VE Day

VE Day Cake

This recipe is inspired by the cakes that would have been eaten on VE Day.  Communities would have saved up their rations and shared them with their neighbours in order that a food-filled celebration could take place.  Though the years following VE Day would mean austerity for all, the street parties that took place on this day were at least for this one day, filled with food, love and laughter.

Eggs had been rationed so much that they couldn’t be used, so I’ve done the same here.  This cake is easily made vegan by replacing the butter with a vegan alternative and plant-based milk is also very easily substituted.  I would suggest oat.

I made a video of the making of this cake which I have included below.  Enjoy.  Make the cake, don't worry that it doesn't look pretty - it's not meant to, just celebrate VE Day and don't forget all those we lost during WWII.

MAKES 1 x 20cm SPONGE
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING & COOLING TIME: 1 hour


INGREDIENTS:

For the sponge:
110g sugar (caster or granulated will work here)
​50g soft unsalted butter
½ tsp vanilla extract
125g gluten free plain flour
15g cornflour
100ml whole milk
½ tbsp apple cider vinegar (or use white wine vinegar if you don’t have cider)
15ml hot water
1 tea bag (I use earl grey, but English Breakfast will work too)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp xanthan gum/psyillium husk

For the icing:
200g icing sugar, sieved (sorry)
Lemon juice (fresh or plastic whichever you have)
Small cup of black Tea (whichever you used in the sponge)


METHOD:

• Preheat the oven to 160/140 fan/gas 3
• Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin
• Make the tea using the 15ml hot water and the tea bag.  Leave to steep for about 5 minutes before squeezing out and disposing of the tea bag and allow to cool.
• Mix the tea into the milk and stir in the vinegar.  Set aside
• Combine together the flour, xanthan and raising agents together in a small bowl
• In a large bowl, beat the sugar and the butter together until they are light and fluffy.  This can be done in a freestanding mixer using the paddle attachment, using a hand-held electric whisk or just using a plain old wooden spoon and some elbow grease!
• Add the vanilla extract, allow to combine, then scrape down the sides of the bowl
• Alternately add dry and wet ingredients into your butter & sugar starting with dry and ending with dry.  Ensure everything is really well mixed.  If using a freestanding mixer, periodically scrape down the sides to help with this.
• Pour your batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean
• Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack
• Whilst the cake is cooling, prepare your icing - you want the cake to still be a little warm when you pour this over
• Mix together the sifted sugar, lemon juice and tea until you have a smooth pouring consistency, a little thicker than double cream.  Add the liquid bit by bit.  You’ll probably need about 2 tbsps in total, and you can use as much or as little of each liquid as you like.  Half and half works best in my opinion, but if you like it more lemony, use more lemon juice!
• Pour and spread this over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides if it wants to.  It doesn’t need to be neat
• Allow the cake to cool completely and the icing to set (think lemon drizzle cake icing) before serving

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