Cake at the museum: Strawberry Hill House & Garden Café, Twickenham

One of my favourite places to have cake and tea is the Strawberry Hill House Cafe, in the Great Cloister overlooking the gardens of Horace Walpole’s Gothic fantasy in Twickenham. It’s a charming museum café from which you can stare across the Walpolian gardens where Georgian London’s great and godly once partied. When the sun is out, you can grab a pew and sit in the garden under the trees of Walpole’s “enchanted little landscape”.

The Strawberry Hill House Cafe

The garden café at Strawberry Hill has a seasonal range of cakes and bakes with plenty of vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options. On my visits the favourites have included the orange, lemon and lime drizzle cake (gluten-free), the courgette and avocado cake (gluten and dairy-free) and the rich salted caramel brownie (gluten and dairy-free).

Hot drinks have included a white chocolate mocha, a Ferrero Rocher hot chocolate and a matcha latte, with plenty of alternative milk options for vegans. You can also opt for refreshing juices, champagne, wine, cider or premium beer. For something savoury, there have been tasty snacks such as the Avo good day (smashed avocado on toasted sourdough with feta and a chilli lime kick) and Get your grill on (a grilled halloumi flatbread with chargrilled peppers, Moroccan couscous and a mint yoghurt dressing).

I’m gluten and dairy-free, and it’s hard to find decent bakes in London’s museum cafés. The Strawberry Hill House Cafe has one of the tastiest ranges of gluten and dairy-free cakes you’ll find in any of them.

A wander around the gardens

Take a stroll around the grade II listed garden, which stretches into a woodland glade beyond. Amble down to the riverside, where you will see some of the most beautiful willow trees in London. The house runs historic garden tours in the summer, which, like the Strawberry Hill House Cafe, make for a lovely afternoon, and also introduce you to the celebrities of Walpole’s day who visited the house for his fabulous parties.

Courgette and avocado cake recipe (gluten and dairy-free)

The Strawberry Hill House Cafe’s avocado and courgette cake is so tasty that I thought I would have a go at making it myself. Let me know how you get on if you make it, or even better, go and try a slice in the café!

For the cake

• 300g courgettes (grated)
• 75ml sunflower oil, plus a little extra for greasing (you could substitute coconut oil)
• 75g ripe avocado flesh
• 175g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• Zest of 2 limes
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 350g gluten-free self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake tins with baking paper.
2. Grate the courgettes and squeeze out as much liquid as you can (this is really important). You can do this with your hands.
3. Using a handheld mixer or a food processor, beat the avocado with the oil until smooth.
4. Combine the avocado mix, sugar, eggs, lime zest and vanilla. Fold in the flour and baking powder.
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the simple syrup

• 125g caster sugar
• 125ml water

1. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil until all the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat. Let it cool.
2. Using a toothpick, prick the cake layers and drizzle over the simple syrup. Make sure the syrup soaks into the cake before you add the icing.

For the avocado cream icing

• 1 ripe avocado
• 50g dairy-free butter
• 120g vegan cream cheese
• 150g icing sugar
• Pistachio nuts and edible flowers (optional)

1. Add the avocado flesh, cream cheese and butter to a medium bowl and beat together until well blended.
2. Beat in the icing sugar and mix well (do not overbeat or it will become runny).
3. Roast the pistachio nuts for about 10 minutes in a warm oven (170C) and, once cooled, sprinkle them on top of the cake. Decorate with edible flowers.

Visit the Strawberry Hill House Cafe

Strawberry Hill House and Garden is in Twickenham, south-west London. Menus, opening times and tours change and seating can be limited, so check the Strawberry Hill House website before you go and book ahead if you can.

First written in 2021. The cakes and menu above are from my visits, so please check the website for what is on offer today.

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