Strawberry and sour cream fairycakes

British summertime means strawberries, and for me, that means making the strawberry scented fairy cakes I remember baking with my Mum.  If you’re surprised that this recipe contains sour (or ‘soured’) cream, you’ll soon realise that its fresh flavour is the perfect complement to sweet, summer strawberries.  It also has the added benefit of making sponge cakes tender and light.

Lovely Yeo Valley have just added a soured cream to their range and gave me some to play with (check out the funky packaging) and it’s incredibly versatile.  It’s fabulous for dips, sauces, baked potatoes and dolloping on a spicy chilli con carne, but it teams equally well with fruit: think hot apple pie with a mountain of cinnamon-laced, slightly tangy soured cream.  It also whips quite well. You won’t get the volume of double cream, but the texture is lovely.  After whipping, fold through a couple of tablespoons of icing sugar for an almost cheesecake-like flavour. Perfect with berries and crushed meringue for a different take on Eton Mess.

For the fairy cakes, you’ll need:

170g butter, softened

170g caster sugar

3 free range eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract or paste

200g self raising flour

100g strawberries, mashed

4 tbsp sour cream

For the glacé icing:

5 tbsp icing sugar

Warm water

Method:

Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Crack the eggs into a bowl, add in the vanilla and lightly mix with a fork.  Add it to the butter and sugar mixture a little at a time, mixing well.

Stir in half the flour, then add in the mashed strawberries.  Stir in the rest of the flour and finally the sour cream.

Bake at 180 degrees/gas 4 for 20 minutes until just golden.  Allow to cool, then sift the icing sugar and add just enough water to make a thick paste.

Dribble onto the cakes and finish with a small strawberry.

You can also find this recipe on Yeo Valley’s website.

4 Responses to “Strawberry and sour cream fairycakes”

1. Fishfingers for tea says:

   July 10, 2012 at 8:33 pm

   I love baking with sour cream. Though to be honest, I just love sour cream! I make a sour cream chocolate cake which goes down well but my favourite is a sour cream icing that tops a chocolate and beetroot cake. Very versatile stuff!

   Reply
   • English Mum says:

     July 11, 2012 at 9:46 am

     ooh I’d like the sour cream chocolate cake recipe please! xx

     Reply
2. Jacqueline (CakeBoule) says:

   July 9, 2012 at 9:21 pm

   Looking divine!

   Reply
   • English Mum says:

     July 10, 2012 at 9:07 am

     Why thank you kind lady

     Reply