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Retro bakes - which is your favourite?

(56 Posts)
Nannanoo Mon 30-Nov-15 13:27:48

I came over all 'retro' last week, and made a batch of rock cakes - remember those? They were delicious, and I'm ashamed to say that I scoffed most of them. grin
It took me back to my years as a student nurse. If we were lucky enough to be off duty on a Sunday afternoon, we were served tea in Matron's sitting room. There was a very old rickety tea trolley, and on it would be a white, lacy cloth, plates of bread and butter, a large pot of 'builders' tea, and either rock cakes or jam tarts. cupcake brew
The menu never changed, but it was such a treat for us to sit and be waited on by a maid, and to eat as much bread and cake as we wanted.
What is your favourite 'retro' cake? I think Mary Berry has given us a lot of encouragement to go back to baking sessions, and retirement gives some of us the opportunity!

whitewave Mon 30-Nov-15 13:29:29

Saffron cake

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 30-Nov-15 13:31:04

Love rock cakes! I used to make them until fatness slight weight gain set in. Is treacle tart retro? (Same goes for that [tbsad} And cut-and-come-again cake.

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 30-Nov-15 13:31:32

Love saffron buns!

Seed cake! Yum!

whitewave Mon 30-Nov-15 13:35:21

Cornish Heavy cake

mollie Mon 30-Nov-15 13:55:32

I made rock cakes yesterday! I love Lemon Meringue pie, something we used to have a lot when I was growing up and made with the help of a packet of mix...I wonder if they still make it? Probably better to start from scratch these days...

Stansgran Mon 30-Nov-15 14:27:15

I've just made rice pud . I know it's not a cake but quite retro. For bonfire night I made Parkin. Is that retro enough?

tanith Mon 30-Nov-15 14:36:40

I make all the old favourites as OH loves them all, rice pud, spotted dick, jam roly poly, madeira, rock cakes, sticky ginger cake, tottenham cake, Welsh cakes and good old fairy cakes his favourite no iceing just plain cakes.

Greyduster Mon 30-Nov-15 14:46:47

Anzac biscuits! Our neighbour used to make them when I was a child, and they were delicious but I could never persuade my mother to make them - she didn't make biscuits! I make them now and DGS loves them as much as I used to! My mother was a dab hand at coconut pyramids with cherries on top though!

Greyduster Mon 30-Nov-15 14:50:53

mollie I bought a twin pack of lemon meringue pie mix earlier this year and when I used one of them it came out a disgusting yellowy grey colour and had strange bits in it! The other pack was okay, but I probably won't buy any more!

rosequartz Mon 30-Nov-15 15:09:02

Lemon meringue pie is just as easy from scratch (Mary Berry's recipe)
Especially if you cheat and buy ready rolled pastry

I just love cake but don't make many because of a little weight gain hmm

Cherry cake!
Just a lovely Victoria sponge with raspberry jam - can't beat it
Friday's saffron dough cake (from the baker's)

DM used to make ginger parkin

Drooling now, DH is making a brew but we don't have any cake to go with it

rosequartz Mon 30-Nov-15 15:10:33

I have never managed to make successful rock cakes, they always collapsed into flat biscuity things
Tasted OK though

tanith Mon 30-Nov-15 15:39:18

rosequartz the mixture needs to be very stiff and most recipes add milk I never do and they come out in peaks..

mollie Mon 30-Nov-15 15:46:53

Tanith I come from Tottenham but have never had Tottenham cake! What is it?

Mmmm, Greyduster that would put me off too. I think I'll go with Rosequartz's link...lol!

hildajenniJ Mon 30-Nov-15 16:34:45

I made singing hinnies recently. Haven't had them for years. We ate them with real butter and raspberry jam, lovely, but not to be repeated for a long time given OH's high BP.

ninathenana Mon 30-Nov-15 16:49:26

Rock cakes were the first thing I learnt to make at school. One of DF's favourites.
Mum used to make rice pud or tapioca every Sunday for dessert DF and I would fight over the skin (sigh)

rosesarered Mon 30-Nov-15 16:49:41

Mr Roses is a great fan of bread and butter pudding, so I make that now and again in Winter.

Teetime Mon 30-Nov-15 16:55:27

I often make Rock Cakes we still love them with lots of spice and nutmeg. A favourite of mine used to be Tottenham Cake - a plain madeira tray bake with glace icing and desiccated coconut shreds cut nicely into squares lovely.

tanith Mon 30-Nov-15 17:00:32

Here's a recipe mollie www.haringey.gov.uk/libraries-sport-and-leisure/culture-and-entertainment/visiting-haringey/bruce-castle-museum/tottenham-cake

Very simple my kids loved it although I did also use chocolate or white icing just for a change.

rosequartz Mon 30-Nov-15 17:08:27

Thank you Tanith perhaps I will try making some with the DGDs.

Mine were more like plateaux than rocky outcrops .....

rosequartz Mon 30-Nov-15 17:11:30

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/marys_lemon_meringue_pie_02330

lots of sugar, though, but it does make a large one, good for if you have guests.
You could always make it proportionately smaller

joanbanjo Mon 30-Nov-15 17:14:05

all of these I loved and especially bread pudding with extra fruit in nom nom nom

rosequartz Mon 30-Nov-15 17:16:31

DH loves bread pudding (I don't) but I do love bread and butter pudding with lots of egg custard underneath.
DM used to make egg custard tart - a large one with a bit of nutmeg on top - so much nicer than the individual ones you get in packets.

LullyDully Mon 30-Nov-15 17:39:11

I remember the Greens lemon meringue pack in the 1970/ 80s. It had a little lemon capsule in it. Can you still buy it? I do make things from scratch now I am older!!!

oldgoat Mon 30-Nov-15 17:49:50

DM made excellent Victoria sponges with a generous layer of butter icing and red jam in the middle which never turned out thin and biscuity, like mine. For Sunday dinner we usually had rice pudding and ate the leftovers at Monday lunchtime when Desert Island Discs was on the wireless. When ever I hear the theme tune now I think 'that's cold rice pudding music.'