Red Gooseberry Cakes
Year three and our gooseberries finally decided to crop. They were by no means laden, but I was happy to get a few this year – 200g to be precise! I’m hoping this is the start of an increasing yield year on year and in 2015 we will get considerably more. Scared about the birds taking my precious crop (they nicked all of our redcurrants and strawberries), I picked them before they were fully ripe. Left a little longer, they would have been a bit sweeter and have gone a deeper red. I was taking no risks, however.
I debated making a small jar of jam. I was very tempted by this, but having recently attended a preserves course at River Cottage, I had a few jars of strawberry & gooseberry jam in the cupboard, so thought I would bake with the gooseberries instead. With Pam Corbin very much in mind from the recent course, I had a quick thumb through her book Cakes. She had a recipe for gooseberry friands. Whilst I’m a big fan of friands, I didn’t want to use only egg whites and end up with a load of egg yolks; I went my own way and came up with a rather different recipe, but like Pam, using a single gooseberry in each mini cake. I wanted to add some elderflower cordial to the mix as this hedgerow plant pairs so well with gooseberries, but I had some lilac syrup that needed using up, so I used that instead.
The cakes rose well and had a lovely light texture. Biting into the sweet cake and coming across a tart gooseberry was pure delight. The colour inside was appealing too; the gooseberries had baked to a beautiful dark dusky rose. With an upcoming birthday party to bake for they went straight into the freezer. Defrosted, they were just as good as fresh and proved to be popular at yesterday’s party.
- 200g (7oz) flour (half wholemeal spelt, half white)
- 60g ground almonds
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 60g white chocolate – finely grated or ground (I used Mortimer white chocolate couverture powder)
- 130g golden caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 50g unsalted butter – melted
- 2 heaped tbsp yogurt
- 2 tbsp elderflower cordial (or rose syrup or lilac syrup)
- 30 small gooseberries – topped & tailed
- Sieve the dry ingredients, then stir in the sugar and chocolate.
- Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs. Add the yogurt, cordial and butter and stir in until just incorporated.
- Spoon into mini cupcake moulds filling to about 3/4. Push a gooseberry halfway into each one.
- Bake at 180℃ for 20 minutes until well risen and golden on the top. Allow to cool for a few minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
I’m sending this off to Sally at My Custard Pie who is hosting Simple and in Season this month on behalf of Ren Behan.
I’m also entering this to Shaheen’s new event Vegetable Palette over at Allotment 2 Kitchen. This first theme is Summer Reds.
Easily portable, these would make fantastic picnic fare, so I am sending them off to Four Seasons Food where the theme is El Fresco. Hosted by Lou of Eat Your Veg and Anneli of Delicieux.
I’m also filling up The Biscuit Barrel over at I’d Much Rather Bake Than … where the theme this month is In Season Fruits.
Cute as these are and most definitely summery, I’m entering them into Treat Petite where the theme this month is summer. Hosted by Kat of The Baking Explorer and Stuart of CakeyBoi.
Harmony Marsh
10th July 2014 at 8:30 amYou could have used the egg yolks for custard! But no, your recipe does sound great! As I don’t have gooseberries what could I substitute that would work with elderflower cordial? (I made a coconut elderflower cake with blackcurrant filling and it was DIVINE)
Choclette
10th July 2014 at 9:06 amI think you’ve answered your own question there Harmony. I’ve used elderflower with strawberries to great effect before and I suspect most berries would work well. I like the idea of making these with 4 to 6 blackcurrants added – mmm, I can feel some more baking coming on!
True, I could have used the eggs for custard, but I didn’t want to make custard at that point as I was in a bit of a rush. But homemade custard is delicious.
Mollie at Yumbles
10th July 2014 at 9:55 amThese look amazing. Picked mine early too this year, first time I’ve ever beaten the birds too it!
Choclette
10th July 2014 at 11:08 amHooray Mollie – this must be the way to go.
Sisley White
10th July 2014 at 10:37 amIt is bad to admit I have never tried a gooseberry, other than drinks, but I am really tempted to try them for this.
The chocolate part seems to be missing 🙂
Choclette
10th July 2014 at 11:07 amGosh, I am rather stunned you’ve never tried gooseberries Sisley – they are fabulous fruit. There is white chocolate in the recipe.
hurny2009
10th July 2014 at 11:18 amOooh lovely! I love it when people make white chocolate cakes! I think they taste a little bit lighter and nicer. Dark and Milk Choc cakes can be a bit heavy. I can honestly say though, I’ve never ever tasted a gooseberry before haha xx
Choclette
10th July 2014 at 4:26 pmAnother one whose never had a gooseberry? Surely not. I think white chocolate works really well in baking, though I do like dark chocolate too.
Corina
10th July 2014 at 6:36 pmI love this idea – I keep going to the local pick your own with my toddler and I was looking for more ideas to do with the gooseberries rather than just stewing them.
Choclette
14th July 2014 at 11:08 amOh yes, so many lovely things to do with gooseberries – gooseberry jam is one of my favourites Corina.
belleau kitchen
10th July 2014 at 9:38 pmwhat a sweet idea… a perfectly simple cake with a hidden gem inside. We have a bush of purple gooseberries and they were just ripening before we left for Spain and we’re now stuck down in London for 2 more weeks so no doubt they’ll all be bird food whilst we’re away which is such a shame but I’m hoping they’ll still be there and I can make these adorable little cakes x
Choclette
14th July 2014 at 11:09 amWill cross fingers that the birds leave you some Dom. I remember your purple gooseberries from last year.
Angie Schneider
11th July 2014 at 3:25 amwow gooseberries from your own garden…amazing! These mini cakes look fantastic, Choclette.
Choclette
14th July 2014 at 11:10 amThanks Angie – we didn’t get many, but at least we got some 🙂
Ren Behan
11th July 2014 at 10:25 amGorgeous and I can honestly say I’ve never seen red gooseberries! Thank you for the lovely entry to Simple and in Season x
Choclette
14th July 2014 at 11:11 amThanks Ren. Red gooseberries are usually much sweeter than green ones and when ripe are good eaten raw.
The Tiny Marmalade
11th July 2014 at 10:35 amoh my! Can’t wait to try them!!!!!!!!
http://tinymarmalade.blogspot.co.uk/
Choclette
14th July 2014 at 11:12 amDo let me know how you get on if you do make them.
Shaheen
11th July 2014 at 10:51 amUtterly gorgeous. I would love to try some. I have only seen fresh red gooseberries once in my life, on a Glasgow allotment plot, and then frozen. I do miss growing the green variety, may have to pick up a plant soon for the garden. Thank you for sharing on The vegetable palette.
Choclette
14th July 2014 at 11:13 amThanks Shaheen. Red gooseberries are worth growing as if you leave them to be fully ripe, they are quite sweet and are good eaten raw.
Johanna GGG
11th July 2014 at 12:56 pmgood luck with your gooseberries – we had all our blueberries eaten by birds in summer – but at least it is easy to buy blueberries – never seen red gooseberries before – only green – I have much to learn – the cupcakes sound great
Choclette
14th July 2014 at 11:19 amOh what a shame Johanna – birds can be such a nuisance. Would love to have our own blueberries. Red gooseberries are much sweeter than green ones, so if harvested ripe are delicious raw.
Jennifer Ferris
11th July 2014 at 1:44 pmWhat a wonderful recipe. I have never eaten gooseberries, but I love tart fruit!
Choclette
14th July 2014 at 11:20 amOh, in that case, you will like gooseberries Jennifer.
Janice Pattie
11th July 2014 at 8:54 pmThey look great, red gooseberries are so pretty
Choclette
14th July 2014 at 11:59 amThanks Janice, pretty and tasty 🙂
Phil in the Kitchen
11th July 2014 at 9:10 pmGooseberries and elderflower are just a perfect summer combination. These look lovely. When I grew gooseberries years ago, the birds would steal most of the other fruit in the garden but rarely touched the gooseberries. Maybe they had a sweet tooth (or beak). Personally I think gooseberries are a wonderful fruit.
Choclette
14th July 2014 at 12:02 pmYes, I remember blackcurrants going long before the gooseberries in my mother’s garden Phil, but we don’t have a great deal of fruit and lots and lots of birds. Last year they ate everything before we could get to it.
Nazima
11th July 2014 at 9:23 pmlovely idea Choclette. I have not cooked gooseberries for years! love the sweetness of chocolate with the tart gooseberries. clever idea
Choclette
14th July 2014 at 12:02 pmThanks Nazima, I’m a big fan of sweet and tart.
Kristin @ Dizzy Busy and Hungry!
11th July 2014 at 10:13 pmThis makes me want to try gooseberries! I have never had them before. Love this idea!
Choclette
14th July 2014 at 12:03 pmOoh Kristin, do get hold of some if you can, gooseberries have a lovely flavour. Red ones are generally sweeter than green though.
fiona maclean
12th July 2014 at 6:37 pmfunnily enough I did a version of these with chocolate cake and raspberries a year or so ago. Sounds gorgeous!
Choclette
14th July 2014 at 12:04 pmYour version sounds good to me Fiona 🙂
The Caked Crusader
13th July 2014 at 3:34 pmI love red gooseberries – they’re so much nicer than their green counterparts. Love these little cakes!
Choclette
14th July 2014 at 12:05 pmYes CC, red gooseberries were bred to be dessert fruit I believe.
Kate Glutenfreealchemist
13th July 2014 at 9:44 pmHow cute are these? I love the hidden fruit…… I am not too keen on green gooseberries though… are the red ones any sweeter?
Choclette
14th July 2014 at 12:06 pmThanks Kate. Red gooseberries are meant to be dessert ones and if left to fully ripen can be very sweet and quite delicious.
Laura Denman
15th July 2014 at 9:24 pmYay, I’m so glad you linked these up because they are a bit unusual but sound really yummy =)
Choclette
17th July 2014 at 12:40 pmThanks Laura – you know me, I like a bit of unusual 😉
Sally - My Custard Pie
13th August 2014 at 4:16 pmLucky, lucky you to have bushes laden with these beauties. I love the surprise in the middle of each cake. Gorgeous. Thank you so much for entering Simple and in Season. The round up is now published.
Choclette
3rd September 2014 at 9:33 amThanks Sally, it was very exciting to finally get a crop of gooseberries. Hoping for more next year.
Gooseberry & Apple Jam & my feature in The Sun - Fab Food 4 All
13th July 2015 at 1:08 pm[…] Red Gooseberry Cakes […]