Today is Poppy Day - the day set aside to remember the decimation of the armed forces during the Great War. The 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month is the date in 1918 when hostilities formally ended. Beautiful, scarlet poppies came to symbolise the men who lost their lives on the worst battlefields in Flanders. Where men lay dead poppies thrived.
We all have different ways of remembering our forebears who fought and died at that time. For me it is a cake inspired by the colour and joy of the pretty poppy which helps me to mark this year's Remembrance Day.
The cake is an adaptation of Nigel Slater's moist, chocolate and beetroot cake served with
crème fraîche
and scattered with poppy seeds. I have loved poppy seed cake for years. The first one I made was by Sarah Brown and can be found in her book -
Vegetarian Kitchen
. Another I like is the orange and poppy seed from the
Wharf Street Cafe Cookbook
, so beautifully illustrated by its author Jill Gibbon, a great inspiration for my own modest doodles. Sadly the cafe no longer exists.
I recommend eating this cake with a cup of tea while listening to a song that has been going round in my head all day Dido's Lament sung so beautifully by Alison Moyet... all very sad.
This is a lovely cake, so moist; not too sweet and very grown up. It does not need bling and glitter to tempt you into eat it. The colour is fabulous and I loved stirring cooked beetroot through molten chocolate. Once you have all the ingredients ready and the cake tin prepared it is quick to assemble.
Remembrance cake
Makes at least 10 good slices
250g beetroot, boiled until soft;
blitzed or grated
150g plain chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken up
4 tbsp hot expresso coffee
200g unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
135g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
4 tsp good quality cocoa powder (I used Green & Black)
5 free range eggs, separated
190g caster sugar
crème fraîche and poppy seeds to serve
Lightly butter and line a 20cm loose bottom cake tin with baking paper. Set the oven to 180C/Gas 4
Place the chocolate pieces in a small bowl set on top of a pan of simmering water. As the chocolate begins to melt add hot expresso coffee and butter and stir the ingredients until completely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes; stir beaten egg yolks and
grated or blitzed beetroot
through the mixture. Take a moment to be amazed by the beautiful colour of this cake mix.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff and then fold in the caster sugar. Gently fold the egg whites and sugar into the cake mix followed by the flour, baking and cocoa powder. Transfer to the cake tin and cook in a preheated oven for 40 minutes.
My cake cooked just within 40 minutes. The rim of the cake was spongy and the centre remained a little soft but not sunken.
Allow the cake to cool and then serve with a little
crème fraîche and scattered poppy seeds.
And when you eat a slice with your family and friends vow to do everything you can to be peaceful, avoid future wars, arguments and hatred.
