Baking Heaven April 2020

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Easter speckled

egg cake

SERVES 8-10 SMALL PORTIONS

For the sponge cakes

200g (7oz) soft salted butter,

at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

200g (7oz) golden caster sugar

4 medium free-range eggs

200g (7oz) self-raising flour with

1 tsp baking powder whisked

into it

For the buttercream frosting

350g (12oz) soft unsalted butter

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

700g (1lb 6oz) superfine icing sugar

food colouring of your choice (a mix

of blue and green looks lovely to

give a duck egg blue effect, but

any pastel spring colours will

work. I use strong paste colours

from Sugarflair or Wilton)

For the speckling

1 tsp cocoa powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

To decorate (optional)

mini eggs

Shredded Wheat Easter nests

or nests of your choice

Equipment

medium crank handle palette knife,

for frosting

side scraper (optional, but helps for

a neat and flat finish)

cake leveller or large bread knife

15cm (6in) round drum or cake

stand/plate to support the cake

stiff pastry brush or clean paint

brush, for speckling

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas

Mark 4.

2 Grease the base and side line 2 x

15cm (6in) round cake tins.

FOR THE SPONGE

1 In a stand mixer bowl with a paddle

beater attachment, or large bowl using

a hand whisk, beat the butter, vanilla

and sugar on fast speed until really

light, pale and creamy. Stop the mixer

and scrape the bowl down as

needed throughout.

2 Add the eggs, one at a time and

beat until combined on a slow speed.

Lastly, add the flour and baking

powder in increments of 3, beating

very slowly until only just mixed. Do

not over-beat.

3 Divide the batter mix into the two

tins equally and bake for around

20-25 minutes until the sponges are

springy, light golden and cooked in the

centre completely.

4 Leave to cool in the tin for

5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling

rack, remove the paper and allow to

cool. While the cakes are cooling make

the frosting.

FOR THE FROSTING

1 Put the butter and vanilla in a stand

mixer bowl with the paddle beater,

or use a bowl with a hand whisk, and

beat on high until very creamy and

smooth, for 1 minute or so.

2 Gradually add the icing sugar, about

a quarter at a time, beating each

addition on slow first, so the icing

sugar doesn’t puff up everywhere.

3 Once combined, turn to high speed

for a minute or so each time. A good

tip to ensure your buttercream is

creamy and fluffy – add 1 tbsp of

recently boiled water into the bowl

with each addition of the sugar, mix

it on slow then turn up to high.

4 Add a little food colouring until you

get a lovely pastel shade. Set aside,

covering with clingfilm or a damp clean

cloth to prevent it crusting over.

TO ASSEMBLE AND DECORATE

1 Level off any uneven humps from

the top of each cake with a cake

leveller or bread knife. Slice each

cake in half through the middle to

create two layers from each sponge.

You’ll have a total of 4 layers now to

sandwich and crumb coat.

TOP

TIP

If you want to be sure to

get the cakes very neat and

put the back together in the

correct way where they have been

sliced, make a little knife mark in the

side of each sponge before you cut

through it. This will then give you a

guide line so you can get the sponges

put back together in the same place to

avoid any wonkiness.

2 Place the first layer onto a cake

stand, board or plate and spread over a

layer of frosting. Add the second piece

of the same sponge onto the frosting

layer, line it up neatly and add a further

layer of frosting.

3 Add the top of the second sponge

26 baking heaven APRIL WWW.FOODHEAVENMAG.COM