The Bone Houses-inspired Sauternes Loaf Cake

“I am going to taste this. Even if it does turn out to be only vinegar, I’m going to be able to say I have drunk the Otherking’s wine in his fortress”
— The Bone Houses, Emily Lloyd-Jones

The best date I’ve ever been on was getting buzzed on dessert wine at a jazz bar under a pizza express in Soho. I don’t want to spoil anything, but if you do read The Bone Houses; keep an eye out for Ryn and Ellis sharing a bottle of the Otherking’s wine and maybe you’ll see why it reminded me of Sauternes and first kisses.

 
 

At this point, I’m almost fully converted to adding soured cream to box mixes. I hate it with every fibre of my being, but moist is the only word for this moment - for me, soured cream is THE secret ingredient if you want a moist cake.

I also experimented with adding ground almonds to this recipe. You can totally ignore it if they’re not your thing, but I personally LOVED what it did to the texture.

“The liquid was thick in his mouth. He swallowed hastily, but even in its absence, the wine lingered on his tongue. it tasted of burnt honey and orange rinds. Warmth bloomed in his chest.”
— The Bone Houses, Emily Lloyd-Jones
 
 

Sauternes Loaf Cake

Ingredients -

Cake Mix:

  • 1x Box Betty Crocker vanilla cake mix

  • 90g melted butter (+ extra for preparing the tins)

  • 100ml Sauternes (or other dessert wine - I used L’Or Du Ciron for this, for it’s “candied orange” flavours)

  • 80g soured cream

  • 4 medium eggs

  • Zest 1 large orange

  • 3 tbsp ground almonds (if you’re adding this, pull out 2tbsp of the box mix before adding the almonds)

  • Optional: a tiny splash of almond extract, and orange blossom water.

Syrup:

  • 100g runny honey

  • 50ml orange juice

  • 50ml Sauternes

  • Demerara sugar - to decorate

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC Fan/Gas 4). Butter and line 3 (5x3 in) loaf tins with baking paper.

  • Add the almonds to the box mix (remembering to remove 2tbsp of the dry mix). Stir together the butter, wine, soured cream, eggs and orange zest (and optional flavourings, if using).

  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix (hand, stand or electric mixer, it’s up to you) for 2-3 minutes until smooth.

  • Divide equally between your loaf tins.

  • Bake in the middle of the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

  • Leave the cakes in their tins, on a cooling rack.

  • For the syrup, gently heat the ingredients together until the honey has dissolved.

  • While still warm, prick the cakes all over with a skewer or cake tester. Pour the syrup over the sponges and allow to sit for about an hour to let the syrup absorb. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar.

  • (While perfectly lovely on its own, one serving suggestion could be a dollop of greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey. It also goes great with an afternoon cup of tea or a mid-morning coffee.)

  • Leftovers will keep nicely in an airtight container for a couple of days.

“Ellis took the bottle, drank deeply and handed it back. He wasn’t one for drink, but he hoped it would give him courage.
”Can you miss something before it’s gone?””
— The Bone Houses, Emily Lloyd-Jones
 
 

And that’s it lovely reading bakers. May your cakes never stick in their tins, and may all your dead stay buried.

xxx