19 Feb 2014

boozy sultana yoghurt cake

When it's your turn on the office-morning-tea roster, here is the cake for you:

Patterned cloth from Frangipani Fabrics

This cake uses three of my favourite ingredients in the kitchen, either to eat or bake with: sultanas (I load my breakfast oats up with them), almond meal, and greek yoghurt (or natural yoghurt. I haven't entirely worked out the difference between the two).

Actually, let's make that four: because this cake is a splendid spin on the tradition sultana cake. How? By soaking the sultanas in old-lady sherry, for as long as possible, until the fruit is as plump as drops of amber. The yoghurt adds a delicious zing to the cake batter, but the sherry imparts a Christmas-like glow all round.

So put your turn on the office roster in your Outlook, with a two week reminder, and start soaking now. You - and your co-workers - won't be disappointed.


Boozy sultana yoghurt cake
On my scrawled out recipe, many years old, I have attributed this to 'In the Kitchen', but I can't find this book on my local library's database or by googling. by Allan Campion and Michelle Curtis.
The recipe specified soaking the sultanas overnight, but I think this is insufficient; if you can go for a week or two, you will be amply rewarded. Why not keep a stash of sultanas-in-sherry in your fridge all the time, just in case?
Finally, I used a ring tin, but have also made individual cupcakes, and the recipe specified a 22 cm tin (I assume round). So use whatever tin you wish, but adjust the cooking time accordingly.
  • Soak 1 cup of sultanas in enough sherry to just cover the fruit (I use a 'medium' sherry). You may want to top this up, especially if you are soaking for a long time. Cover and pop in the fridge to get nicely inebriated; at least overnight or as noted above, for a couple of weeks.
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 180 and prep your desired baking tin.
  • Cream 125gms soft butter with 1 cup sugar.
  • Add 2 eggs.
  • Now fold in 1 1/4 cups almond meal, 1 1/2 cups SR flour, and 1 cup greek or natural yoghurt. You should get a nice creamy mix (be sure to lick the bowl!).
  • Now drain your tipsy sultanas, reserving any leftover liquor (drink as a little cook's reward, or pour over a piece of plain cake, or use to start your next batch of boozy sultanas).
  • Fold the sultanas thru your cake batter. Dollop into your tin, then bake. As a guide, this ring tin version took about 45 minutes; I'd noted the cupcakes as 30 minutes; and the original recipe specified 35 minutes. The top will look gently brown, the sides will pull away and a skewer will come out clean.
  • Try just one piece - quality control, of course - then be strong and pop the cake in a container to take to the office morning tea.

12 comments:

  1. Mmmm it sounds divine! I could do this, the only thing I'm missing right now is the vital ingredient. Might have to make two batches, one child-friendly and one for mum ;-) I want it right now!
    Love the 'cook's reward'..

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    1. i'm sure the child-friendly version would be just as nice! but it's fun saying "anyone want some boozy sultana cake?".
      actually, i have to admit, i used my dribble of leftover sherry to start a new batch; i'm not a big fan of sherry for drinking. like i said, old-maiden-aunt tipple :-)

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  2. Gorgeous! (I am also now questioning why we don't have a cake rota at work!!? Can I come and work with you? Please? I'll bring cake.)

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    1. the commute might be a bit of a trek for you, hannaj, but we'd welcome you (and your goodies)!

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  3. Oh my husband loves any baked good with sultanas and always enquires as to whether a baked good contains them, you had me at boozy though, yum!

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    1. here is one for both of you then, catherine! 'boozy' is such a good kitchen word.

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  4. Elizabeth, your cake looks splendid... so beautifully coloured too. I could go a slice right now! Thanks for sharing.

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  5. thank you, lizzy - this had just the right amount of golden crust to soft tender cake.

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  6. Haha...we both know that if I had my way, this cake would not reach the office. Yum..yum yum! ;)

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    1. ha! it almost didn't in my case either, SB! triple yum indeed!

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  7. Great looking cake... looks so deliciously moist! I would be delighted if a co-worker offered this to me for morning tea.

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    1. thankyou leaf! if only you were closer to me... :-)

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