Redcurrant Almond Cake
If you grow any soft fruit, in the summertime there is always a need for a simple cake recipe that lets you showcase the berries (and use them up). Last year, it was this Blackcurrant Almond Cake, which I made several times before the blackbirds finished off my currants, but this Midsummer Cake from Nigel Slater is my new favourite.
He uses blueberries and peaches; not having either at hand, I made it with a box of the redcurrants from the Daily Spud, throwing in a handful of last year’s blackberries that were still in the freezer. His original recipe is here. Mine, slightly adapted to fit in with the vagaries of my own kitchen and ingredients, is below. This is one of those cakes that looks unremarkable but gets compliments from everyone. Well worth adding to the repertoire.
Redcurrant Almond Cake
Butter – 175g, at room temperature
Caster sugar – 175g
Eggs – 2
Self-raising flour – 175g
Ground almonds – 100g
Amaretto – 1 tablespoon
Redcurrants or other soft fruit – 300g
Caster sugar – 1 tablespoon
Butter the base and sides of a 23cm round tin, lining the base with a circle of baking paper. Preheat the oven to 170ºC (fanbake 160ºC)
Using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Whisk the flour and almonds together and add to the mixture, half at a time. Mix in the Amaretto, then fold in the fruit.
Spoon into the prepared tin, sprinkle with the tablespoon of caster sugar and bake in the preheated oven for between 1 hour and 1 hour 10 minutes until well browned and firm to the touch. Put the tin on a cake rack and leave for 10 minutes to cool before turning it out.
Good with softly whipped cream or natural yoghurt.
My kids do love fruit bits in their cakes (even in their morning pancakes!) so I think they’ll love this one. I haven’t tried redcurrants yet in baking, I’m excited to see how it would turn out. Love almonds of course! Perhaps I’ll whip a light cream for this one, my kids like their cakes frosted.
Great recipe!! I’m not a very confident baker, and thought the batter was too consistent (no liquids in the ingredients) but it turned out perfectly delicious! It’ll be my new foolproof cake, thanks!
This cake looks beautifully adaptable. I always seem to end up with currants in the freezer that I don’t know what to do with. Thanks for a lovely looking recipe
Delicious and easy. Universally approved of and an ideal recipe for one who has a redcurrant bush that regularly produces ~ 15kg fruit!
That’s fantastic, Ingrid. Love that cake – just wish I had enough redcurrants to make the most of it!
It seems delicious!!!
It’s a pretty good cake, alright!
Absolutely delicious!
I always loved my grandmothers current cake when I went to visit her in Germany, but living in San Diego currents are far and few between. I just found and some and I am so excited to make this cake! It sounds just like my dear Oma’s.
I am so glad that you found the currants – and the recipe! I hope it lived up to your memories, Erik. It’s a cake that I absolutely love.
I made this with gluten free flour, and made the almond meal from almonds with the husks on. I decided to add an extra egg because sometimes leaning the husks on makes my cakes a bit dryer. It is delicious and has not crumbled. I will make this again.
Lovely to get your feedback, Margaret. I’ve often used unskinned almonds in this recipe and really like the extra flecks of colour and texture that they bring – the nuts are often fresher as well! It’s a great cut-and-come-again cake, something that will happily sit in a tin for a few days and feed a multitude. Also good with other fresh, seasonal fruit – I love using rhubarb or gooseberries in this.
Love this recipe, but would now like to swap the butter for olive oil? Can you help please?
Hi Kay, apologies for missing this comment. Although I do make many cakes with olive oil, I’ve never tried this particular one with that subbed in as the butter and sugar are creamed together to increase volume in the cake. I would probably try using a different recipe instead, taking the cake element from this Upsidedown Rhubarb Rose Cake (I’ll paste it below) and subbing in 100g of ground almonds for some of the plain flour ie instead of 300g plain flour, use 100g ground almonds and 200g plain flour. Best of luck!
Upsidedown Rhubarb Rose Cake
Natural yoghurt – 250ml
Eggs – 2
Light Muscovado sugar – 225g
Vegetable oil – 125ml
Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
Rosewater – 2 teaspoons
Plain flour – 300g
Baking powder – 2½ teaspoons
Salt – ½ teaspoons
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, 170°C fanbake). Grease the base and sides of a 25cm (10-inch) round tin.
Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the dark Muscovado sugar and allow to melt. When dissolved, remove from the heat, add the rhubarb and pour immediatly into your prepared tin.
Place the yogurt, eggs, light Muscovado sugar, oil, vanilla and rosewater into a large mixing bowl and combine gently. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt on top and mix together quickly but thoroughly. Take care not to overwork the mixture.
Pour the batter on top of the rhubarb mixture in the prepared tin. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is firm, golden brown and well risen.
Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before turning out. Place a serving plate on top of the tin. Quickly – but very carefully because of the hot caramel mixture – turn upside down and gently lift the tin off. Remove any stubborn pieces of rhubarb from the base of the tin and set them in place on top of the cake. Serve warm with dollops of natural yoghurt.
Serves 8.