Recipe: Raspberry & lemon torta

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Published on Sunday, 04 November 2012 08:00

Last Updated on 26 October 2012

Monica Costa

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This recipe for a Raspberry & lemon torta has been donated by Tana Ramsey to the Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity that grants wishes for seriously ill children in the UK aged 3-18, for a new cookbook that will help raise funds for this organisation that since 2003 has fulfilled more than 2,300 wishes and entertained thousands of other young people through hospital activities, outings and events.

The bright new yellow book includes 35 recipes which have been donated by some of the UK’s most favourite chefs and celebrities.

Raspberry & lemon torta

This is at its delicious best when served slightly warm. It does sink a little in the middle but this recipe is all about taste, not looks. It will last a couple of days, which is always handy. And I do just love raspberries!

Serves 8

Preparation time 30 minutes

Cooking time 1 hour 5 minutes

Can be made in advance

Ingredients

115g (4oz) unsalted butter, gently melted and cooled, plus more for the tin

450g (1lb) raspberries

Juice of ½ lemon

225g (8oz) golden caster sugar, plus more for the top

3 free-range eggs

250g (9oz) plain flour, sifted

2 rounded tsp baking powder

Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

1 Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF/gas mark 3. Butter a 20cm (8in) round cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.

2 Place the raspberries and lemon juice into a mixing bowl. In another large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until pale and thick, then carefully fold in the flour, baking powder and lemon zest. Gently stir in the butter.

3 Tip the batter into the tin then scatter in the raspberries and their juices. Sprinkle a little sugar over the top.

4 Bake for 1 hour, or until it springs back to the touch (see Tana’s Kitchen Secret, below). Check halfway through the cooking time – you may find you need to cover the torta with foil to prevent the top from scorching. Allow to cool in the tin, then turn out.

How to know when a cake is cooked

The cake will have an even colour, be firm yet springy to the touch and should be slightly shrinking away from the edges of the tin. Insert a clean skewer right down into the centre. If it comes out clean, the cake is cooked. After removing from the oven, give it a few minutes to rest in its tin before turning out on a cooling rack.

This recipe is also part of Tana’s Kitchen Secrets, published by Mitchell Beazley, £19.99.

Gordon Ramsay, Gino D’Acampo, Michel Roux Jnr, Delia Smith, Gwyneth Paltrow, Carol Vorderman, Myleene Klass, Christine Bleakley, Lisa Snowdon, One Direction and JLS are amongst the chefs and celebrities who have contributed to Rays of Sunshine’s new celebrity cookbook, A Dish for a Wish.

The foreword is by leading patisserie chef Lorraine Pascale who said:
“I am proud to be an ambassador for Rays of Sunshine. Being involved has given me firsthand experience of the wonderful work the charity does every day Whether a child wants to go on a family holiday, visit Disneyworld, own an iPad, be a car park attendant or meet a favourite celebrity, Rays of Sunshine works hard to make that wish come true. Every recipe in A Dish for a Wish has been donated with love by some of the UK’s best loved celebrities and chefs; I hope the book will brighten up your kitchen, as every copy sold will help to brighten up the life of a seriously ill child in the UK.”

A Dish for a Wish is available to buy from: www.raysofsunshine.org.uk £20 (plus postage and packing)
All proceeds go to Rays of Sunshine.