Jam tarts and summer pudding cake: Nicola Lamb's recipes for baking with mixed berries

The Guardian

02-07-2025

First up, a crostata-inspired jam tart that's perfect for afternoon tea or nibbling throughout the day. Fennel seeds in the buttery pastry give a subtle flavour surprise, although you could omit them, or try coriander seeds or ginger instead. A small batch of jam is surprisingly quick to make, but you can, of course, use shop-bought, or make use of one of those jars living rent-free in your cupboard. Then, a summer pudding-inspired cake that makes a delightful centrepiece – the juices from the berries absorb into the top third of the sponge, giving it a gorgeous, ombre tone that looks as beautiful as it tastes.
Use a mixture of whatever berries are plentiful; frozen will work well, too.
Prep 5 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min, plus cooling
Chill 1 hr
Serves 8
For the sponge3 large eggs
20g vegetable oil
40g whole milk
120g caster sugar
100g plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
A pinch of flaky salt
For the soak 550g mixed berries, fresh or frozen and defrosted
100g caster sugar
For the cream300ml double cream
30g caster sugar (optional, depending on how sweet the fruit is)
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and line a 20cm square tin.
Separate the eggs, and put the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer, if you have one. Whisk the oil and milk into the yolks. Whisk the egg whites until foamy, then add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, whipping on high speed until you have a stiff, glossy meringue.
Whisk a quarter of the meringue into the yolks to lighten, then sift over half the flour and the baking powder, and fold in. Fold in half the remaining meringue, followed by the remaining flour. Finally, fold in the last of the meringue and a pinch of salt – the batter should be very airy.
Pour into the lined tin and spread with a spatula. Gently tap the tin on a counter to burst any large air bubbles, then bake for 30 minutes, until golden and firm. Leave to cool completely, then take out of the tin and put it in a larger tray or serving tin. Poke holes all over the top with a skewer or fork.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, simmer the berries, sugar and 100g water for two to three minutes (eight minutes, if using frozen berries), until the berries release their juices. Strain, catching the juices in a bowl, then leave the juices to cool for 15–20 minutes (you should be able to dip in your finger comfortably). Set aside two tablespoons of juice to decorate, then pour the rest slowly all over the sponge, not forgetting the edges. Collect any juice pooled in the tray and pour it back over the sponge.
Set aside 120g of the berry pulp, then spread the rest on top of the cake. Whip the cream and sugar to medium peaks, then gently fold in the reserved pulp to make a rippled effect. Save a few large berries for the top, then spread the cream over the sponge, and drizzle on the reserved syrup and berries. Chill for at least an hour before serving.
Prep 5 minChill 30 min+
Cook 1 hr
Serves 8
For the quick berry jam300g mixed berries (frozen are fine)150g caster sugar
30g lemon juice
For the shortbread dough1½ tsp fennel seeds
80g light brown sugar
120g room-temperature butter, plus extra for greasing1 egg (about 50g)240g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp flaky salt
To finish (optional)Demerara sugarFennel seedsCreme fraiche or yoghurt, to serve
Put the jam ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil on a medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until glossy and thick, then test the set: put a teaspoon of jam on a small plate, pop it in the freezer for two minutes, and it should form a skin that wrinkles when you drag a finger through it, without refilling the gap. If not, cook the jam for another two minutes and retest. Pour into a clean container, leave to cool, then seal and store in the fridge.
For the shortbread, blitz the fennel seeds and sugar in a blender until fine (or crush the fennel in a mortar, then mix with the sugar). Mix in the butter for a minute or two, until combined and somewhat airy, then mix in the egg. Stir in the dry ingredients until the mix comes together into a soft dough, then wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
When you are ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge and let it soften to room temperature (you can knead it a bit to warm it up). Meanwhile, heat the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5 and grease a 23-24cm fluted tart tin with butter.
Set a quarter of the dough aside, then press the rest evenly into the base and sides of the tin. Now spread 200-250g of the jam on top (save any excess for porridge or toast). Pinch off little pieces of shortbread from the reserved dough, and use these to cover the jam, leaving a few small spaces for it to peep through. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and fennel seeds, then bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden – the jam should be bubbling in places.
Once cool enough to handle, take the tart out of its tin and leave to cool before serving with a spoon of creme fraiche or yoghurt, if desired.
Nicola Lamb is a pastry chef and author of the weekly Kitchen Projects newsletter and Sift, published by Ebury Press at £30. To order a copy for £27, go to guardianbookshop.com