Let’s eat fruity scones and cake
■ 1 tablespoon sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
12⁄ teaspoon teaspoons baking baking soda powder
■ 1
2
1⁄4 1⁄ teaspoon salt
■
■
■ 75g cold butter, cut into small squares
■ 3⁄4 cup frozen blackberries or blueberries
■ 1⁄2 cup (125ml) yoghurt
■ 1 small egg
■ 2-3 tablespoons cream, plus extra for brushing
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Grease or line a baking tray.
Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt, in a large mixing bowl. Add the cubed butter and use two knives to cut together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (or use fingers, but be careful the butter doesn’t melt). Toss through the frozen berries.
In a jug, whisk together the yoghurt, egg and two tablespoons of cream or milk. Use a knife to quickly bring the mixture together until just combined. Add an extra tablespoon of cream if needed.
Tip on to a bench, kneading briefly to bring together, then shape into a round about 3cm high. Cut into eight wedges and arrange these evenly on the baking tray. Brush with extra cream and scatter with sugar.
Bake for 12 minutes until golden. Transfer to a cooling rack and eat warm with butter and jam.
The addition of quick-cook polenta gives this cake a soft texture to complement the poppy seeds. Polenta absorbs a lot of water (about four times its weight), so a small amount goes a long way.
This cake can also be made with other firm-fleshed stone fruit, as well as apples or pears later in the season with some warming spice such as cinnamon.
Preparation time: 15 minutes Baking time: 35 minutes Serves 12
■ 1⁄2 cup (125ml) olive oil
■ 1⁄3 cup (70g) sugar
■ 3 eggs
■ 1⁄2 cup (125ml) yoghurt
■ 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
■ 1 cup (140g) standard white flour or gluten-free flour
■ 1⁄4 cup (50g) fine polenta (quick cook)
■ 2 teaspoons baking powder
■ 5-6 firm-fleshed plums, such as black doris or omega, cut into 2cm chunks (about 1 heaped cup)
■ 1 tablespoon sugar
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Line and grease a 22cm round cake tin.
In a mixing bowl whisk together the oil and sugar. Add the eggs, yoghurt and poppy seeds, and combine. Sift over the flour, polenta and baking powder, and use a spatula to gently fold together until half mixed.
Toss the plums with the tablespoon of sugar, add to the batter and mix until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake tin.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cake rack to cool. Serve with natural yoghurt.