The first inkling I had that I was expecting the Small Girl all those years ago, was when I couldn’t stop eating strawberries, or indeed strawberry flavoured things. A little like the Hungry Caterpillar, I must have worked my through more than a few punnets of the real thing, along with strawberry ice cream, strawberry cakes, strawberry milk, and those pink wafer biscuit things that we have in the UK. They don’t taste of strawberry at all, but my brain must have just associated anything pink and edible as a must have, and so they got devoured by the packet full as well… Thankfully, unlike the Hungry Caterpillar, I didn’t pupate, but I like to think that eventually I spread my wings as a New Mum, and adapted well. I couldn’t however touch strawberries or anything strawberry flavoured for a very very long time afterwards.
Small Boy was my black cherry baby 12 months or so later. I couldn’t get enough of them. Having piled handfuls of the things into a clear plastic bag in one supermarket, I remember thinking it had been an expensive shop given that I only had a few things to show for it. £18 worth of black cherries will do that. A bit excessive, but at the time I absolutely needed them, and ate most of them in one sitting…
This baby is proving consistent with his/her siblings, and thankfully for me living in a region that does seasonal produce so well, has decided that raspberries are absolutely the thing that its mother must currently eat her own body weight in. I have even tried to convince my lovely friend at True & 12 that they have to make a raspberry sorbet or ice cream soon, but to be honest I am not sure they could make enough…
Imagine my delight then, when Parragon sent me a teeny tiny book called 150 Fast and Simple recipes, and the first recipe I opened the page on turned out to be a Raspberry & Almond cake. This obviously not only had raspberries in, but was super fast to make and baked in around 22 minutes! In fact nearly all of the 150 recipes in the book (ranging from light bites, meat & poultry, fish & seafood, vegetarian, and baking and desserts) have no more than 3-4 stages and take no longer than 15-20 minutes to prepare, which, if you are pushed for time, or in a Hungry Caterpillar stage of your life, is pretty much a perfect addition to any cooks book shelf I think you’ll agree…
Raspberry & Almond Cake Ingredients:
115g Self-Raising Flour (or 115g plain flour with 2 tsp baking powder);
1/4tsp baking powder (if using self raising);
2 eggs;
115g softened butter;
115g caster sugar;
40g ground almonds;
175g fresh raspberries;
2 tbsp flaked almonds and 2 tbsp icing sugar for decoration.
1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Place a baking sheet in the oven to heat up. Grease a 23cm/9inch round shallow cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Sift together the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the eggs, butter and sugar and beat with a hand held electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until pale and creamy. Fold in the ground almonds.
2. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Gently level the surface and scatter over the raspberries and flaked almonds. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until risen, golden and firm to the touch.
3. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 1-2 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Serve warm or cold (if it lasts that long), dusted with icing sugar.
Nb. the more observant of you will note that I omitted to use flaked almonds, that’s because I forgot them, but it was still gorgeous!
(I was sent a copy of the book to review. As per usual all opinions are my own).
Phoebe @ Lou Messugo says
I craved jaffa cakes (or the French equivalent Pimms) during my 1st pregnancy. Hubby would be sent tofind them at the local convenience staore at 10pm! Not quite as healthy as your cravings. 2nd time round I felt too sick to eat anything. Raspberries are good and this cake sounds delish.
Emma says
They have Pimms here too, and I can see how you craved those! Thanks Phoebe! :)
Sally Sellwood (@Recipejunkie27) says
Wow – Emma, congratulations, now I really know that I’ve been neglecting all things blogging because I hadn’t picked up on this little nugget of information How exciting!! Your fruity cravings are very healthy – my major weakness was salt & vinegar square crisps. And with No 2 it was goats cheese & watercress sandwiches. I crave this cake, though, and there is no number 3 on the way for me!! Hope all is going well xxx
Emma says
Thanks Sally! Salt & Vinegar square crisps? Now I am sure I could develop a craving for those!! :D xx
MsCaroline says
I have gained almost 5kg since moving to the UK in January (how do all of you stay so thin? It’s killing me!), so I am nobly looking away from your tantalizing photos, drinking a cup of black coffee, and gloomily setting out for a few miles’ walk with the dog instead. (But I do have to add that I felt the same way about pineapple when I was expecting #2. All I would have to do is just see one in the grocery store and I could feel myself beginning to salivate – and that is not an exaggeration.)
Emma says
I am liking the sound of pineapple, will have to hunt it down in one of Munich’s more extensive stores! Don’t worry about the weight, it was bound to happen after the land of kimchi and rice! I am glad you are enjoying our bountiful English larder! :D xx
Pinkoddy says
I love how healthy these cravings are. I didn’t crave fruit I wanted crisps. What a great book to be sent – such perfect timing and the cake looks and sounds delicious.
Emma says
Today I have a wotsit craving too. Sadly wotsits are rarer than hen’s teeth here! :D Thanks J! :) x
A Patchwork Life says
I had to read this twice…what wonderful news!!! Many congratulations! Did I miss an earlier post? Head’s been in the clouds… How are you feeling? Is it still early days? Cake looks gorgeous! xxx
Emma says
Thanks so much T! I kind of slipped it in at the end of my Storks Nest/Osterbrunnen Post a couple of weeks ago! :) I am feeling fine, apart from evening sickness, but that will pass soon hopefully! Due at the end of September! Hope all is well xx
Elizabeth says
Congratulations on expecting! I find it hilarious that you craved strawberries when expecting your first – because that is how I feel right now. I want to eat ALL of the strawberries and strawberry flavored things (mm poptarts)!
Emma says
Thanks so much Elizabeth, are you expecting too??? :)
Elizabeth says
I am! Its my first! I’m not really going to be sharing much about it on my blog, but I’m sure it will come up occasionally – especially because I cannot hide my giant stomach under a winter coat for much longer!
Emma says
How wonderful! Congratulations!!! Glad Strawberry season is almost properly upon us for you as well! :) x
Jazzygal says
Oh, looks delicious! I love raspberries, we are awaiting a harvest of them in our back garden so this should be just the recipe I need.
And I see congratulations are in order? Baby #3. Congrats and the very best of luck :-) xx
Emma says
Thanks so much J! :) Raspberries growing in your back garden? So jealous! :)
Mammasaurus says
FEEEEED ME EMMA!
I am huge fan of cake now we have an oven at last an raspberry cakes are just my favourite so I am on this like, well, a Saurus on Cake!
Emma says
Pop on over! Thanks Annie! :D