Something to celebrate? Clare Latimer tells you how you can have your cake and eat it with these two delicious recipes

MY father, the well-known theatre actor Hugh Latimer, is 93-years-old this week and although retired from acting, he makes the most beautiful jewellery and goblets in gold and silver.
When I was a child I thought everyone’s dad had their name up in lights in Shaftsbury Avenue and I also found it a great inconvenience that my dad went to work when most other dads came home.
It was also my parents’ 66th wedding anniversary last week and it is a miracle that two actors have remained together for so long. As I have these family occasions to celebrate here are two delicious cake recipes for your own special celebrations.

CUT-AND-COME-AGAIN-FLOURLESS CAKE
This is wonderfully moist, rich and very hard to resist, hence the name. You could also serve it as a pudding with a bowl of raspberries and cream or sliced oranges.
Serves 8
Ingredients
150g dark chocolate,
broken up;
75g of caster sugar;
150g of unsalted butter, softened;
One tablespoon of runny honey;
Four large eggs,
separated;
200g of ground almonds;
75ml of milk;
100g of skinned
hazelnuts, chopped;
A little cocoa.
Method
Preheat the oven 180C 350F Gas 4. Grease a 20cm wide, 7cm deep cake tin and line the bottom with greaseproof paper. Put the chocolate, sugar, butter and honey in a large bowl and stand in a saucepan of simmering water. Allow to melt while stirring until smooth.
Remove from the heat and beat in the egg yolks and ground almonds, and then stir in the milk.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff and then fold into the mixture. Pour into the cake tin and then sprinkle the hazelnuts over the top. Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until risen and a skewer comes out clean from the middle.
Leave to cool in the tin. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake and gently turn out onto a serving plate. Dust with cocoa, decorate and serve.

CITRUS CAKE
I am giving you a standard and very quick sponge cake recipe and then you can add any flavour you wish.
Just remember that if you add cocoa then cut down slightly on the flour and if you add a strong coffee liquid then you need to add extra flour.
Check when it is mixed. It should just drop slowly off the spoon. An old lady in Cornwall, who always made wonderful cakes, taught me that if you add a spoonful of boiling water to the mix it makes it lighter.
Serves 8
Ingredients
125g butter;
125g caster sugar;
Two large eggs;
Grated rind of one lemon;
125g self-raising flour.
Method
Preheat the oven 180C 350F Gas 4. Grease two 20cm cake tins and line the bases with greaseproof paper.
Put all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer for about three minutes or until light and fluffy. Add one tablespoon boiling water and mix in gently. Spoon into the two cake tins, smooth over the tops and bake in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until just cooked and the skewer comes out clean from the middle. Turn out onto a wired rack and then leave to cool. To decorate the cake, cut in half lengthways and spread half the icing over one piece of cake (see my recipe for icing below).
Top with the other and then put the remaining icing on the top and smooth over neatly. To get a smooth finish, use a round bladed knife, a cup of hot water and dip, clean and warm the knife continuously to achieve a glossy top.
Decorate with candles, sweets and if you dare, write on the top using a piping bag and perhaps add some colouring to a little reserved icing.

ORANGE ICING
This is the easiest icing and also tastes tangy and fresh and of course the alcohol helps.
Ingredients
125g unsalted butter,
softened;
Finely grated rind of one orange;
225g icing sugar;
Two tablespoons of fresh orange juice;
One teaspoon of Grand Marnier.
Method
Beat the butter and rind in a bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in the icing sugar holding a cloth over the top if it is very messy. Add the orange juice and alcohol and continue beating until light and fluffy.

Clare’s Kitchen
41 Chalcot Road
Primrose Hill
NW1
Tel: 020 7586 8433
www.clareskitchen.co.uk