CAKE HEAVEN

WE LOVE… // PASSION CAKE pg28 // BLACKBERRY CAKE pg30 // PEAR & ALMOND LOAF pg34

Raspberry Victoria sponge

Recipe by Bad Girl Bakery (www.facebook.com/badgirlbakery)

SERVES 12

For the sponge

375g (13oz) unsalted butter or baking margarine

375g (13oz) caster sugar

6 medium free-range eggs

375g (13oz) self-raising flour

1 tsp good vanilla extract

For the buttercream

3 x 250g (9oz) packs of unsalted butter

1.05kg (2lb 5oz) icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp good vanilla extract

For the filling raspberry jam fresh raspberries

1 Preheat the oven to 170ºC/Gas Mark 3. Grease and line 3 x 20cm (8in) sandwich tins with greaseproof paper.

2 To prepare, get all your ingredients together and weigh them out. Break the eggs into a jug.

3 Beat the butter and sugar together until the colour is lighter and looks fluffy. This will take about 3-5 minutes depending on the mixer.

4 Add in the eggs one at a time with a spoon of the flour. Remember not to add the next egg until the last one is all mixed in. Don’t panic if it splits, just add a little more flour.

5 Add in the flour and mix until smooth, then divide the mixture between the tins and smooth it out.

6 Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean (time may vary depending on your oven). Let the cakes cool slightly before turning out of their tins to cool to room temperature.

7 For the buttercream, soften the butter in short bursts in the microwave, until really soft. Beat the butter and vanilla extract until really smooth, then add the icing sugar and mix again. Fill a piping bag with the buttercream.

8 When the cake is cool, take the first layer and place it flat-side down. Don’t overfill the piping bags with buttercream or it will just overflow everywhere! To start, pipe a circle of buttercream round the edge (don’t worry about being neat as no-one will see it). Pipe more in the centre, but just enough for a thin layer. Top this layer with raspberry jam and fresh raspberries.

9 Repeat with the next layer, then top with the final cake (flat-side up), then apply a crumb coat. This is a very thin base layer of icing to set the cake and trap the crumbs so the final layer is neat and smooth.

10 Pop in the fridge until this layer is set firm, then repeat with the final layer of icing. Top with fresh raspberries, dots of jam and piped swirls of buttercream, if you’re feeling fancy!

Passion cake

Recipe by British Lion Eggs (www.eggrecipes.co.uk)

SERVES 12

For the cake

150g (5oz) plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon a pinch of salt