Sweet Bee: Lime Pound Cake/Apple Strudel 🌞

I didn't want all of you to think that Bee Wilson
only dispensed advice!

Lime and Spice Pound Cake

I used to think it was a law of nature that you had to preheat the oven before
putting a cake in. But it turns out that pound cake, with its dense, pebbly
texture, actually works better from a cold start because you don’t want it to
rise too dramatically. It took me a long time to find a pound cake I really
loved, but this is it. The technique was inspired by an orange cake in The
Modern Pantry by Anna Hansen and the flavour was inspired by Niki
Segnit writing (in The Flavour Thesaurus) that lime and cinnamon are two
of the cornerstone flavours of Coca-Cola. The crumb has the warmth of
nutmeg and the bright hit of lime, and then it has a sugary crust, like a
lemon drizzle cake, which makes you wince with sharp pleasure from the
lime juice, a hit of acid which disguises just how sweet this cake is. It looks
plain but it isn’t, and it keeps very well for a few days in a cake tin.

Serves 8–10

250g (9oz) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the tin
250g (9oz) caster sugar (Ed. note Superfine is about the same)
3 eggs
45ml (3 Tb) whole milk or yoghurt (full fat or Greek)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Grated nutmeg: about 20 strokes on a grater or ¼ teaspoon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 limes, preferably unwaxed
200g (7oz) plain flour (or white spelt flour)
1½ teaspoons baking powder


For the topping
2 limes (preferably unwaxed)
100g (3 1/2oz) caster sugar

This works just as well made in a homely 900g (1qt 8^D) loaf tin or in a ring mould,
if you have one. Butter or oil the tin and then line with baking parchment.
In a mixing bowl, using a hand-held electric whisk (or in a stand mixer if
you have one), combine the butter and sugar until they are whippy and
light. Whisk in the eggs, one by one, followed by the milk or yoghurt, all
the spices and the zest of the 2 limes.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder, then fold
this into the mixture gently but thoroughly, using a large metal spoon or a
spatula. Spoon into the prepared loaf tin or ring mould. Put into the oven,
turn the heat to 160°C fan, and bake for an hour or until a skewer inserted
into the deepest part comes out clean. Check after 45 minutes. It will take a
little longer in a loaf tin compared to a ring mould (so much also depends
on the oven).

While the cake is in the oven, zest and juice the limes for the topping.
You want about 60ml of lime juice. If the limes are not very juicy ones
(they vary so much), add the juice of one of the limes you zested for the
cake mixture. Mix this zest and juice with the 100g of sugar.
When the cake is out of the oven, let it cool in its tin for 5 minutes. Then
jab it all over with a skewer to help the syrup sink in and spoon the sugar
lime mixture all over it. Leave it to continue to cool. This keeps well for a
few days in a cake tin and is as good with a cup of tea in the afternoon as it
is for pudding after dinner with clouds of whipped cream.

From "The Secret of Cooking" ~ Bee Wilson
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77264998-the-secret-of-cooking

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Crisp Spiced Apple Strudel

In my family, we always have to call this ‘crisp apple strudel’, because of
The Sound of Music, even if it turns out soggy (which it doesn’t). It reminds
me that there is satisfaction just in saying the words ‘crisp’ or ‘crunchy’.
This recipe is based on one in Supper Club by Kerstin Rodgers, but I’ve
changed the flavours a bit. Usually, when people say ‘as easy as apple pie’,
it is some kind of sick joke, because a classic apple pie with a double crust
is tricky and time-consuming (though completely worth it when you do
have lots of time). This strudel, though, is properly a cinch. Because of the
filo pastry, you don’t need a pie tin, a rolling pin or any baking skills. If you
are the sort of person who thinks you can’t make pie, make this and prove
yourself wrong. The most time-consuming part here is prepping the apples.

Serves 4

900g (1qt) sweet eating apples (I use something like Cox or Braeburn)
90g (3oz) brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon plain flour
Juice and zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
Zest of 1 unwaxed orange
50g (1oz) butter
6 large sheets of filo pastry
Icing sugar, to serve
Double cream, to serve

Peel and core the apples and cut them into little dice. In a mixing bowl,
combine them with the sugar, cinnamon, flour, zest and juice.

Melt the butter and find a pastry brush. Tear off a large piece of baking
parchment, about twice as long as your baking tray.

Preheat the oven to 190°C fan.

Lay out a sheet of filo on the baking parchment. Brush with melted butter
and join another piece of filo on to it with the shortest edge overlapping
by a couple of centimetres. Brush this with butter too. Lay 2 more sheets
of filo on top and brush with butter again. Lay the final 2 sheets on top.

Spread the apple mixture over the filo, distributing it as evenly as you
can but not worrying too much about the odd gap. Now roll it up from one
short end to the other into a fat sausage. Use melted butter to stick the
pastry at the end. Brush it all over with melted butter. Using the baking
parchment, lift the strudel on to the baking tray. Tear or cut off the excess
baking parchment.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until crisp and brown (check after 25
minutes, but it might need as long as 35). Dust with icing sugar and
serve with cream. It’s best eaten warm.

From "The Secret of Cooking" ~ Bee Wilson
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77264998-the-secret-of-cooking

Gonna try that pound cake!