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Rachel Allen’s recipes for sweet summer desserts are a cakewalk to make and a treat to enjoy

There’s nothing better than a divine home-made summery delight enjoyed outdoors. From a classic strawberry cheesecake to fruity raspberry and custard fingers and a gorgeous gluten-free polenta cake, here are three to try

Ingredients for Rachel Allen's Raspberry custard sponge fingers. Picture by Tony Gavin.

"While the sponge is still warm spread the raspberry jam over it to cover." Picture by Tony Gavin.

"Once the sponge has cooled completely spread the vanilla custard cream over it and top with the raspberries." Picture by Tony Gavin.

Rachel Allen's raspberry custard sponge. Picture by Tony Gavin.

Ingredients for Rachel Allen's Raspberry custard sponge fingers. Picture by Tony Gavin.

"While the sponge is still warm spread the raspberry jam over it to cover." Picture by Tony Gavin.

"Once the sponge has cooled completely spread the vanilla custard cream over it and top with the raspberries." Picture by Tony Gavin.

Rachel Allen's raspberry custard sponge. Picture by Tony Gavin.

Ingredients for Rachel Allen's Raspberry custard sponge fingers. Picture by Tony Gavin.

Rachel Allen Twitter

July 30 2022 04:00 PM

If you’re looking for an alfresco tea treat this bank holiday weekend, I have a few summery ideas for you here.

Berries and baking go hand in hand at this time of the year and there’s a lovely nostalgic air to these raspberry custard sponge fingers, below — they remind me of something my grandmother used to make. Whip up your own crème pâtissière custard or use ready-made for a speedy version. If you want to get ahead and prepare this in advance, make the sponge, spread it with the raspberry jam, then store it, covered, overnight and top it with the custard and cream the next day.

The polenta, orange and pistachio cake, also below — which happens to be gluten-free — is what is called a ‘keeper’, as once it is made and covered in the divine orange syrup, it will sit happily for days. In fact, it almost gets better after a couple of days, if you can resist it! I love to serve the polenta cake with crème fraîche — that little acidic kick works so well with the orange.

Make sure not to chill either of these bakes as the cold will set the butter, making them dry and unpleasant.

And if it’s a real classic that you’re looking for this bank holiday weekend why not make a summery strawberry cheesecake, also featured here? Fresh, light and deliciously creamy — now that sounds just right.

Raspberry custard sponge fingers

Serves 10-12
For the sponge, you will need:
225 butter, softened
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
225g self-raising flour
½ teaspoon baking powder

For the topping, you will need:
3 tablespoons raspberry jam
100ml cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150ml custard
125g fresh raspberries
Icing sugar, for dusting
Mint leaves or edible flowers

1 Preheat the oven to 180C, (160 fan), 350F, Gas 4.

2 Line the base and sides of a small Swiss roll tin with parchment paper (see Rachel Recommends and my Top Tip, both below).

3 Cream the softened butter in bowl using a wooden spoon or an electric beater really well until it is very soft, then add the caster sugar and beat again until the mixture is light.

4 Add the eggs, one by one, beating well between each addition, then mix in the vanilla extract.

5 Sift in the self-raising flour and the baking powder and mix to combine. Spread the sponge mixture out in the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until it is golden brown and set in the centre.

6 When the sponge is baked, take it out of the oven, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then, place a large upside-down serving plate over the sponge, invert the tin and tip the sponge out onto the plate. While the sponge is still warm, spread the raspberry jam over it, covering the top, as in the photo, far left. Now allow it to cool.

7 While the sponge is cooling, make the topping. Whisk the cream with the icing sugar and the vanilla extract, then add the custard and whisk gently to combine. keep the topping in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

8 Once the sponge has cooled completely, spread the vanilla custard cream topping over it and top with the fresh raspberries.

9 Dust the sponge with icing sugar and decorate with a few mint leaves or edible flowers, whichever you are using.

10 Cut into fingers to serve.

Top Tip

To stop the parchment paper slipping in the tin when you’re spreading out the sponge mixture for the raspberry custard sponge, oil the tin before putting the paper in so that the paper sticks to the tin.

Rachel Recommends

You can, if you prefer, make half the recipe for the raspberry custard sponge fingers using a 20cm square tin.

Polenta, orange and pistachio cake with orange syrup

Serves 6-8
You will need:
225g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing tin
125g polenta, plus extra for dusting the tin
225g caster sugar
3 eggs
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Juice of ½ an orange
50g pistachios, roughly chopped
200g ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder

For the orange syrup, you will need:
75g caster sugar
Juice of 1 orange

To decorate the cake, you will need:
25g pistachios, roughly chopped and lightly toasted
Rose petals (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 170C (150 fan), 325F, Gas 3.

2 Butter the sides of a 20cm-diameter springform /loose-bottomed tin with high sides. Place a disc of parchment paper in the base of the tin. Dust the sides of the tin with a little polenta (approximately ½ tablespoon).

3 Cream the softened butter until it is very soft and light, then add the caster sugar and mix well. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the finely grated orange zest and the orange juice.

4 Fold in the roughly chopped pistachios, the ground almonds, the polenta and the baking powder.

5 Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake it in the preheated oven for 55-70 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Sometimes, depending on the oven, I place a piece of parchment paper on top of the cake after 45 minutes, to prevent it from getting too brown.

6 While the cake is baking, make the orange syrup. Put the caster sugar and the orange juice into a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir together until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, take the syrup off the heat and while the cake is still hot, pour the warm orange syrup all over the top.

7 Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin, then carefully lift it out and remove the baking parchment. Place on a serving plate or cake stand and scatter the roughly chopped lightly toasted pistachios on top and serve.

8 This cake looks so pretty decorated with a few rose petals scattered over the top.

Summer strawberry cheesecake

Serves 8-10
For the base, you will need:
175g digestive biscuits
75g butter
A little sunflower oil for greasing the tin

For the topping, you will need:
350g fresh strawberries
4 eggs
450g cream cheese
225g caster sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
3 gelatine leaves (sheets)
50ml boiling water
350ml cream

For the strawberry coulis, you will need:
375g fresh strawberries
25g caster sugar
Juice of ½ to 1 lemon

Rachel Allen's raspberry custard sponge. Picture by Tony Gavin.

1 You will also need a 23cm springform tin. Put the digestive biscuits in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them finely. Alternatively, do this in a food processor.

2 Melt the butter and stir in the crushed biscuits. Brush the inside of the ring of the springform tin with a little sunflower oil. Put the ring on a flat serving plate or cake stand and press the buttered crumbs evenly into the ring, using an empty jam jar to press them down.

3 Purée the 350g of the strawberries, then push through a sieve, scraping every bit of sauce through.

4 Separate the 4 eggs, and reserve the egg whites for later. Whisk the egg yolks into the strawberry purée, along with the cream cheese, the caster sugar and the lemon juice.

5 Place the gelatine leaves in a bowl and cover them well with cold water; allow to sit for 5 minutes until the gelatine is soft. Lift the gelatine leaves out of the cold water. Shake off the excess water and stir the gelatine leaves into the 50ml of boiling water to dissolve the gelatine.

6 Mix a few tablespoonfuls of the egg, strawberry and cream cheese mixture into the gelatine, then carefully fold the two mixtures together.

7 Whip the cream until it’s just starting to hold stiff peaks, then fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese and gelatine mixture.

8 Whisk the egg whites until they are almost stiff, then fold them in.

9 Pour the cream cheese topping into the ring mould containing the biscuit base, place it in the fridge and allow it to set for 3 hours or overnight. It’s a good idea to put a plate over the top of the tin, covering the cheesecake while it’s in the fridge so it doesn’t pick up any other aromas that might be in the fridge!

10 While the cheesecake is setting, make the strawberry coulis by whizzing the strawberries in a blender or liquidiser with enough caster sugar and lemon juice to taste. Chill until serving .

11 To serve, remove the oiled ring from the cheesecake (you may need to use a sharp knife to help free it). Cut the cheesecake into slices and drizzle each slice with some of the strawberry coulis.