The author of Bake For Britain is a mystery to me. This collection of 69 traditional British recipes has been put together by the publishers, Summersdale, but no indication as to their origins have been made. As anyone who has been baking for even a little while, we all know that there are a multitude of variations for every recipe. It would have been nice to know who created these.

The small hard-backed book is pocket sized. It’s no bigger than 5½”/13½cm and its compact size means it would be a great gift, especially to some friends or family overseas who like British recipes.

The diminutive size means that the recipes inside are not overly detailed. There are also no pictures, which disappoints me, but it is understandable in a book this size. The recipes are all sweet, there are no savoury dishes included which is also a shame. That being said, it does have some traditional favourite baked desserts, and it is lovely to see them all in a collection together. Spotted Dick, Apple Pie, and Sticky Toffee Pudding and many other British classics are included, with concise instructions.

The ingredient measurements are given in both metric (grams) and imperial (ounces) so this is another reason why I think it would work well as a gift for overseas friends.

An odd, yet delightful quirk, is that the recipes are interjected with quotes from various illustrious figures on the subject of baking, from William Shakespeare to Henry James.

When I cannot write a poem, I bake biscuits and feel just as pleased –  Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Despite the instructions being brief on most recipes, I imagine this would pose no threat to an experienced baker. A novice however, might be intimidated by their brevity and the lack of pictures.

There were several recipes I had not come across before, so it was great to be introduced to some new regional classics. Of the recipes included, my favourites were Carrot Cake, Lemon Drizzle Cake and Somerset Cider Cake. The latter, however, took a good 30 minutes longer to cook than indicated in the recipe.

The book is available now from Summersdale.

Somerset Cider Cake

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Serves	6-8
From book	Bake for Britain

Ingredients

• 350ml Somerset Cider
• 150g Dark Brown Sugar
• 150g Unsalted Butter
• 4 Apples (peeled and grated)
• 2 Free-range Eggs (lightly beaten)
• 300g Plain Flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Ground Mixed Spice
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• pinch Grated Nutmeg
• 200g Golden Sultanas
• 110g Chopped Pecans

Directions

1.	Pre-heat your oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180°C / 350°F
2.	Grease and line an 8"/20cm springform or easy release cake tin
3.	Boil the cider in a small pan over a medium heat until reduced by two thirds. Set aside to cool
4.	In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy
5.	Add the grated apple, eggs and cooled cider and stir well
6.	In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and spices. Stir well, then pour in the apple and cider mixture
7.	Gently fold in the sultanas and pecans
8.	Transfer to the cake tin and bake for 50-60 minutes
9.	Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.