homebaked Barbie Christening cake

Barbie christening cake covered in fondant and finished with sugarpaste detailing The bottom tier is vanilla sponge with strawberry jam and vanilla buttercream, the middle tier is marble sponge with chocolate fudge buttercream and the top tier is chocolate fudge sponge with chocolate fudge buttercream.

For how to create a Barbie cake (the top tier) see my previous post or to see more of my homebaking and cake decorating posts click here or take a peek at my instagram here 🙂

Enjoy!

big love

gollygoshgirl

xx

 

homebaked strawberries and cream white chocolate sponge cake with fresh fruit

Strawberries And Cream White Chocolate Sponge Cake With Fresh Fruit

Summer has finally arrived in the UK (THANK YOU LORD!) and the Wimbledon tennis final this weekend coupled with glorious sunshine inspired me to bake this little edible ode to British summertime 🙂  The cake is for a very good friend’s birthday and she requested strawberry jam and white chocolate so I adapted my classic Victoria sponge recipe and added a few extras  to enhance those flavours.  Below is the finished product and recipe – and here’s to a long hot summer (pretty please)!!

Ingredients

• 340g Unsalted butter (plus a little bit extra for greasing)
• 340g Self-raising flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 340g Caster sugar (plus 2 tbs for the filling)
• 6 Large eggs
• 2 Lemons
• 400g Fresh strawberries
• 80g Fresh blueberries
• 80g Fresh raspberries
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 150g Good quality strawberry jam (plus 1 heaped tbs to attach the fruit when decorating)
• 70g White chocolate chips
• 60g white chocolate (to be grated)
• 220ml Double cream
• Icing sugar, for dusting
• Mint leaves, to garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4
2. Grease the bottom and sides of two 20cm and two 13cm sandwich cake tins with butter.  Line the base of each tin with greaseproof paper then dust the sides lightly with flour
3. Beat 225g butter and 225g sugar together until very light and fluffy
4. Add four eggs one at a time, beating each one in well before you add the next
5. Sift in 225g flour
6. Finely grate over the zest of 1 lemon then fold it into the mixture (halve the lemon and save it for later)
7. Divide the cake mix into the prepared 20cm cake tins and put to one side
8. In a separate bowl beat 115g butter and 115g sugar until very light and fluffy
9. Add two eggs one and a time, beating the first one in well before you add the second
10. Sift in 115g flour
11. Finely grate over the zest of half a lemon then fold it into the mixture (halve the lemon and save it for later)
12. Divide the mixture into the prepared 13cm cake tins
13. Bake all four cakes in the hot oven for around 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and risen. The smaller cakes may be ready after 15-18 minutes.  (You can check to see if the cake is cooked by sticking a cocktail stick or skewer right into the middle of the sponge;  remove it after 5 seconds and if it comes out clean the cake’s cooked; if slightly sticky it needs a bit longer, so put it back into the oven)
14. Allow the cakes to cool slightly in the tins, then carefully turn them out on to a rack to cool completely
15. Hull and slice 300g of your strawberries
16. Gently warm the jam in a pan over a low heat then remove from the heat and stir in your sliced strawberries and add in the white chocolate chips
17. Add the cream to a bowl with 2 tbs caster sugar and 2 tsp vanilla extract, then squeeze in the juice from your zested lemons
18. Finely grate in the white chocolate 
19. Whip the mixture until you have nice soft peaks
20. Place the least attractive 20cm sponge cake on a  plate or cakeboard, smear over 2/3 of the jam and strawberry mixture, then spread 2/3 of the sweetened cream over the top
21. Place the second 20cm cake (with the best side facing up) on top and dust it with icing sugar
22. Spread a little of the tbs strawberry jam reserved for decorating onto the middle of top of the cake 
23. Place the least attractive 13cm sponge on top, smear over the remaining jam mixture and sweetened cream then finish by placing the second 13cm cake (best side facing up) on top and dusting it with icing sugar
24. Decorate the cake with the remaining fruit, using the reserved strawberry jam to attach it
25. Garnish with mint leaves

Enjoy!

big love

gollygoshgirl

xx

To see more of my homebaking posts click here to check out my instagram here.

 

homebaked vanilla and chocolate Victoria sponge marble cake

Homebaked Vanilla & Chocolate Victoria Sponge Marble Cake

This is another twist to the classic British tea-time homebaked classic Victoria sponge recipe I bake a whole lot.  I follow Jamie Oliver’s original recipe with a couple of teensy adjustments to adapt it into a marble cake – check out my version below!  If you’d like to see a different  twist on this yummy traditional sponge give this post a little peek 🙂

Ingredients

• 225g Unsalted butter (plus a little bit extra for greasing)
• 225g Self-raising flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 225g Caster sugar
• 4 Large eggs
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 tsp Cocoa powder
• 200g Vanilla or chocolate buttercream icing
• 250g fresh strawberries or raspberries
• Any additional toppings (completely optional – this is super yummy as it is!)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4
2. Grease the bottom and sides of two 20cm sandwich cake tins with butter.  Line the base of each tin with greaseproof paper then dust the sides lightly with flour
3. Beat the butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each one in well before you add the next
5. Mix in the vanilla extract
6. Sift in the flour and fold it into the mixture
7. Take 8 tablespoons of the mixture and put it in a separate bowl
8. Divide the cake mix (minus the 8 tablespoons you just took out) equally into the prepared tins
9. Add the cocoa powder to the 8 tablespoons of separated mixture and combine
10. Divide the chocolate mixture between the two tins containing the original vanilla mixture then use a spoon to gently swirl it around a couple of times (creating a ‘marble’ effect)
11. Bake in the hot oven for around 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and risen. (You can check to see if the cake is cooked by sticking a cocktail stick or skewer right into the middle of the sponge;  remove it after 5 seconds and if it comes out clean the cake’s cooked; if slightly sticky it needs a bit longer, so put it back into the oven)
12. Allow the cakes to cool slightly in the tins, then carefully turn them out on to a rack to cool completely
13. Slice your strawberries or raspberries (leave a couple of the most attractive berries whole if you wish to use them on the top of the cake)
14. Place the least attractive sponge cake on a  plate, smear over the buttercream icing and prepared berries
15. Place the second cake (with the best side facing up) on top and serve as it is, dust it with icing sugar and add few berries to the top or go crazy and add whatever you fancy – the one in the photo above is iced in chocolate fudge buttercream and decorated with fondant flowers and flavoured buttons

Enjoy!

big love

gollygoshgirl

xx

To see more of my homebaking posts click here or check out my instagram here.

yummy healthy dessert that feels super indulgent

Yummy Healthy Dessert That Feels Super Indulgent

As I continue on my quest for healthy goodness I am determined that I will not compromise taste or completely give up on dessert.  I flipping love fruit but sometimes I want something a bit more substantial to satisfy my (very demanding) sweet tooth!  Cue this little number – super tasty and fully of goodness 🙂

Ingredients

Serves one

• 2 Berry oatcakes ( I use Nairns gluten free)
• 5 tbsp Soya yoghurt
• Handful of blueberries or blackberries
• 4 Strawberries
• 1 tbsp grated Dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips

Method

1. Crumble the oatcakes
2. Mix the blueberries or blackberries into the yoghurt
3. Dice the strawberries
4. Layer the prepared ingredients and the dark chocolate as desired
5. Grab a teaspoon (smaller spoon makes me feel like I’m eating more) and dig in!

Enjoy!

big love

gollygoshgirl

xx