Wednesday 3 December 2014

Festival Cake

Hi everyone,

I think a new post has been long over due. To commemorate the oncoming festivities this season and bring out the inner fun in you. Here is a recipe to get your mouth watering.


Enjoy!











To make this delicious festive cake you will need;

For the cake:


 375g Soft Butter

375g  Sugar (I used golden caster sugar)
5 eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Orange Extract or grate some orange zest
375g Self-raising flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder (it will come out softer)
50ml Milk

For the icing;


200g Soft Butter (room temperature) 

600g of Icing sugar
25ml of Milk
Half a jar of Jam (I used a Strawberry and Raspberries mix)

To Decorate;


Your choice of delicious sweets!


You need;


two or three 20cm loose bottomed tins (depending on how many layers you want) greased with butter and lined with baking or greaseproof paper.


1) Pre-heat the oven to 180C (Gas Mark 4).

2)Cream butter, sugar and vanilla and orange extract (or zest) together in a bowl until pale and fluffy.
3)Beat in one egg at a time, being careful to over whisk the eggs as this will prevent the cake from rising properly. (it is easier if you are using a machine as the egg will blend quicker with the butter mixture) 
4) Sift the flour into the mixture. It is important to sieve your flour at this point because it ensures we get as much air into the cake as possible. Gently fold the mixture into all the ingredients are well incorporated. Add the milk in at this stage.
5) Once well mixed, evenly divide your mixture between the two/three tins and smooth the mixture out with a baking spatula. 
6) Bake in the oven for 40-45 mins (This might be less if you have a really powerful oven, but as a general rule, cakes should take three quarters of an hour to cook.) The cakes are ready when they are firm to the touch and bounce back slightly. Take a small knife through the middle of the cake to make sure, it should come out clean.
7) Cool on a wire rack for a few hours. The cake should not emit any heat at all before you start icing.
8)To make the butter cream icing; mix the butter and milk together until incorporated and gradually sieve the icing sugar into the butter whilst mixing. (I find this easier to do with a mixer, as it can take a while by hand) The icing is ready when it is slightly stiff, smooth and free from lumps.
9)To decorate, add butter cream and jam first to the top of the first cake, then place the second cake on top and cover the top of this with more butter cream (repeat the first step if you have more layers). Evenly spread the sides with butter cream and even the entire cake surface out with a bent palette knife, then pipe on a design of your choice, then finish it off with sweets of your choice ;-)


The cake will keep well for 4 days, if kept in the fridge.





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