Chocolate
chequerboard
cake (gluten-free)
MAKES AN 18CM (7IN) CAKE175g (6oz) Oast to Host Cake Flour
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
175g (6oz) caster sugar
50g (1¾oz) butter
3 free-range eggs
1 tbsp cocoa
For the icing
400g (14oz) icing sugar
100g (3½oz) plain chocolate
175g (6oz) butter, softened
4 tbsp milk1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark- Grease and line two x 18cm (7in)
sandwich cake tins. Put the flour, baking
powder, sugar, butter and eggs in a
large bowl and beat until light and fluffy.
Place half the mixture in one of the tins.
2 Add the cocoa to the remaining
mixture with 1 tsp water, then place in
the second tin.
3 Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes
until golden brown and firm to touch.
Turn the cakes out onto cooling racks to
cool completely.
4 Once cool, you may need to trim the
tops to flatten slightly. Cut a 10cm (4in)
circle from the centre of each cake, then
swap the cake centres.
5 To make the icing, place all the icing
ingredients into a bowl set over a
saucepan of hot water, stirring until
smooth and glossy, approx. 5 minutes.
6 Cool the icing for about 5 minutesBattenburg cake
(gluten-free)
MAKES A 20CM (8IN) ROUND CAKE
225g (8oz) Oast to Host Cake Flour
225g (8oz) softened butter
225g (8oz) caster sugar
1½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
1 tsp vanilla paste
5 free-range eggs
red food colouring
6 tbsp apricot jam
340g (12oz) golden marzipan
a little icing sugar, for rolling
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark
- Grease or line a pair of 20cm (8in)
sandwich cake tins.
2 Place the flour, softened butter,
caster sugar, baking powder, vanilla
paste and eggs into a bowl or electric
mixer. Beat thoroughly until smooth and
light, then tip half the mixture into one
tin and spread it out (you want the cakes
to be as flat as possible).
3 Put a few drops of food colouring into
the remaining half of the mixture and
mix until well distributed, creating a pink
sponge mixture. Tip this mixture into
the second tin, then spread to make it
even before placing in the centre of the
oven for approx. 30 minutes. Once
cooked, remove from the oven and turn
out of the tins onto cooling racks.
4 Warm up the apricot jam with 4 tbsp
water to loosen it a little
5 Once the cake is cool, level off the
tops, if necessary, to make them as flat
as possible.
6 Use cutters on both cakes (we used
two, approx 8cm (9in) and 15cm (6in)
cutters), removing alternate circles,
then spread plenty of jam round the
outside of the removed circles, and
inside where appropriate, slotting them
back into the alternate cake to create
two layers of alternate coloured
sponges. (The jam ensures the sections
stick together so make sure you
use enough!)
7 Smear jam over the top of one layer,
before placing the second layer on top.
Use a knife or pastry brush to spread
jam over the whole cake.
8 Shape the marzipan into a circle, then
roll out on a surface lightly dusted with
icing sugar into a larger circle, just big
enough to cover the cake. Lay the
marzipan over the cake, easing it with
the palm of your hand to create a smooth
finish. Alternatively, cut approx. 200g
(7oz) marzipan to roll out a longrectangular strip, long enough to wrap
round the cake and just a little wider than
the cake height, joining two straight
ends. Roll the remainder into a disc to
place on top, then pinch the
joins together.
9 You could colour some of the
trimmings and decorate as you wish.then, while still warm, pour one-third
over the base layer. With a palette knife,
‘paddle’ icing across the cake, allowing
it to penetrate the inner circle. Place the
second layer on top, then pour on the
remaining icing, again allowing it to
penetrate the cut circle, then ice the
top and sides.Recipe by Oast to Host (www.oasttohost.com)Recipe by Oast to Host (www.oasttohost.com)CAKE HE AVENWWW.FOODHEAVENMAG.COM APRIL baking heaven 31