Gipsy Cake Recipes

GYPSY TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry, put the butter and caster sugar in a food processor. Add the egg and whizz for 30 secs, then tip in the flour and blitz for a few secs more until the dough just comes together - be careful not to overwork it.
• Dust your work surface with flour, bring the dough together with your hands and lightly knead, shaping the pastry into a flat disc. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 mins. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Roll out the pastry to £1 coin thickness and use to line a deep 23cm tart tin, then return to the fridge for 20 mins or until the pastry is hard. Line the pastry case with baking parchment, fill with baking beans and bake for 20 mins. Remove the baking beans and return to the oven for 5-10 mins until the base is golden and the sides are set.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Whisk the milk and sugar together in a stand mixer (or use an electric hand whisk) until light and fluffy, about 20 mins. Pour into the pre-baked pastry case and cook for 15 mins until risen and the surface is tacky. Remove from the oven and leave to cool and set before serving.
• Pour the cream into a large bowl, add the lemon zest and lightly whip. Serve alongside the tart once cool.

GYPSY JAMBOREE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour two 8 inch diameter cake pans.
• Place the vinegar in a measuring cup, and pour in the milk to equal 3/4 cup. Set aside.
• Beat the sugar with the shortening in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, and continue beating until batter is smooth.
• Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in another mixing bowl, and stir to blend. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture, alternating with the milk mixture. Stir in the lemon and vanilla extracts. Pour batter into prepared cake pans, dividing evenly.
• Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick or small knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the inside of the pans before inverting to remove the cakes. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.
• To make the icing, beat the butter, egg yolk, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Gradually sift in the confectioners' sugar, alternating with the hot water, stirring until smooth. Do not add the cocoa until step 7.
• To frost the cake, place one layer on a cake plate. Use about half the icing to cover sides and top of the cake. Stir the cocoa into the remaining icing and blend well. Place the second cake layer on top of the first, and frost with the chocolate icing, meeting the plain icing halfway down the side of the cake.

GYPSY TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry, mix the flour and icing sugar together in a bowl. Add the butter and rub it in lightly with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively, do this in a food processor or a mixer and then transfer to a bowl.
• Mix the egg with the lemon juice and a tablespoon of water. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mix. Using a table knife, work the liquid into the flour to bring the pastry together. If it seems too dry, add a splash more water. When the dough begins to stick together, use your hands to gently knead it into a ball.
• Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about a 3mm thickness and use it to line the tart tin, leaving excess pastry hanging over the edge. Keep a little uncooked pastry back in case you need to patch any cracks later.
• Line the pastry case with baking parchment or foil, then fill with baking beans, or uncooked rice or lentils. Bake blind for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment and baking beans and return the pastry to the oven for approximately eight minutes, or until it looks dry and faintly coloured.
• Using a small, sharp knife, trim away the excess pastry from the edge of the tin. Use a tiny bit of the reserved raw pastry to patch any cracks or holes if necessary. Turn the oven down to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
• For the filling, put the both milks and the sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of a freestanding mixer. Beat together with an electric whisk, starting off slowly then increasing the speed, for around 10 minutes until the mixture is increased in volume, light and bubbly.
• Pour the mixture into the pastry case. Bake for about 30 minutes (check after 20 minutes), or until just set and still a bit wobbly in the centre. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin before slicing and serving.

GYPSY'S ARM CAKE

Steps:

• To make the pastry cream, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a medium-sized bowl until they are thick and lemon colored. Whisk in the flour and the salt and reserve.
• Place one-and-a-half cups of the milk and the cinnamon stick in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Scald, remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes.
• Remove the cinnamon stick from the milk and discard. Return the milk to the scalding point over medium-high heat and gradually whisk it into the egg yolk and flour mixture. Return this mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking for at least two minutes, until the pastry cream thins slightly and the flour taste has cooked out of it. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl, cover and cool.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Line a 17-by-11-by-1-inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Brush with oil or melted butter and dust with flour.
• To prepare the cake, beat the egg yolks with three-quarters of the cup of sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, until the mixture is thick and lemon colored. Sift together the dry ingredients. Remove the whisk attachment and, using the mixer attachment, add the dry ingredients at low speed, mixing until just incorporated. Add the vanilla, mix quickly and thoroughly and reserve. The mixture will be quite thick.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with the pinch of salt until they form stiff points. Add the remaining sugar and whisk until the egg whites become glossy, an additional 30 seconds. Fold one quarter of the egg whites into the flour and egg yolk mixture, then fold the remaining egg whites in, working quickly.
• Spread the cake mixture in the prepared pan and bake until the cake is golden and the top springs back when lightly pressed, 8 to 10 minutes.
• While the cake is baking, sift one tablespoon of the confectioners' sugar on a clean tea towel.
• Remove the cake from the oven and immediately turn it over on top of the sugar-dusted towel. Peel the parchment paper from the cake and, working from the long side, gently roll the cake in the towel. Cool for about 30 minutes.
• When the cake has cooled, unroll it. Trim off the edges of the cake. If necessary, thin the pastry cream slightly with additional milk, to easy spreading consistency. Spread an even layer on the cake. Carefully reroll the cake and place it seam-side down on a serving platter.
• Mix together the remaining confectioners' sugar and the cinnanmon and sift it over the top of the cake. Serve immediately.

GIPSY CAKE

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water. Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
• Mix sugar and butter until the sugar completely dissolves and the mixture is creamy. Slowly add the egg yolks. Mix in melted chocolate, almonds, cinnamon, cloves and lemon zest. Sift flour over mixture and carefully fold it inches.
• Grease the model for cake and spread little flour over so the dough will not stick.
• Preheat the oven on 180ºC.
• Beat the egg whites until very firm and fluffy. Fold it very carefully into the chocolate mixture and fill the model with it.
• Bake it for about 50 minutes.
• When baked remove the cake from the model and place it on a wire rack to cool down. That takes for about 6 hours.
• In the meantime, place the raisins into a bowl and pour over the rum. leave them soaking to achieve strong aroma for about 2 hours.
• Melt the couverture chocolate. Whip the cream with sugar until very firm.
• Cut the cake into two layers. Spread the whipped cream over the bottom layer and sprinkle it with well dried raisins. Place the second layer over.
• Spread the melted chocolate over cake and decorate it with whole almonds and sanding sugar to add shine.

GYPSY TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, beat the evaporated milk and sugar with a whisk or electric mixer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until fluffy and mocha colored. Pour into the shortbread crust.
• Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. The Gypsy Tart will have a sticky surface, and will not set completely until left to cool. Serve chilled.