EDD KIMBER’S JUBILEE SPONGE

PUNCH INGREDIENTS 35ml Bombay Sapphire gin 25ml home-made grapefruit-orange sherbet (see below) 15ml fresh lemon juice 10ml Orgeat syrup (almond syrup fromany good supermarket) 30ml Earl Grey tea infusion Champagne to top up SHERBET The grapefruit-orange sherbet is made by mixing 200g sugar, 100ml pink grapefruit juice, the zest of an orange and a grapefruit, then simmering until the sugar is dissolved. Double strain and allow to cool completely. METHOD Combine the ingredients and shake over ice, top up with champagne, then garnish with an edible flower. To toast the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in style, try this delicious Jubilee Punch, created exclusively for readers by Erik Lorincz, head bartender from the American Bar at London’s landmark Savoy Hotel (fairmont.com/savoy). It was at the Savoy that Princess Elizabeth, as she then was, was first seen in public with Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, who would later become the Duke of Edinburgh. The event ocurred in 1946, at a wedding reception in the hotel’s River Room. That summer, Prince Philip asked King George VI’S permission to marry his daughter. This was granted, but only on condition that the formal engagement was not announced until after Elizabeth’s 21st birthday, which was in April 1947. They married later that year.

This is a quintessentially British cake, a twist on the classic Victoria sponge that my mother used to make. She taught me how to bake when I was a child, and now I am following in her footsteps. The cake makes use of spices that came from all over the British Empire and made their way into our cuisine, including mint, cinnamon and black peppercorns. I tend to use Bart spices (bartspices. com). My mother used to employ baking spreads, but I prefer the taste and consistency of butter. It is important to take care when finishing this cake. When the batter is ready, lift up a spoonful and see if it drops easily. If it is too sticky, add more milk to loosen it up. This will create a nice, light sponge. The eggs should be allowed to reach room temperature before baking, so that they emulsify. This is the perfect Jubilee cake: light and innovative, yet traditional. Serves 10 Ingredients ½ tsp five peppercorns blend ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground ginger ¼ tsp ground nutmeg 2 tsp freeze-dried mint 250g self-raising flour ¼ tsp salt 250g butter 250g vanilla sugar 4 eggs, beaten 250g cream cheese 150ml double cream 100g icing sugar 250g strawberries, quartered 200g blueberries Remove the rectangle of pastry from the fridge and use a small knife to slice the pastry into 1cm wide strips. Arrange the strips over the rhubarb in a lattice pattern, saving three strips for the edge. For the egg wash, whisk the egg and milk in a small bowl. Trim the edges of the pastry to the rim of the dish, then use a pastry brush to carefully coat the lattice with egg wash. Use the last three strips of pastry to cover the rim, then brush this with egg wash as well. Place the dish in the oven over a piece of kitchen foil to catch any drips. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Leave to cool before transferring to a serving plate. Will keep in the fridge for three or four days. ‘British Baking’, by Oliver Peyton, is out now (Square Peg, £20)