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Buttermilk cake with strawberries
Serves 6 Desserts and puddings
Ingredients
- 175g unsalted butter, softened
- 200g caster sugar
- finely grated zest of 1 orange and juice of 2
- 4 medium eggs, separated
- 200g self-raising flour
- pinch of salt
- 50g ground almonds
- 150ml buttermilk
- ½tsp cream of tartar
- juice of ½ lemon
- shreds of orange zest, to decorate
For the strawberry compote
- 400-450g strawberries
- 3-4 passion fruit
- 1-2tbsp orange juice
- 1-2tbsp icing sugar
To serve
- crème fraîche
Method
Grease and line a 22-23cm loose-bottomed cake tin.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/ 350ºF/Gas 4.
Cream together the butter and 175g caster sugar until light and fluffy, beat in the finely grated orange zest and then the egg yolks, one at a time.
Sift together the flour and salt, then mix with the ground almonds. Fold a third of the flour mixture into the creamed batter, followed by half the buttermilk. Repeat these additions until all the flour andbuttermilk are incorporated. Fold in the juice of 1 orange. Finally, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff and fold into the cake mixture.
Spoon into the prepared cake tin, smooth the top and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until firm to a gentle touch. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn on to a rack and prick the top with a skewer.
Mix together the remaining orange juice, lemon juice and caster sugar and spread over the warm cake. Leave to seep in then decorate with shreds of orange zest, tossing them first in caster sugar if you like.
Wash, hull and halve or quarter the strawberries in a bowl. Halve the passion fruit and scoop their pulp into the strawberries. Add a little orange juice with the sugar and leave to stand for an hour at room temperature. Serve the cake with the strawberries and a swirl of crème fraîche.
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