Nigella Lawson's All Time Favorite Cakes Are 'Cut-And-Come-Again'
Nigella Lawson is beloved on both sides of the Atlantic for good reason. Despite being seen as a food authority, Lawson has insisted that "chef" is not an appropriate title for her. "I am not a chef; I am not even a trained cook," she told The Guardian. This approach is also part of what makes her so disarmingly successful. Lawson doesn't condescend or overwhelm her audience with her speed and expertise. Rather, she seems like a savvy, experienced friend who has invited you into her intimate circle to share some of her marvelous ideas and recipes. Lawson gives the impression that cooking might actually be as fun as eating, and that hanging out in the kitchen is a perfect excuse to enjoy a couple of cocktails, eat some great food, and spend more time with people you love.
Some of the same could also be said about Ina Garten. The duo had a chance for a little tête-a-tête with an audience while Lawson was in Brooklyn, New York for her "Cook, Eat, Repeat" book tour in November 2022. This event marked their first in-person meeting, and it turns out their approaches to hospitality are remarkably similar, too. Garten and Lawson agree that hosts often spend too much time cooking, post-dinner clean-up is the worst, and desserts — like simple cakes — shouldn't require a significant time commitment.
The best desserts are fuss-free
Nigella Lawson cautioned against fussing over dinner and showed strong opinions about what to serve at the end of a dinner party. The best kind of dessert? Something simple. As Lawson put it, "I like quiet, comforting cakes with simple flavors like lemon zest and vanilla" (via Eating Well). Lawson said her favorite cakes were what she called "cut-and-come-again" — cakes that you take a slice from but eventually return to in order to surreptitiously sneak another slice when no one is looking. You could even serve these cakes on napkins if you and your guests want to move into another room after the main meal without worrying about damaging your furniture.
Lawson echoed Ina Garten's enthusiasm for another simple dessert — pound cake. But that's not the only variety Lawson is partial to baking and eating. She has written about a wide range of deceptively simple cakes over the years: One of Lawson's chocolate cake recipes has an Irish twist that would be more than suitable for a St. Patrick's Day feast. Many of these simpler dessert options can be baked in advance, too, which decreases the time you spend cooking on the day of your event. We think "cut-and-come-again" cakes sound like the perfect ending to a lovely dinner: The kind that both guests and hosts can enjoy. That alone is a cause for celebration.