My husband isn't overly keen on cakes smothered in buttercream and he was delighted when I made this light textured cake which is rippled and topped with ground pecans.
This was another bake I made using my Thermomix, the cake batter took 20 seconds to mix! I can now confidently say the finished sponge is comparable to using a food mixer or food processor. If you like making sponge cakes in the traditional way then a food mixer will be fine.
A food processor or Thermie are ideal for this recipe, the pecans are ground and then put to one side whilst the cake is mixed. I buy my pecans from the local Lidl store they are far too expensive in the supermarkets.
Adapted from Mary Berry's Absolute Favourites.
Conventional Method and Thermomix Instructions in Italics
100g butter, softened
2 large eggs
100g self-raising flour
100g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
For The Ripple
50g pecan nuts
10g light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
You will need: 20cm x 20cm tin greased and lined with baking paper.
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Place 25g of the pecan nuts in a food processor and whiz until finely ground. Mix in a bowl with the light brown sugar and cinnamon, set aside.
Add the pecans to the jug TM 8 Sec/Speed 7.
3. Chop the remaining pecans by hand and set them aside for the topping.
Chop pecans TM 4 Sec/Speed 6.
4. Add the ingredients for the cake batter into a bowl, beat until combined.
Measure the ingredients into the jug TM 20Sec/Speed 5.
5. Spread just under half of the sponge mixture over the base of the prepared tin. Spoon over two-thirds of the pecan ripple mix in an even layer. Spoon over the rest of the cake batter and level with a palette knife. Swirl the handle of a teaspoon through the cake batter. Sprinkle over the rest of the pecan ripple and scatter over the reserved chopped pecans.
6. Bake for 30 minutes until just firm to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, turn out on to a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares.
7. Will freeze.
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