Daisy Cake
24
This gorgeous cake oozes retro charm. It tells me what old fashioned cakes would be all about. Mind you, I am not that old. But this is how I imagine cakes in an old kitchen with yellow countertops and lace doilies to be like. Simple, unpretentious, golden and crumbly. Textural, pretty and brave enough on its own without needing the support of icing or fancy trimmings.
"There was always a cake in the oven on Sunday mornings!" waxes Margaret Dunn in her cookbook Mrs. Harvey’s Sister-In-Law And Other Tasty Dishes (read cookbook review). She later goes on to wonder in amazement how a cake managed to get in the oven on a Sunday amidst a flurry of roasts, vegetables and puddings that were also cooked in there. I would like to think that ours is one of those households where there is a cake in the oven every Sunday morning. Nothing beats the smell of a cake warming up and swelling beautifully in a hot oven.
Daisy Cake features in this beautiful cookbook. It gets its name from the combination of white and yellow. Just like a daisy, the top is white and the insides are yellow. It is a very pretty cake. It is what home-made cakes are supposed to be. It is what I bake every other Sunday come rain or shine. It is lovely if topped with warm butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. It is even better unadorned – simple.
DAISY CAKE
Recipe adapted from Margaret Dunn’s Mrs. Harvey’s Sister-In-Law And Other Tasty Dishes
Preparation Time – 15 minutes
Baking Time – 45 minutes
Serves – 8
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup raw sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 cup self-raising flour
3 tablespoons skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract/paste
grated rind of 1 orange
juice of 1 orange
1 extra tablespoon caster sugar (for topping)
1/2 cup desiccated coconut (for topping)
Method
Pre-heat oven to 180C. Grease and dust with flour an 8 inch round springform tin.
Beat the butter and raw sugar until creamy. Add the egg yolks and beat for a minute. Add the flour, milk, vanilla, rind and juice. Beat until combined and smooth. Spoon batter into prepared tin.
Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth. Add 1 tablespoon of caster sugar and beat again until foamy. Fold through the coconut. Spread this mixture over the top of the cake batter and bake for approximately 45 minutes until golden and cooked through.
[...] little cakes, puddings, biscuits, fritters, tarts, pancakes and pies. My most favourite is the Daisy Cake which I come back to time and time again. Besides complete recipes for a dish, the cookbook [...]
Sneh I’m in love with this cake. I love old fashioned simple unadorned cakes and this one looks so good. Can’t wait to try!
Kulsum at JourneyKitchen´s last [type] ..Lemony Coconut Milk and Sweet Corn Soup
What a gorgeous cake!!! Reminds me of the cakes my Grandmother used to make from her CWA cookbook!
Jennifer (Delicieux)´s last [type] ..Mini Bourbon Peach Pies with Vanilla Bourbon Custard
How beautiful! I love the rustic styling here…
chinmayie @ love food eat´s last [type] ..Homemade Spicy Tahini
Great looking cake, the mix of sponge and coconut must be really delicious. Thinking about it there’s usually a cake in the oven on Sundays here too. But it is a juggle with the Sunday roast. GG
Glamorous Glutton´s last [type] ..Forever Nigella – Sage and Onion Sausage and Chicken
This looks absolutely beautiful. It’s so easy to get caught up in piles of fancy decoration and too-thick icing…sometimes the most delicious cakes are the simplest
thelittleloaf´s last [type] ..Toasted Hazelnut Cheesecake Brownies
Our li’l Daisy’s first birthday’s coming up and this is just the cake to celebrate! Thanks for writing it up in cups. Cheers!
Coco´s last [type] ..Vichyssoise – Cozy Roasted Potato Leek Soup
Sounds delicious, looks lovely and moist too. Definitely a proper tea time cake.
Helen T´s last [type] ..Because even food lovers can love flowers
Simple, delicious and absolutely one of my favorite cakes! My mom used to make it a lot, while we were growing up
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com´s last [type] ..Avocado & Kale Smoothie
Wouldn’t we all like to live in a house where there was always a cake in the oven on Sundays? Wonderful! It looks delicious and I love the pretty flowered plate too.
la domestique´s last [type] ..Cook in the Moment: Boca Negra, a Chocolate Chipotle Cake
Delicious
Lovely cake…I just want to take a small bite. I also don;t believe you have to be old to be retro!
Jill Mant~a SaucyCook´s last [type] ..Panko Crusted Wasabi Salmon with Orange Wasabi Cream Sauce
I love these simple and satisfying old world recipe cakes, looks wonderful.
Sara (Belly Rumbles)´s last [type] ..Chocolate Valentine Heart Tarts Recipe
when add the coconut?
I have fixed the recipe. The coconut goes in the topping with the egg whites.
Simple yet gorgeous cake. I loved the 1st pic. Your recipe and cookbook taste are different and unique.
Sonia´s last [type] ..Peanut & Date Energy Balls (GF)
Love the crumb!! Looks aweosome!!
Poornima´s last [type] ..Easy Chicken Curry
I just love simple rustic cakes like this, so perfect on a lazy weekend afternoon with a cup of tea.
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen´s last [type] ..Chocolate Blackberry Mille-Feuille | For the Love of Chocolate
It looks like the cakes my mom used to make when I as a kid. Lovely!
It looks really delicious.. great photos too… very pro!
Sara´s last [type] ..PUNTINE DI MAIALE SPEZIATE IN UMIDO CON POLENTA
I got my youngest daughter of 13 years to make this Daisy Cake and it was not only easy for her to bake, but tasted absolutley great too, especially with a cup of tea.
Thank you for dropping by and letting me know how it went. That is lovely! I am glad she enjoyed the fruit of her labour
[...] , Fruit I am not an icing person. That much you know about me. I deliberately seek out cakes that eliminate the need for icing or frosting of any kind. Cakes that are robust in their flavour and delicate in [...]
How beautiful are every picture of yours! I am sure eating through that meringue to that crumbly cake underneath would be sheer bliss!
Rose of Magpie’s Recipes´s last [type] ..Femina Women Awards