2020-04-01 Good Housekeeping South Africa

Instagrammable and totally unforgettable!

SHOWSTOPPER

Vanilla Blossom Cake

Active Time 45 minutes Total Time

1 hour 20 minutes Serves 16

CAKE LAYERS

oil, for tins

4½ cups cake flour

4 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp salt

1½ cups unsalted butter,

at room temperature

2¼ cups white sugar

6 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

2¼ cups full-cream milk,

at room temperature

ICING

450g icing sugar

1 cup unsalted butter,

at room temperature

2 tbsp double cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

edible flowers, to decorate

1. Make cake: heat oven to 160°C. Oil four 20cm round
   cake tins and line bottoms with baking paper; oil baking
   paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking
   powder and salt.


2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and white sugar in
   a large bowl on high speed until light and fluffy (about
   3 minutes). Reduce speed to medium and add eggs,
   1 at a time, beating each until incorporated before
   adding another. Beat in vanilla.


3. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture in 3 parts,
   alternating with milk and beating until just incorporated.


4. Divide batter among prepared tins and bake until
   a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean (30 to
   35 minutes). Transfer cakes to wire racks; let cool in tins
   for 10 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool completely.


5. Using a serrated knife, trim rounded tops of cakes to
   make flat, even layers. If sides of cakes are darker, freeze
   for 2 hours, then gently file edges using a fine grater.


6. Meanwhile, make icing: sift icing sugar into a bowl.
   Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl
   on medium speed until creamy (about 2 minutes).


7. Reduce speed to low and gradually add sugar,
   alternating with double cream. Beat in vanilla extract.
   Increase speed to high and beat until fluffy (about
   2 minutes).


8. Assemble cake: place 1 cake layer on a cake board
   or cake stand. Spread with ¾ cup icing. Top with another
   cake layer and repeat. Ice top and sides of cake with
   remaining icing, making sure sides of cake are very
   smooth. Chill until ready to serve or up to overnight. Just
   before serving, gently press flowers onto sides of cake.
   EACH SERVING About 2 805kJ, 7g protein, 33,5g fat (19,5g
   saturated), 86g carbohydrate, 1g fibre, 275mg sodium.

LET’S CELEBRATE!

Photography: Mike Garten. Food Styling: BAKE

Christine Albano. Prop Styling: Cate Geiger

Kalus. Craft Styling: Alex Mata

VanillaBlossomCake

ActiveTime 45 minutesTotalTime

1 hour 20 minutesServes 16

CAKELAYERS

oil,fortins

4½cupscakeflour

4 tspbakingpowder

¾tspsalt

1½cupsunsaltedbutter,

atroomtemperature

2¼cupswhitesugar

6 largeeggs,atroomtemperature

2 tspvanillaextract

2¼cupsfull-creammilk,

atroomtemperature

ICING

450gicingsugar

1 cupunsaltedbutter,

atroomtemperature

2 tbspdoublecream

2 tspvanillaextract

edibleflowers,todecorate

1.Makecake:heatovento160°C.Oilfour20cmround

caketinsandlinebottomswithbakingpaper;oilbaking

paper.Inamediumbowl,whisktogetherflour,baking

powderandsalt.

2.Usinganelectricmixer,beatbutterandwhitesugarin

alargebowlonhighspeeduntillightandfluffy(about

3 minutes).Reducespeedtomediumandaddeggs,

1 atatime,beatingeachuntilincorporatedbefore

addinganother.Beatinvanilla.

3.Reducespeedtolow;addflourmixturein 3 parts,

alternatingwithmilkandbeatinguntiljustincorporated.

4.Dividebatteramongpreparedtinsandbakeuntil

askewerinsertedinthecentrecomesoutclean(30to

35 minutes).Transfercakestowireracks;letcoolintins

for 10 minutes,theninvertontorackstocoolcompletely.

5.Usingaserratedknife,trimroundedtopsofcakesto

makeflat,evenlayers.Ifsidesofcakesaredarker,freeze

for 2 hours,thengentlyfileedgesusingafinegrater.

6.Meanwhile,makeicing:sifticingsugarintoabowl.

Usinganelectricmixer,beatbutterinalargebowl

onmediumspeeduntilcreamy(about 2 minutes).

7.Reducespeedtolowandgraduallyaddsugar,

alternatingwithdoublecream.Beatinvanillaextract.

Increasespeedtohighandbeatuntilfluffy(about

2 minutes).

8.Assemblecake:place 1 cakelayeronacakeboard

orcakestand.Spreadwith¾cupicing.Topwithanother

cakelayerandrepeat.Icetopandsidesofcakewith

remainingicing,makingsuresidesofcakearevery

smooth.Chilluntilreadytoserveoruptoovernight.Just

beforeserving,gentlypressflowersontosidesofcake.

EACHSERVINGAbout 2 805kJ,7gprotein,33,5gfat(19,5g

saturated),86gcarbohydrate,1gfibre,275mgsodium.

LET’S CELEBRATE!

Photography: Mike Garten. Food Styling: BAKE
Christine Albano. Prop Styling: Cate Geiger
Kalus. Craft Styling: Alex Mata