With the news that Kate and Wills had not one but two cakes at their wedding we’re all in a frenzy here about the possibility of extra cake now being a formality, not just reserved for the lucky few who snaffle the last bits. There’s no better place to indulge yourself than on holiday so be sure to keep an eye out for some of these tasty treats. Now, we know money’s tight so we’re looking close to home with cakes from the UK. Go on, have two, you know you want to!
Parkin:
by spider.dog
It’s a traditional ginger cake, best known for its associations with Yorkshire and Lancashire and thought to have been brought to the UK by the Vikings. Really traditional varieties contain oatmeal and treacle and, like a fine wine, taste better slightly aged. In fact, it was the length of time this cake stays fresh that has made it such a household favourite. It’s best eaten accompanied with copious amounts of tea, an idea we can really get behind.
Honey and Whisky Cake:
by sashafatcat
Trust those Scots to come up with something laced with whisky! It’s a traditional Scottish recipe for an innocuous-looking treat that may just pack a punch if you’re a little heavy-handed with the measuring. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this has long been a childhood favourite for those growing up in the land where whisky is big business, and its popularity is spreading as the word, and the recipe, gets out over the internet.
Cream tea:
by Shane Global Language Centre
Not strictly a cake, but certainly worthy of making the list. Cream teas involve copious amounts of tea as well as scones slathered in clotted cream and jam, what’s not to love? The debate has long raged on as to whether you put the cream or the jam on first, with proponents of each style equally committed to defending their side of the argument. It seems cream first is the only way to be seen doing it in Devon, but head over to Cornwall and you’ll find this opinion reversed. Here, we think a taste-off is the best way to settle it!
Bara Brith:
by zingyyellow
All the cakes so far seem to revolve heavily around tea, and this is no exception. This Welsh favourite is made with tea-soaked dried fruit and, as ever, should be enjoyed with the nation’s favourite beverage. Translated as speckled bread, this cake can be sliced and spread with butter when fresh and then toasted and spread with jam once it becomes slightly stale. Although who would leave a perfectly good cake lying around to get stale is beyond me!
Cake Balls:
by AimeePlesa
Last but not least, the hottest new idea to hit the cake world, cake balls are little pieces of cake rolled into a ball, covered in chocolate and dipped in toppings. This sounds like a great way to sample more than one type of cake and we’re all for it! So watch out for these tasty morsels coming soon to a cake shop near you, and get the tea ready because if tradition has taught us anything it’s that all cakes taste better when there’s tea involved.
Top photo by Phil Hawksworth
