Ómós Digest #183: A Rewarding Cake.
Irish Oat Flour Sponge Cake with Honey Buttercream. Written by Cissy Difford.
A mere six years ago, I set off on a six week adventure. I left the brightly lit and furiously loud, big city of London for the eerily quiet fields of Shanagarry in Cork, to work in the famed Ballymaloe House kitchen. For many reasons this was a catalyst for a lot of change in my life: growing up, finding a career I’m passionate about and discovering a new place to call home. But when I think back to my time there, I mostly remember the generous hospitality everyone offered me, from their invaluable knowledge (in exchange for my free hands) to their warmth and kindness. This was often affirmed around the staff dining table. (The dining table, of course, being where we can connect the most). Here, in a secluded back room, just off from the hotel’s main dining room, we would sit, scoff an endless supply of heart-shaped shortbread biscuits (also known as Jane’s biscuits) and sip cups of tea poured from a stainless steel teapot. I was nervous and found it hard to speak up a lot of the time, which wasn’t helped by the fact my ear wasn’t yet trained to a few of the regional accents. After a while though, this dissipated. I felt at ease sharing my thoughts and was even bold enough to take the first slice of cake.
When Cúán asked me to write a recipe that he could serve to his guests as they arrived after a long day of travelling, or were returning from a long countryside walk, I immediately turned to these staff breaks at Ballymaloe. Specifically to cake.
For this recipe, I have taken inspiration from the local ingredients produced close to the Ómós site and those native to Ireland: creamy golden butter, amber honey and soft beige oats. These flavours are loosely inspired by the Scottish dessert Cranachan, which layers freshly whipped cream with honey, oats, whiskey and raspberries. A dish I have only recently come across thanks to Anna (Higham), who used these flavours in the bakery Quince to celebrate Burns Night.
To honour what is locally grown, I’ll be using oat flour to make the sponge (from the Merry Mill, which is only a stone's throw from Ómós) rather than wheat. Oat flour is a very soft flour that is delicate and creamy. Although naturally gluten free, it won’t often be labelled this way, as it can get cross contaminated during processing (not at the Merry Mill Farm, which is exclusively gluten free). The sponge will be soaked in a wash of honey syrup, to help keep it moist, and topped with a caramelised honey buttercream, an oat crunch and a dune of jam.
The intention for this cake is for it to change with the seasons. Where there sits apricot jam (a store cupboard find, as we are currently between the seasons), there might be fresh raspberries or tayberries tossed in warm honey, or a thick spiced apple compote in the winter. The sponge batter might even get studded with fresh fruit before baking. It’s a versatile base from which to grow and experiment. I hope it to be a slice of cake that welcomes guests with the same comfort as walking through their own front door.
