Tottenham Cake is a well-known North London delicacy, sold country-wide. It is a tray-baked sponge cake topped with very sweet, pink icing.
Originally produced by a local baker, the Quaker Henry Chalkley, it was sold for a penny a ‘cube’ (one old penny of course), with smaller pieces only a halfpenny. The distinctive pink colouring is said to have originated from using mulberries which grew on the grounds of the Meeting House of the Tottenham Friends (Quakers) on Tottenham High Road.
When Tottenham Hotspur Football Club won the FA Cup for the first time in 1901, the cake was given free to local children in celebration of this historic win for Spurs. Local Quakers still make Tottenham Cake today and it is also sold by high street bakers.
As a life-long Arsenal supporter it pains me to acknowledge the role of Tottenham FC in anything but even I must admit that the cake is pretty good, especially with custard.
The origins of Tottenham Cake and how it was made were showcased on ‘The Great British Bake Off’, first broadcast Tuesday 17 September 2013 on BBC2.
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Get Tottenham Cake at Greggs
If you want to try some Tottenham cake and you live in the South East of England then you are in luck. Nip down to your local branch of Greggs and you should be able to get some.
It’s not well publicised but Greggs has a regional menu of items which don’t appear on their website or social media. Apparently, Greggs regional bakeries were responsible for making their own products, and as the business grew some local delicacies were retained.
Check out the full list of Greggs regional specialities below:
| Scotland | North East | North West | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomer sandwiches | Empire biscuit | Meat & potato bake | Choc Flake cake |
| Scotch pie | Fruit scone | Welsh cake | |
| French fancy | Stotties | South West | |
| Pineapple cake | Peach Melba | Egg custard tart | South East |
| Devon Doughnut | Savoury miche pies | London cheesecake | |
| Jumbo Choc Ring Doughnut | Cheese scone | South | Tottenham cake |
| Vanilla Doughnut | Pink iced finger | Bread pudding | Apple Danish |
| Empire Biscuit | Corned beef bake | ||
| Fruit Scone |
Recipe for Tottenham Cake
Don’t despair if you can’t find any in your local bakers, make some yourself using this recipe by Leah Hyslop from Sainsbury’s Magazine. It’s not difficult and really goes down well at children’s parties.
Tottenham Cake
Ingredients
- 225 g soft unsalted butter
- 225 g caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- grated zest of ½ orange
- 300 g self-raising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp milk
For The Topping
- 120 g raspberries
- 300 g icing sugar
- a few drops of pink food colouring optional
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C gas 4. Grease and line a 30 × 20cm rectangular traybake tin with baking paper.
- Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, cream together the butter and sugar, until light and fluffy.
- Slowly mix in the eggs, a little at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract, followed by the orange zest. Fold in the flour and baking powder with a large metal spoon, then stir in the milk so the mix is a little looser. Add a splash more milk if it seems very stiff.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and springy to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin before carefully removing.
- For the topping, place the raspberries and 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan over a medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, or until starting to break down and become jam-like. Use the back of a spoon to gently press the raspberries through a sieve into a small bowl – you should get about 5 tablespoons of juice. If you don’t, top up with a splash of water.
- Mix the juice with the icing sugar until you have a thick, smooth icing. Add a few drops of food colouring if you’d like it pinker. Spoon over the cake, and smooth over using a palette knife. Scatter with the coconut and slice into squares once set.
Nutrition
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