunks and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together using a stand mixer or electric whisk for 4–5 minutes until very light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl every so often. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for a minute after each addition.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, ginger, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Pour half this mixture into the batter and stir until just combined. Mix in the sour cream followed by the rest of the flour mixture. Stir in the chopped white chocolate.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top, and arrange the rhubarb on top of the batter. Bake for 50–55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. If the cake looks as though it’s getting too dark before it’s cooked, cover it loosely with a sheet of foil and continue to bake.

Leave to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely before slicing up.

PARSNIP, ORANGE & GINGER LOAF SERVES 8–10

When it comes to vegetables in cakes, carrots tend to get all the love, but parsnips deserve just as much attention. Sweet and earthy with a subtle woody fragrance, the grated parsnips keep this cake perfectly moist. The parsnip crisps will make more than you need, but they make such a moreish snack I won’t be offended or surprised if none of them actually make it onto the cake.

FOR THE PARSNIP CRISPS

1 parsnip

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey pinch of salt

FOR THE CAKE

160ml (5¼fl oz/⅔ cup) sunflower or vegetable oil,

plus extra for greasing

160g (5¾oz/¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon) light brown sugar zest of 1 orange

2 eggs

200g (7oz) parsnips, grated

210g (7½oz/1½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 2 teaspoons ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

60g (2¼oz) walnuts, roughly chopped,

plus extra to decorate

FOR THE GLAZE

90g (3¼oz/⅔ cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar juice of ½ orange

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°f/gas mark 4). Line a baking sheet with baking paper and grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf pan.

Start by making the parsnip crisps. Use a mandoline or potato peeler to thinly slice the parsnip. Place the peelings on the baking sheet and drizzle with the oil, maple syrup or honey and pinch of salt. Toss them with your hands to make sure all the pieces are coated and lay them out evenly so they don’t overlap. Bake for 15–20 minutes, turning once halfway through. Keep a close eye on them, as they can catch quite easily. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

For the cake, mix together the oil, sugar and orange zest in a bowl. Beat in the eggs and stir until smooth, then carefully mix in the grated parsnips.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger and cloves. Add to the wet ingredients and mix gently until just combined. Now stir in the chopped walnuts.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45–50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, mix the icing sugar and orange juice in a small bowl until smooth. You want it to be a thick but pourable consistency. Add a little more icing sugar if it’s too thin or a bit more orange juice if it’s too thick.

Once the cake is completely cool, pour the glaze on top, letting it drip down the sides. Top with the parsnip crisps and extra chopped walnuts before serving.

SLICING UP WARM CAKE IS A BEAUTIFUL THING THAT DESERVES TO BE ENJOYED ALL YEAR ROUND, NO MATTER THE DAY, SEASON OR OCCASION.

CHAMOMILE LEMON BUNS

MAKES 7 BUNS

Sticky buns are the best buns. There’s a quiet joy in unravelling a soft, squishy bun, eating it layer by layer, making it last as long as possible. These delicately fragranced, pillowy rolls are no exception, and you get the added bonus of a sweet sticky bottom as the lemony sugar caramelises in the pan.

150ml (5fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) milk

4 chamomile tea bags

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

300g (10½oz/generous 2 cups) strong bread flour,

plus extra for dusting

25g (1oz/3 tablespoons) caster (granulated) sugar ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon fast-action dried yeast

1 egg, beaten

25g (1½ tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened,

plus extra for greasing

1 tablespoon pearl sugar (optional)

FOR THE FILLING

100g (3½oz/½ cup) caster (granulated) sugar grated zest of 2 lemons

85g (3oz/⅓ cup plus 2 teaspoons) unsalted butter, softened

FOR THE SYRUP

100ml (3½fl oz/scant ½ cup) water 100g (3½oz/½ cup) caster (granulated) sugar 2 chamomile tea bags

Add the milk, tea bags and vanilla to a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Once heated through, remove from the heat, cover and let the milk steep and cool for 30 minutes. Strain the milk into a jug (pitcher), squeezing the tea bags, then set aside.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the flour and sugar. Add in the salt and yeast to separate sides of the bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in the beaten egg and cooled milk. If using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix for 6 minutes on low speed. If mixing by hand, knead in the bowl for 10 minutes (the dough will be quite sticky at first, but try not to add too much extra flour). Let the dough rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes, then knead for a further 4 minutes until you have a smooth dough. Add the softened butter and knead for a further 5 minutes until you have a shiny, supple dough.

Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 1–2 hours or until nearly doubled in size.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Mix the caster sugar and lemon zest together in a bowl, using your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar until it resembles wet sand. Add the softened butter and mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400°f/gas mark 6). Line the base of a 20-cm (8-in) springform or loose-bottomed cake pan with baking paper and grease the sides.

Once the dough has risen, use your fingertips to press it down and knock the air back. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle, about 3–4mm (⅛in) thick. Spread the filling mixture evenly across the surface. Starting from one of the longest sides, roll the dough up tightly and slice into 7 equal rolls. Arrange the rolls in the prepared pan, leaving a bit of space between them, and cover the pan loosely with a dish towel. Leave to prove for 25–35 minutes, or until the rolls are puffy and touching each other.

Top with pearl sugar, if using, and bake for 35–40 minutes until a deep brown colour.

While the buns bake, make the syrup. Add the water, sugar and tea bags to a small saucepan, bring to the boil and let simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.

When the buns are baked, let them cool for a few minutes before brushing them generously with the chamomile syrup, letting it seep through. Let them cool completely before serving.

I KNOW I SAY LET THEM COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE SERVING, BUT I WON’T BLAME YOU IF YOU JUMP IN AS SOON AS THEY’RE COOL ENOUGH TO HANDLE.

BAY LEAF CUSTARD TART SERVES 8

There are quite a few custard-based recipes in this book, such is my love for the stuff in all of its glorious forms. And nothing quite beats a classic custard tart. Just infusing the cream with a few fresh bay leaves transforms this into something quite fragrant and almost tea-like. Bay leaves are an ingredient that tend to get thrown into a stew or soup without knowing what it actually tastes like. It’s not necessarily a flavour a lot of people could identify on its own. But here, woven into the silky custard, it sings. Fresh bay is a must here to really get the best flavour.

FOR THE PASTRY

210g (7½oz/1½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour,

plus extra for dusting

60g (2¼oz/scant ½ cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar ¼ teaspoon salt

130g (4¾oz/½ cup plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter 1 egg, separated

2–3 tablespoons ice-cold water

FOR THE CUSTARD

250ml (9fl oz/generous 1 cup) milk

300ml (10½fl oz/generous 1¼ cups) double (heavy) cream 8 fresh bay leaves

7 egg yolks

100g (3½oz/½ cup) caster (granulated) sugar

Add the flour, icing sugar, salt and butter to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until you have fine breadcrumbs. (If making by hand, rub the butter into the flour until fine.) Add the egg yolk and a tablespoon of ice-cold water and pulse until it starts to clump, adding more water, a tablespoon at a time, if needed.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a thick disc. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until well chilled and firm.

Meanwhile, make the custard. Add the milk, cream and bay leaves to a small saucepan and heat gently until steaming, just before the boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let the cream infuse for 30 minutes–1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan/375°f/gas mark 5).

(continued)