Piñata cake
SERVES 8
For the cakes
180g (6oz) butter, at room
temperature, plus 1 tbsp extra
for greasing
275g (10oz) plain flour
3 tbsp cornflour
2½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
375g (13oz) caster sugar
3 large free-range eggs, at room
temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
250ml (9fl oz) whole milk
For the buttercream
275g (10oz) butter, softened
400g (14oz) icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp milk
pink food colouring
To de c orate
300g (11oz) chocolate sweeties,
e.g. Smarties
candles, optional
mini bunting, optional
1 For the cakes: Preheat the oven to
180°C/Gas Mark 4. Grease two 900g
(2lb) pudding bowls with some butter.
2 Whisk together the flour, cornflour,
baking powder and salt in a large
mixing bowl.
3 Cream together the butter and sugar
in a separate mixing bowl using an
electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about
3-4 minutes. Thoroughly beat in the eggs,
one by one, followed by the vanilla extract.
4 Stir in the flour mixture and milk in
thirds, alternating, until the batter is just
combined. Divide between the prepared
pudding bowls.
5 Bake for 22-30 minutes until golden,
risen, and dry to the touch; a cake tester
should come out clean from their centres
when ready. Remove to a wire rack
to cool.
6 Once cool, carefully turn out the cakes
from the bowls. Using a small paring
knife, hollow out the centre of each cake
about 5cm (2in) in from the perimeter,
cutting about halfway down to the
bottom of each cake; reserve the cut-out
sponge for another use.
7 For the buttercream: Gently stir
together the butter, icing sugar and milk in
a large mixing bowl until the icing sugar
is moistened.
8 Continue to beat with an electric mixer
until smooth and pale in appearance,
about 3-4 minutes. Add a few drops of
pink food colouring and beat again until
uniformly pink in colour.
9 To assemble: Spread a little
buttercream onto the centre of a cake
stand before sitting one cake on top,hollowed - out side facing up.
10 Spread some buttercream on top of
the perimeter of the cake before filling
with the chocolate sweeties. Sit the other
cake on top, hollowed - out side facing
down to enclose the sweeties.
11 Cover the whole cake with a generous
layer of buttercream, using a palette knife
to create ridges, or smoothing it out if you
wish. Decorate the cake with candles and
mini bunting, if desired, before serving.RECIPE
Recipe and photography by Stockfood, The Food Media Agency18 baking heaven JUNE WWW.FOODHEAVENMAG.COM