Honey Gooseberry Cake Recipe

I am a HUGE fan of gooseberries. They are small little berries that grow on thorn filled bushes and are very popular in Irish and English gardens. They can come in a range of colours from pink to purple, yellow or green. Green is the most common here in Ireland and definitely my favourite as they are the most sour. This Honey Gooseberry Cake is an adaptation from Delicious Magazine “Sticky Gooseberry Cake”. I didn’t have any saffron on hand and I adjusted the recipe slightly.

So how do I make this Honey Gooseberry Cake from scratch?

This Honey Gooseberry Cake is made using a traditional cake method called the “creaming method”. This means that the fat and sugar is beat together until creamy, then the eggs are added followed by the flour and liquid. The liquid we use in this cake is gooseberry puree that has been freshly made. o because of this, I have broken down the cake into two different steps;

• Gooseberry Puree
• Cake Batter

Gooseberry Puree

To begin, add 150 grams of gooseberries to a pot along with 2 tablespoons of honey. Cook this on a medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until the gooseberries burst and become soft and pulpy. Using a hand blender or small food processor (something like a nutribullet), blend the gooseberries until smooth. Press the puree through a small sieve to remove any lumps or seeds into a small bowl. Leave this to one side while you prepare the cake.

Cake Batter

This cake batter is made using the “creaming method”. To begin making this cake, the room temperature butter and sugar is beaten for 2-3 minutes until pale and creamy. Next, the eggs are added in one at a time, beating well between each addition. These processes can be done with an electric whisk or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. The flour and baking powder are then added in and mixed through by hand with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Add in the gooseberry puree next and mix until combined. Pour this batter into a greased and lined 10 inch (23cm) round cake tin. Spread the batter evenly and top with the remaining gooseberries. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing and serving.

Any Tips for making this Honey Gooseberry cake?

For sure!

Make sure your butter is at room temperature. This ensures that you can easily cream together the butter and sugar. If the butter isn’t at room temperature and soft, it will take a lot longer to cream and may result in lumps of butter in your cake batter.

Similarly, make sure that your eggs are at room temperature. This allows you to incorporate the eggs into the creamed butter and sugar easily. If they are not at room temperature they may cause the batter to curdle which results in a flatter, more dense cake.

Why did my cake sink in the middle?

It’s possible that your oven temperature was too high. Causing the cake to rise too much and then sink once you remove it from the oven. Next time, reduce the oven temperature by 10-20°c.

Why is my cake dense and chewy?

It’s possible that you over mixed the batter once you added the flour. The batter should be mixed until just combined. Mix until the lumps of flour have just about disappeared.

Recommended Equipment

For more Cake Recipes, check out my Cake category, here.