This month I've made a cake which is, I think, rather better than the book it accompanies - at least, I know which one I've enjoyed more!
There's a scene in Iris Murdoch's The Nice and the Good in which walnuts have a certain significance; elsewhere in the book "The dark shut-in velvety smell of the raspberries hung over the kitchen table", so I've found a cake which combines the two and does so to great effect.
This is Sophie Grigson's American-style Raspberry Cake. As you'll see from the recipe there, an unusual sponge mixture enriched with Greek yogurt is topped with fresh raspberries and then a cinnamon-flavoured walnut crumble. It's really delicious! As to modifications, I'd say you'd need more rasps than specified (I used 225g), and I found it was perfectly cooked in only 30 minutes as opposed to the 45/50 the recipe says, but that's partly a matter of knowing your oven, and mine is fast.
Do try this cake - it's a big hit in this house - and the walnut crumble would be great with other fruits, too, such as plums or apples. (As to the book, thoughts on it here).
