I suddenly got the urge to bake a good old- fashioned cake the other day. I wanted something that would make the house smell heavenly, something a little summery (not that it's summer, except in my head) and something that would be easy to throw together in between housework and lounging in the garden.
Quatre quarts! What a perfect idea! But how would I make it 'summery'?? After a few minutes in my pantry and a lot of 'hmmm's' and 'oooh's' I decided to spruce up my version of this classic French cake with a good handful of dried red berries and a touch of lavender (don't you just love lavender in baked goods??).
The results were certainly worth boasting about- a beautifully scented, red- speckled, buttery loaf which went above and beyond satisfying my cravings!
Here's the recipe:
Quatre Quarts with Red Berries and Lavender
250g all- purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
225g soft butter
225g caster sugar
4 medium eggs
1 tbsp dried lavender (suitable for cooking)
120g mixed dried red berries
Soak the red fruits in hot water for approximately 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
Preheat oven to 165C. Line a 28 cm rectangular cake pan with baking paper.
Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Add the baking powder and the lavender and stir thoroughly.
In a separate bowl, whip the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in a small bowl and add them little by little to the butter and sugar mixture.
Fold in the dry ingredients and the red fruits in two batches, stirring thoroughly after each addition.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about an hour and 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Allow to cool on a wire rack bevore serving.
