APRICOT GLAZE
Put 225g apricot jam and
1 tbsp water into a pot. Heat
gently, stirring occasionally,
until melted. Boil rapidly for
1 minute, then strain through
a fine sieve, pushing through
as much of the mixture as
possible. Pour into a clean,
sterilised jar. Seal with a clean
lid and cool. This can be
chilled for up to 2 months.
If the consistency is a little
stiff, stir in a few drops of
boiled water.FREEZE-AHEAD TIP
This cake freezes well if
it’s not iced. Allow it to cool
completely before wrapping
it in baking paper, followed
by foil and finally a layer of
clingwrap. Freeze up to
1 month ahead. The day
before you plan to serve
the cake, remove from the
freezer. You can ice and
decorate it immediately or
leave in a cool place to defrost
fully. Once iced, the cake is
best enjoyed within 2 days.& Elderflower), cut-side up, to a 20cm cake
board with 1 tbsp vanilla buttercream; set
on a turntable, if you have one. Spread over
all the lemon and elderflower buttercream
and top with remaining half of sponge,
cut-side down. Crumb coat with vanilla
buttercream as in Step 4.- Secure base half of top tier (Rich
Chocolate Fudge), cut-side up, to a 15cm
cake board with 1 tbsp vanilla buttercream;
set on a turntable, if using. Spread with
chocolate buttercream; top with remaining
half of sponge, cut-side down. Crumb coat
with vanilla buttercream as in Step 4. - For the bottom tier: take 1kg sugarpaste
and from this set aside half. Sprinkle
cornflour onto the work surface and roll
out to about a 30cm circle (using the base
of your cake tin as a guide). Roll reserved
sugarpaste into 3 bands, about 30cm long
and 1cm deeper than your cake. Lightly
brush cake with apricot glaze (see below
right) and, using the rolling pin, carefully
lift sugarpaste circle over the top of the
cake and gently smooth, trimming any
overhang. Stick the sugarpaste bands to
the sides of the cake and gently smooth.
Trim any excess sugarpaste where the
pieces meet to create flush edges. - For the middle tier: sprinkle cornflour
onto a clean work surface and roll out 750g
sugarpaste to about a 33cm circle. Lightly
brush cake with apricot glaze and, using
the rolling pin, carefully lift sugarpaste circle
over cake. (See picture A.) Gently work into
position to fully cover the cake. Using a cake
smoother or your hands, smooth edges
and sides of cake to create a flat surface,
making sure not to create any overlap or
folds, and trim the excess. Bring together
sugarpaste trimmings as you work and
transfer to a sealable food bag as a reserve
until ready to make the waves. - For the top tier: repeat as in Step 8, with
500g sugarpaste, adding trimmings to
the food bag to use later, if needed. - To mark the dowelling, place a 20cm
cake board (or use the base of a cake
tin) centrally on top of the bottom-tier
cake. Using a pin, mark the diameter in
3 places (to make a triangle). Remove
cake board and measure 2,5cm in from
each mark, then insert dowelling rods
here. Using a pencil, mark on each dowel
where it emerges from the surface. (See
picture B.) Remove each dowel, cut at that
point and reinsert into cake. Repeat with
the middle tier using a 15cm cake board
(or cake-tin base). - To make the waves: take 250g
sugarpaste and knead in ¾ tsp of tylo,
keeping remaining icing covered in a food
bag to prevent it drying out. Roll out the
sugarpaste on a surface lightly dusted
with cornflour to a rectangle about 18cm
x 30cm and 3mm to 5mm thick. Cut this
horizontally into 3 long strips (about 9cm
deep). Using a sharp knife, cut a wavy
line through the middle of each strip. (See
picture C.) Using a clean paintbrush, brush
the rim of the top-tier cake with a little
vodka (or cooled water) and carefully stick
the wave onto the cake, making sure it
comes above the edge slightly. (See picture
D.) Secure another strip in the same way,
meeting the previous strip, until the whole
circumference is covered. Repeat to make
2 further rows, each 3cm below the other.
Continue with remaining sugarpaste and
tylo until all the cakes are covered (using
reserved trimmings, if needed).- Stack the cakes and decorate with
flowers no more than 4 hours ahead.
GET AHEAD Ice cakes, completing to end of
Step 9 up to 2 days ahead. Assemble cakes
to end of Step 11 up to 24 hours ahead.
(See Freeze-ahead Tip at right, if needed.)
EACH SERVING (AVERAGE) About 2 490kJ,
4g protein, 23g fat (14g saturated), 92g
carbohydrate (79g total sugars), 1g fibre.
LET’S CELEBRATE!
Photography: Charlie Richards. Recipes and Food Styling: Lucy Jessop, Sophie Austen-Smith. Testing: Gabriella English, Alice Shields. Prop Styling: Morag FarquharA B
C D
0420_GHE_052_067 let's celebrate.indd 6 2020/03/10 10:09 AMAPRICOTGLAZE
Put225gapricotjamand
1 tbspwaterintoapot.Heat
gently,stirringoccasionally,
untilmelted.Boilrapidlyfor
1 minute,thenstrainthrough
afinesieve,pushingthrough
asmuchofthemixtureas
possible.Pourintoaclean,
sterilisedjar.Sealwithaclean
lidandcool.Thiscanbe
chilledforupto 2 months.
Iftheconsistencyisalittle
stiff,stirinafewdropsof
boiledwater.FREEZE-AHEADTIP
Thiscakefreezeswellif
it’snoticed.Allowittocool
completelybeforewrapping
itinbakingpaper,followed
byfoilandfinallyalayerof
clingwrap.Freezeupto
1 monthahead.Theday
beforeyouplantoserve
thecake,removefromthe
freezer.Youcaniceand
decorateitimmediatelyor
leaveinacoolplacetodefrost
fully.Onceiced,thecakeis
bestenjoyedwithin 2 days.&Elderflower),cut-sideup,toa20cmcake
boardwith 1 tbspvanillabuttercream;set
onaturntable,ifyouhaveone.Spreadover
allthelemonandelderflowerbuttercream
andtopwithremaininghalfofsponge,
cut-sidedown.Crumbcoatwithvanilla
buttercreamasinStep4.
6.Securebasehalfoftoptier(Rich
ChocolateFudge),cut-sideup,toa15cm
cakeboardwith 1 tbspvanillabuttercream;
setonaturntable,ifusing.Spreadwith
chocolatebuttercream;topwithremaining
halfofsponge,cut-sidedown.Crumbcoat
withvanillabuttercreamasinStep4.
7.Forthebottomtier:take1kgsugarpaste
andfromthissetasidehalf.Sprinkle
cornflourontotheworksurfaceandroll
outtoabouta30cmcircle(usingthebase
ofyourcaketinasaguide).Rollreserved
sugarpasteinto 3 bands,about30cmlong
and1cmdeeperthanyourcake.Lightly
brushcakewithapricotglaze(seebelow
right)and,usingtherollingpin,carefully
liftsugarpastecircleoverthetopofthe
cakeandgentlysmooth,trimmingany
overhang.Stickthesugarpastebandsto
thesidesofthecakeandgentlysmooth.
Trimanyexcesssugarpastewherethe
piecesmeettocreateflushedges.
8.Forthemiddletier:sprinklecornflour
ontoacleanworksurfaceandrollout750g
sugarpastetoabouta33cmcircle.Lightly
brushcakewithapricotglazeand,using
therollingpin,carefullyliftsugarpastecircle
overcake.(SeepictureA.)Gentlyworkinto
positiontofullycoverthecake.Usingacake
smootheroryourhands,smoothedges
andsidesofcaketocreateaflatsurface,
makingsurenottocreateanyoverlapor
folds,andtrimtheexcess.Bringtogether
sugarpastetrimmingsasyouworkand
transfertoasealablefoodbagasareserve
untilreadytomakethewaves.
9.Forthetoptier:repeatasinStep8,with
500gsugarpaste,addingtrimmingsto
thefoodbagtouselater,ifneeded.
10.Tomarkthedowelling,placea20cm
cakeboard(orusethebaseofacake
tin)centrallyontopofthebottom-tier
cake.Usingapin,markthediameterin
3 places(tomakeatriangle).Remove
cakeboardandmeasure2,5cminfrom
eachmark,theninsertdowellingrods
here.Usingapencil,markoneachdowel
whereitemergesfromthesurface.(See
pictureB.)Removeeachdowel,cutatthat
pointandreinsertintocake.Repeatwith
themiddletierusinga15cmcakeboard
(orcake-tinbase).
11.Tomakethewaves:take250gsugarpasteandkneadin¾tspoftylo,
keepingremainingicingcoveredinafood
bagtopreventitdryingout.Rolloutthe
sugarpasteonasurfacelightlydusted
withcornflourtoarectangleabout18cm
x30cmand3mmto5mmthick.Cutthis
horizontallyinto 3 longstrips(about9cm
deep).Usingasharpknife,cutawavy
linethroughthemiddleofeachstrip.(See
pictureC.)Usingacleanpaintbrush,brush
therimofthetop-tiercakewithalittle
vodka(orcooledwater)andcarefullystick
thewaveontothecake,makingsureit
comesabovetheedgeslightly.(Seepicture
D.)Secureanotherstripinthesameway,
meetingthepreviousstrip,untilthewhole
circumferenceiscovered.Repeattomake
2 furtherrows,each3cmbelowtheother.
Continuewithremainingsugarpasteand
tylountilallthecakesarecovered(using
reservedtrimmings,ifneeded).
12.Stackthecakesanddecoratewith
flowersnomorethan 4 hoursahead.
GETAHEADIcecakes,completingtoendof
Step 9 upto 2 daysahead.Assemblecakes
toendofStep 11 upto 24 hoursahead.
(SeeFreeze-aheadTipatright,ifneeded.)
EACHSERVING(AVERAGE)About 2 490kJ,
4gprotein,23gfat(14gsaturated),92g
carbohydrate(79gtotalsugars),1gfibre.LET’S CELEBRATE!
Photography: Charlie Richards. Recipes and Food Styling: Lucy Jessop, Sophie Austen-Smith. Testing: Gabriella English, Alice Shields. Prop Styling: Morag Farquhar
A B
C D