Cakes

While the weather may be unpredictable at best, this cake won’t be the same. Today I’m sharing my recipe for this lemon, pistachio and white chocolate cake – its the perfect celebration cake to enjoy this summer season, I promise you.

At first the mixture of lemon, pistachio and white chocolate may not sound like they’ll work but they do, very well actually. The cake consists of a lemon and pistachio cake, white chocolate French meringue buttercream and finished with various forms of white chocolate (chips and chocolate drip), pistachio (crumbs around the bottom of the cake and on top of the rosettes) and lemon (slices on top of the rosettes).

Okay, this cake may not be ideal on a very hot or humid summers day but trust me, it’s worth making. Especially if you like the flavour combinations – it’ll be worth it each time. This may not be so child friendly but would be ideal for adults.

Anyway, lets get started, shall we?

 

Ingredients:

350g butter, at room temperature.

350g granulated sugar.

6 eggs.

1.5  tsp vanilla extract.

1 tsp almond extract.

350g plain flour.

2 1/2 tsp baking powder.

100g coarsely ground pistachios.

2-3 lemons, zested.

 

Buttercream:

250g granulated sugar.

62ml water.

70ml egg yolks.

500g butter.

200-300g white chocolate, melted and cooled.

 

Decoration:

White chocolate spread (for the drip).

Coarsely chopped pistachios.

White chocolate chips.

Lemon slices.

 

Method:

Cake:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll be best to get some prep work done. I like to start by weighing up all of my ingredients, lining my cake tins, preheating my oven to 180˚c/350˚f and getting any equipment you may need such as a stand mixer and spatulas.

I like to start with the cake, as this takes the longest.

Take the mixing bowl and add in the butter, sugar and lemon zest and beat them together until they are lighter and fluffier in colour and consistency (for me this is around 7-10 minutes but this will vary on the climate you’re baking in).

Once you’ve achieved their right consistency, you can go ahead and add in the eggs. One at a time, eating well in-between each addition. Repeat the process until you have no eggs remaining.

This is also the ideal time to add in the extracts, mixing well until they are incorporated into the mix.

Now give the bowl a good scraping down, the sis just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully incorporated into the mixture.

Add in the dry ingredients and pistachios then mix on a low speed to start with, working your way up to a medium-high speed just until everything is fully incorporated – being careful not to over-mix the cake batter at this stager or it will result in a tougher textured sponge, which isn’t ideal.

Give the bowline final good scraping down to further incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in from earlier on.

Divide the cake batter between your tins, I like to use scales to get a more accurate result but feel freer to eyeball it if you’re feeling confident enough. Bake the cakes in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until, a tester comes out clean.

Buttercream:

While the cakes are baking in the oven, you can go ahead and make the buttercream – this takes a little time but is fully worth it in the end.

To start on there buttercream, take the white chocolate and melt it until its fluid, then set aside and allow to cool until its cool enough to use.

grab a small-medium saucepan and place in the water and granulated sugar and mix the two until combined, then place on the hob over a medium-high heat. You want this mixture to reach 121˚c, it takes a short while.

While you’re waiting for your mixture to come up to temperature, you can work on the egg part.

Whisk together the egg yolks and whole egg over a medium-high speed until everything is combined and the mixture is a pale yellowish colour and increased a significant amount.

Once your sugar mixture has come up to 121˚c, you can remove it from the heat and steadily pour it over the egg mixture over a low speed. Once all the mixture has been added, crank the speed upto a high and whisk until you can touch the bottom of the bowl with the back of your hand.

Now that the mixture has whisked together and is cool enough, you can start adding your butter, piece by piece. At first, you may notice the mixture looks quite loose and this is normal. As the butter is added and incorporated, the mixture will thicken and start looking like a buttercream.

Add in the white chocolate and whisk until everything has been fully incorporated.

If you think the mixture is too loose, don’t worry. Continue to mix it over a high speed until it thickens and place in the fridge and chill until firm.

You can then use this buttercream to decorate your cakes, cupcakes and traybakes. If you make the full recipe, it’s enough for a large cake, I’d half or quarter the recipe for cupcakes and traybakes.

Decoration:

Once you have everything made and ready, you can start the assembly of the cake.

When you’re layering your cakes, you can brush them over with some simple syrup to add moisture and prolong the life of the cake/prevent the cake from drying out.

To start, take a cake stand/board/plate and place a small blob of buttercream into the centre, then place your first layer off cake onto it, pressing down to secure it in place. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the outer edge off the cake (and a thin layer for inside of the ring), then fill in the centre of the ring with the same buttercream and top with the next layer of cake – repeat the process until you have used all your cake layers.

I then like to pipe the buttercream around the cake, as neatly as possibly but it doesn’t need to be perfect, as when we are smoothing it out, it will fill many of the gaps. Take your scraper and scrape around the edge, until you have a smooth enough finish, this is really up to you but most like quite a neat finish.

Around. the bottom edge of the cake, I take some of the chopped pistachios and create a border (which also adds a little more colour, flavour and texture).

Now that the cake is as smooth as you’d like it, you can apply the drip.

Using a piping bag (or whichever way works best for you) apply your drip, do it as you usually would. I always try and make the length of the drips vary but whatever makes you happy, you do. I’m using a white chocolate spread for my drip as its easier to work with and I didn’t have a lot of it left, so wanted to make the most of what I had.

Pipe blobs around the top outer edge and top with a sprinkling of chopped pistachios.  I went with 8 but you can do as many or as few as you’d like – its your cake. Then to finish, simply fill the centre with some white chocolate chips and place lemon slices on-top of the blobs and you’re done!

That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed. If you did, don’t forget to share this recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it. I’ll be back soon with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my other social’s – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The YouTube tutorial will be linked down below.

The classic and humble red velvet is always a crowd pleaser, thats without a doubt – when you partner that with the ermine frosting, you have a winning combination.

Seeing as its King Charles III’s coronation weekend here in the UK (as well as other areas/regions), what a better way to celebrate then with cake… This cake will really add something to your celebrations – so regardless of whether your fan of the royals or not, celebrating or not, get a cake made!

No matter where you go, they’ll have a red velvet cake, this chocolatey-vanillary cake is wonderful but usually it comes with a cream cheese icing but originally, through researching, it was with an ermine frosting and seeing as someone on YouTube wanted to see a recipe for a red velvet care with ermine frosting – so here you are!

You may know this cake for being a little different…  It uses bicarbonate of soda as the raising agent and has both chocolate and vanilla flavours.

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

Ingredients:

Cake:

Red Food paste/gel.

20g Cocoa powder.

1 tsp Vanilla extract.

125g Butter.

300g Granulated sugar.

3 Eggs.

190g Plain flour.

1/4 tsp Salt.

125ml Buttermilk.

1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda.

1 1/2 tsp White vinegar.

 

Ermine Frosting:

200g granulated sugar.

40g plain flour.

1/4 tsp salt.

225g whole milk.

225g unsalted butter, at room temperature.

1 tsp vanilla extract.

 

Decoration:

Red, white and blue sprinkles (optional).

Method:

Cake:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll want to do some prep. I recommend you start by weighing up all of the ingredients, lining the 6 inch round cake tins with some parchment paper (or butter and line them), preheat your oven to 180˚c/350˚f and grab any equipment you may need, such as a mixer, mixing bowl and silicon spatula.

To start on the cake, you’ll want to grab a small mixing bowl and place in the red food colouring gel/paste and vanilla extract. Mix everything together until you have a dark red thick paste and set aside until you need it later on.

Then in another bowl place the butter and granulated sugar, then beat together until they are lighter and fluffier in colour and consistency.

You can then go ahead and give the bowl a good scraping down, just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in from earlier on.

Add in your eggs, one at a time, beating well in-between each addition. Once all of the eggs have been added and are incorporated, you will want to give the bowl a quick scraping down.

Now you can take the red cocoa powder mixture you made earlier and add all of it into the mixing bowl and mix on a medium-high speed until the mixture has become a solid red colour.

 

Then you can go ahead and add around a third of the flour, mixing that in until its fully incorporated then alternate with the buttermilk until you have none of either left over. One thing to note is that you should start with dry and end with dry.

Give the bowl a good scraping down, just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in.

Then you can go ahead and add in the bicarbonate of soda and directly on top add the white vinegar – this should fizzle and react (this is completely normal, it’s a chemical reaction. Fold those two into the cake batter until it’s been fully worked in.

Split the cake batter between your two lined cake tins and place into the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are well risen (and a tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre).

Ermine Frosting:

Place the flour and sugar in a saucepan and toast on medium high heat for a couple of minutes to cook the flour – you will notice a change in colour, this is normal.

Add in your milk and stir to combine, bring it to simmer and reduce to medium heat. Continue to coo until the mixture thickens – make sure you stir constantly to prevent the milk from catching on the bottom of the pan.

Pour the mixture into a heat-proof bowl and cover with plastic wrap – make sure the clingfilm touches the surface of the mixture and let it cool fully. I placed mine in the fridge but you can also spread it thinly on a lined baking tray and cover with clingfilm (touching the surface of course), this will also help it cool quicker.

Place your butter in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attached – whisk until lighter and fluffier in colour and consistency. Now add your flour mixture into your butter a little at a time, allow it to fully incorporate in-between additions.

Add in your vanilla and mix well, then you’re done with the frosting. This frosting is better off used straight away, if possible.

Decorating:

You can decorate this however you’d like, I ept it very simple by just piping the frosting in blobs around the cake, leaving the sides exposed but you can do it however you’d like.

When it came to the top of the cake, I simply layered the blobs on top of each other until it looked like a flower and the top of the cake was filled it – I also just used some red, white and blue sprinkles as this cake was made for the coronation celebrations but you can use whatever you’d like (or leave it plain).

I like to chill the cake for a little, especially if it’s slightly warm. Enjoy the cake within 2- 3 days.

That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed. If you did, don’t forget to share this recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it. I’ll be back soon with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my other social’s – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The YouTube tutorial will be linked down below.

I’m not sure if its just me but now Spring has sprung and things are getting a little better – its time for carrot cake.

Carrot cake is a classic amongst the cake flavours available, everywhere you go they will have some variation of it and thats perfect – its a tender and most cake that can’t be faulted, especially when partnered with a cream cheese icing, which is tangy and works perfectly with this cake as its not a super heavy buttercream.

I don’t know what it is about carrot cake but whenever I have it, it reminds me of spring and that time around Easter – I can’t think of a reason but this is fitting for whatever reason.

This is just my version of a carrot cake, I have included walnuts and raisins because I like them – a very welcome addition.

Anyway, lets get started, shall we?

 

Ingredients:

Cake:

225g butter, at room temperature.

225g light brown sugar.

4 eggs.

225g self raising flour.

3/4 tsp baking powder.

2 tsp ground cinnamon. 

1 tsp ground ginger. 

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg. 

60g walnuts, roughly chopped.

60g raisins.

1 orange, zest.

225g grated carrot.

 

Cream Cheese Icing:

350g butter.

350g icing sugar.

200g cream cheese, at room temperature.

 

Decoration:

Walnuts, roughly chopped.

 

Method:

To get started on the recipe, you’ll want to do some prep work. I like to start by weighing up all of my ingredients, preparing my cake tins and getting any equipment I may need such as a stand mixer and spatula.

I like to make the cakes first but you can work in whichever order works best for you!

To start on the cakes, take a mixing bowl and place in the butter and sugar, cream them together until they are lighter and fluffier in colour and consistency (for me this was around 7-10 minutes).

Now you can add in the eggs, one at a time beating well in-between each addition – take your time when adding the eggs.

Once all of the eggs have been added you can go ahead and give the bowl a good scraping down – this is just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully incorporated into the mixture previously.

Add in the dry ingredients and mix on a low speed to start with, working your way up to a medium-high speed until the dry ingredients have been incorporated.

Now you can add in carrot and raisins, mixing in until they have been fully incorporated.

Give the bowl a good scraping down to ensure any bits that wasn’t fully worked in from earlier on.

Divide the cake batter between your 3×6 inch cake tins, spread and level then bake for 30 minutes (or until a tester comes out clean).

To make the cream cheese icing, take a bowl and place in the butter and icing sugar – beat the two together until they are lighter and fluffier in colour and consistency, this may take a little while.

Once you’ve achieved the desired consistency, you can gradually add in the soft cheese – don’t add it all at once, please take your time when adding it into the mix.

Now you have your cakes baked and cooled and the buttercream made, you can go ahead and finish the cake. I kept things super simple by not decorating the sides of the cake, as I don’t like a lot of frosting on cakes and this is the perfect way for me.

I simply pipe blobs around the outer edge , then fill the centre in, placing the next layer of cake on top and repeat the process. On the very top, I simply pipe rows of blobs and get a flower looking pattern on top – I cover the centre with some roughly broken walnuts and then its done!

That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed. If you did, don’t forget to share this recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it. I’ll be back soon with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my other social’s – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The YouTube tutorial will be linked down below.

 

 

The classic Oreo is good enough on its own but combine that with a cake and you get this beauty.

This cake consists of a lot Oreo, which is perfect for those who are fans of Oreo. Starting with 3 layers of of Oreo cake, sandwiched and coated with an Oreo French buttercream, finished with a chocolate drip and whole Oreos – what’s not to like?

If you have a friends or family members birthday coming up or a bake sale, this cake would be the perfect one to make and share – I promise this will be popular.

I made this cake in 2022 for a family member but can’t remember who it was for or when but it’s been a while since I made this. Now felt like the perfect time to share this recipe.

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

 

Ingredients:

Cake:

350g butter, at room temperature.

350g granulated sugar.

350g plain flour.

2.5 tsp baking powder.

6 eggs.

2 tsp vanilla extract.

100g Oreo crumbs.

 

Buttercream:

250g granulated sugar.

62ml water.

70g egg yolks.

500g butter, at room temperature.

1 tsp vanilla extract.

75g Oreo crumbs.

 

Ganache (for drip):

100ml double cream.

60g dark chocolate chips.

40g milk chocolate chips.

 

Decoration:

Oreos.

 

Method:

Before we get into the recipe, it’s best to do some prep. I personally like to start by weighing up all of my ingredients, lining my cake tins with parchment paper and like to get any equipment I may need ready – such as a stand mixer, paddle attachment and spatula. Now is also the ideal time to preheat your oven to 180˚c/350˚f.

To get started on the cake batter, simply take a mixing bowl and place in the butter and sugar. Beat the two together until they are lighter and fluffier in colour and consistency – due to the amount of each ingredient, it will take a short while to achieve this consistency, around 7-10 minutes is my usual sweet spot (although this will vary, depending on where you are and the climate).

You can then gradually add in your eggs, one at a time, beating well in-between each addition. If you add the eggs too quickly, you will find the mixture may split or curdle – not ideal. Now is also the perfect time to add in the vanilla extract, mix until fully incorporated.

Add in the dry ingredients and mix on a low speed to start with, working your way up to a medium-high speed and continue to mix until you have a smooth cake batter with no traces of raw ingredients (unless its a little of the dry ingredients near the top of the bowl) – a minute or so usually works best for me with this recipe.

Now you can add in the Oreo crumbs, folding them in until they are fully incorporated into the cake batter – this will also incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in from earlier on.

Take the cake batter and divide it between your cake tins – the recipes provided will make 3 layers of cake for each. you can eyeball the amount places into each tin but you could also use weighing scales to get a more accurate amount into each tin. Once the cake batter is in the tins, simply spread and level out the cake batter, this is to ensure consistent baking.

Place into your preheated oven and bake for 30-35 or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.

 

Buttercream:

To start on the buttercream recipe, grab a small-medium saucepan and place in the water and granulated sugar and mix the two until combined, then place on the hob over a medium-high heat. You want this mixture to reach 121˚c, it takes a short while.

While you’re waiting for your mixture to come up to temperature, you can work on the egg part.

Whisk together the egg yolks and whole egg over a medium-high speed until everything is combined and the mixture is a pale yellowish colour and increased a significant amount.

Once your sugar mixture has come up to 121˚c, you can remove it from the heat and steadily pour it over the egg mixture over a low speed. Once all the mixture has been added, crank the speed upto a high and whisk until you can touch the bottom of the bowl with the back of your hand.

Now that the mixture has whisked together and is cool enough, you can start adding your butter, piece by piece. At first, you may notice the mixture looks quite loose and this is normal. As the butter is added and incorporated, the mixture will thicken and start looking like a buttercream.

Add in the vanilla and whisk until everything has been fully incorporated.

Simply add the Oreo crumbs once the buttercream has been made. Mix until fully incorporated – it should become a speckled grey sort of colour.

 

Decoration:

Once you have everything made and ready, you can start the assembly of the cake. To start, take a cake stand/board/plate and place a small blob of buttercream into the centre, then place your first layer off cake onto it, pressing down to secure it in place. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the outer edge off the cake (and a thin layer for inside of the ring), then fill in the centre of the ring with the same buttercream and top with the next layer of cake – repeat the process until you have used all your cake layers.

I then like to pipe the buttercream around the cake, as neatly as possibly but it doesn’t need to be perfect, as when we are smoothing it out, it will fill many of the gaps. Take your scraper and scrape around the edge, until you have a smooth enough finish, this is really up to you but most like quite a neat finish.

Now that the cake is as smooth as you’d like it, simply make the ganache. Heat cream until its almost reaches a boil, then pour over your chocolate and allow it to sit for around a minute and stir until smooth, well combined and has taken on a thickened consistency but is still fluid enough to drip.

Using a piping bag (or whichever way works best for you) apply your drip, do it as you usually would. I always try and make the length of the drips vary but whatever makes you happy, you do.

Pipe rosettes around the top outer edge, I went with 8 but you can do as many or as few as you’d like – its your cake. Then to finish, simply fill the centre with some ganache and place whole Oreo biscuits between the rosettes and you’re done!

That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed. If you did, don’t forget to share this recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it. I’ll be back soon with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my other social’s – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The YouTube tutorial will be linked down below.

It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to sit and edit a video and blog post – so glad to be back!

This week I’m starting with a video I recorded last August – it was a cake for my cousins 21st Birthday, if you’ve been around a while, you might remember me making a cake for her 18th Birthday!

My cousin isn’t big on flavours or decoration, so kept it simple. The bottom tier was a vanilla cake with a vanilla buttercream and the top cake was a chocolate cake with a Oreo buttercream, which is pretty simple but works well together.

If you’re looking to make a celebration cake, this will give you the basic framework you need to make a cake like this or similar.

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

 

Ingredients:

Cakes:

8 inch vanilla cake:

525g butter, softened.

525g granulated sugar.

7 eggs.

525g self raising flour.

1 tsp salt.

2.5-3 tsp vanilla extract.

Milk (optional, only if needed).

 

6 inch chocolate cake:

350g butter, softened.

350g granulated sugar.

6 eggs.

300g self raising flour..

50g cocoa powder.

1 tsp vanilla extract.

 

Buttercreams:

Vanilla buttercream (for 8 inch vanilla cake):

500g granulated sugar.

125ml water.

140g egg yolks.

1,000g butter, room temperature.

2.5-3 tsp vanilla extract.

 

Oreo buttercream (for 6 inch chocolate cake):

250g granulated sugar.

62ml water.

70g egg yolks.

500g butter, at room temperature.

1 tsp vanilla extract.

50g Oreo crumbs.

 

Simple Syrup (optional):

300g grnauilastyed sugar.

300ml water.

 

White chocolate drip:

50g white chocolate (good quality).

50g double cream.

 

Decoration:

Oreo biscuits (whole and broken).

White chocolate chips.

Edible glitter (optional).

 

Method:

Cakes:

Before we get into the recipe, it’s best to do some prep. I personally like to start by weighing up all of my ingredients, lining my cake tins with parchment paper and like to get any equipment I may need ready – such as a stand mixer, paddle attachment and spatula. Now is also the ideal time to preheat your oven to 180˚c/350˚f.

To start todays recipe, I will be starting with making the cake sponges. Although there is two different recipes, its the same process (the same goes for the buttercream), so to make there process quicker and less repetitive, I will share one method and apply the variation at the end for you to use, if you use this recipe.

To get started on the cake batter, simply take a mixing bowl and place in the butter and sugar. Beat the two together until they are lighter and fluffier in colour and consistency – due to the amount of each ingredient, it will take a short while to achieve this consistency, around 7-10 minutes is my usual sweet spot (although this will vary, depending on where you are and the climate).

You can then gradually add in your eggs, one at a time, beating well in-between each addition. If you add the eggs too quickly, you will find the mixture may split or curdle – not ideal. Now is also the perfect time to add in the vanilla extract, mix until fully incorporated.

Add in the dry ingredients and mix on a low speed to start with, working your way up to a medium-high speed and continue to mix until you have a smooth cake batter with no traces of raw ingredients (unless its a little of the dry ingredients near the top of the bowl) – a minute or so usually works best for me with this recipe.

Take the cake batter and divide it between your cake tins – the recipes provided will make 3 layers of cake for each. you can eyeball the amount places into each tin but you could also use weighing scales to get a more accurate amount into each tin. Once the cake batter is in the tins, simply spread and level out the cake batter, this is to ensure consistent baking

Place the cakes into the oven and bake for 25-30 for the 8 inch cakes and 30-35 for the 6 inch cakes – or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.

Now that the cakes are baking its the perfect time to get the simple syrup and buttercream made.

Simple Syrup:

If you’re using simple syrup on the cake sponges, simply place equal amounts of water and sugar into a saucepan, bring to the boil and then cool fully before intending to use.

White chocolate drip:

The white chocolate ganache for the drips is super easy, simply heat the cream to almost a boil, pour it over the chocolate and allow it to sit for a minute or so. After that time, stir until smooth – you may find it’s very liquid and this is normal. Cover with clingfilm, allowing it to touch the top of the ganache and then place in the fridge and allow to firm up.

Once you want to use it, simply warm up using small bursts of heat from a microwave until you have the perfect consistency -this doesn’t take very long, so be careful.

Buttercream:

To start on the buttercream recipe, grab a small-medium saucepan and place in the water and granulated sugar and mix the two until combined, then place on the hob over a medium-high heat. You want this mixture to reach 121˚c, it takes a short while.

While you’re waiting for your mixture to come up to temperature, you can work on the egg part.

Whisk together the egg yolks and whole egg over a medium-high speed until everything is combined and the mixture is a pale yellowish colour and increased a significant amount.

Once your sugar mixture has come up to 121˚c, you can remove it from the heat and steadily pour it over the egg mixture over a low speed. Once all the mixture has been added, crank the speed upto a high and whisk until you can touch the bottom of the bowl with the back of your hand.

Now that the mixture has whisked together and is cool enough, you can start adding your butter, piece by piece. At first, you may notice the mixture looks quite loose and this is normal. As the butter is added and incorporated, the mixture will thicken and start looking like a buttercream.

Add in the vanilla and whisk until everything has been fully incorporated.

If you think the mixture is too loose, don’t worry. Continue to mix it over a high speed until it thickens and place in the fridge and chill until firm.

** For the Oreo buttercream, simply add the Oreo crumbs once the buttercream has been made. Mix until fully incorporated – it should become a speckled grey sort of colour.

Decoration:

Once you have everything made and ready, you can start the assembly of the cake. To start, take a cake stand/board/plate and place a small blob of buttercream into the centre, then place your first layer off cake onto it, pressing down to secure it in place. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the outer edge off the cake (and a thin layer for inside of the ring), then fill in the centre of the ring with the same buttercream and top with the next layer of cake – repeat the process until you have used all your cake layers.

I then like to pipe the buttercream around the cake, as neatly as possibly but it doesn’t need to be perfect, as when we are smoothing it out, it will fill many of the gaps. Take your scraper and scrape around the edge, until you have a smooth enough finish, this is really up to you but most like quite a neat finish.

Seeing as this is a two tiered cake, it’s easier to ice the cakes separately, then stack them. To make the stacking process even easier, chill the cakes in the fridge for a short while before you intend on stacking – trust me on this one.

Once the cakes are stacked, you can decorate and finish them. For me this was very simple but you can alter it to suit your occasion.

Around the bottom edge of the vanilla cake, take your sprinkles and make a boarder around, I used the Halo brand sprinkles but you can use whatever you like. I then apply the drip, which wasn’t perfect but I couldn’t change once it was applied.

Around the top of the Oreo cake and where the 2 cakes meet, I pipe shells with the vanilla buttercream – this isn’t required but I liked how it looked. You can do whatever you like – choose creatively!

I added a few whole Oreos around the side of the Oreo cake, then broke some Oreos into roughly quarters, then place on top of the Oreo cake, inside of the piped shells. I also add some white chocolate chips, just for decoration. As a finishing touch, I used the edible spray glitter and added a generous amount around the cake, to add a little shimmer (if you use this, be aware it gets everywhere).

Chill in the fridge until it’s needed, then enjoy. I do find allowing the cake to come to room temperature the best way to enjoy it!

That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed. If you did, don’t forget to share this recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it. I’ll be back soon with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my other social’s – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The YouTube tutorial will be linked down below.

You may be thinking, another black forest gateau recipe… Really? Well, yes really. This classic inspired cake is always a crowd pleaser, whenever I make it.

I have made this cake every year on my YouTube channel since 2016, is there really many more ways I can reinvent such a classic? Not really but I have changed the sponges in this cake from butter based to an oil based.

The other major difference I have made is the ingredients used. Earlier on this year, I was contacted by the wonderful people over at OliveNation. If you don’t know who they are, they are a dedicated company providing then highest quality cooking and baking ingredients, including pantry staples through to the harder to find products – all at affordable prices. I have been fortunate enough too be sent a selection of products to use and review – so I have been able to use a majority of them in this cake, its a win-win!

This cake is rich, decadent and totally indulgent – the perfect cake for any occasion, especially if you’re celebrating and love fresh cream, chocolate and cherry!

Three layers of darkly decadent chocolate cake, sandwiched and filled with freshly whipped (slightly) sweetened cream and cherry jam, coated with more cream, grated dark chocolate, fresh cream rosettes and cherries – sounds good, right?

The ingredients I have used from OliveNation, all add a little extra indulgence, which doesn’t go unnoticed. The cocoa powder adds colour, richness and a unique flavour. The extracts help add even more flavour and compliment the flavours that are already in the cake and the chocolate is dark enough to add a nice bit of sharpness but not enough to take away from the cake, simply only adding to the decadence of the cake… Tell me that doesn’t sound good…  I can wait!

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

 

Ingredients:

345g granulated sugar.

200g plain flour.

50g Jet black Blommer cocoa powder.

1.5 tsp baking powder.

1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda.

200 ml whole milk.

45ml vegetable oil.

1.5 tsp vanilla extract.

1.5 tsp chocolate extract.

185ml Boiling water.

 

Whipped cream:

450ml double cream.

30-50g icing sugar.

1.5 tsp vanilla extract.

 

Decoration & Filling:

Jar of cherry jam (homemade or store bought).

100g-150g dark chocolate, grated.

Cherries, whichever you can get your hands on.

 

Method:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll want to do some prep work. Starting by weighing up all of your ingredients, preheating your oven to 180˚/350˚f and get any equipment you may need ready, such a mixing bowl and whisk. Don’t forget to line your baking pans with parchment.

To start on the recipe, you’ll want to start by placing the granulate sugar, plain flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl, passing though a sieve first to remove any lumps that may be in the dry mix. Once they have been sifted, whisk together with a whisk – set aside until needed later on.

Into another mixing bowl you’ll want to combine the wet ingredients, which are the milk, vegetable oil, chocolate and vanilla extract, whisk them together until everything is fully combined.

You can then add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until everything is combined and you have a semi thick cake batter – it should look slightly granular, this is normal.

Now you can take the boiling water and add it into the cake batter – this may sound unconventional but for this recipe it works and makes the best chocolate cake recipe.

For ease, you can transfer the cake batter into a jug. This is optional and can be poured from a bowl if preferred.

Grab your cake tins that have been lined with parchment and pour the batter into them – distributing the cake batter equally between the can tins, as this  helps them raise the perfect amount once baked. Once all of your cases have been filled, you can transfer the pan into your preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre.

While the cakes are in the oven baking, you ca go ahead and whip up the cream. Into a clean mixing bowl add in the double cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract – whisk everything together until the whipped cream reaches a stiff peak (where it holds its shape well). This will happen all of a sudden, so make sure you keep your eye on the mixture, otherwise it will become over whipped and have an unpleasant mouthfeel. Transfer the cream into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle of your choice

Once you have the cakes baked and cooled, the cream whipped, chocolate grated and cherry jam ready – you can start the assembly process.

To start, take your plate/stand/board and smear a small amount of the cream into the centre of it. This will act like the glue, keeping the cake secured in place. Place your first layer off cake on, pressing it down just to secure it in place.

the layer on the cream, generously and dollop into the centre a voluptuous about of the cherry jam – the more the better right. Never under fill a cake, you won’t regret it. Remember this is a celebration cake, so don’t be stingy with the filling – repeat until you have used all of your cake layers up.

Coat the entire cake in a generous layer of cream, again, don’t be stingy with any element of this cake. It’s supposed to be luscious.

Smooth and level it out as best you possibly can, then take the grated chocolate and apply it to the sides and top of the cake.

Reserve enough cream to pipe rosettes on top of the cake. This is an ideal way to add height and make your cake look more professional – trust me.

Then to finish the cake, you’ll want to place a single cherry onto the top of each rosette – then you’re done. A very quick, easy and straightforward method and recipe for a gorgeous celebration cake – this classic may be a little dated, but when made right – it’s super good!

That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed. If you did, don’t forget to share this recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it. I’ll be back soon with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my other social’s – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The YouTube tutorial will be linked down below.

This is one of the best classics you’ll ever make – a chocolate fudge cake.

I’ll be honest, this is one of the easiest cakes you’ll come across. It’s a classic and tea time favourite all at the same time, which is perfect – right?

You’ll know this cake as it’s one of the most popular box mixes available on the supermarket shelves, which is where most of use remember it from. I have been making a version of this cake for many years with my mom and nan – now I’m sharing with you to make memories as you make it with your friends and family.

If you’re looking for a simple cake that doesn’t take too long or too many ingredients, this is the one for you. Quick and easy to make and better shared with people you love.

To make this cake even better, I used the dark chocolate and cocoa powder from the lovely guys over at Cocoa Runners. They also offer milk chocolate, unsweetened chocolate and cocoa nibs. If you use my links, you’ll save 10% on your order – what’s not to like?!

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

 

Ingredients:

 

Cake:

175g butter.

175g granulated sugar.

3 eggs.

45g golden syrup.

40g ground almonds.

175g plain flour.

1 tsp baking powder.

40g cocoa powder.

 

Icing:

225g dark chocolate.

55g dark brown sugar.

225g butter.

75ml evaporated milk.

1/2 tsp vanilla extract.

 

Decoration:

Any sort of sprinkles or chocolate chips you’d like.

 

Method:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll want to do some prep work. Start by weighing up your ingredients, lining a 8 inch round cake tin with parchment paper and get any equipment you may need, such as a stand mixer and spatula needed. Preheat your oven to 180˚c/350˚f.

To start on the recipe, make the icing first as it requires time to firm up in the fridge. Into a saucepan place the milk chocolate, dark brown sugar, butter, evaporated milk and vanilla, before placing over a medium-low heat.

Allow the ingredients to melt a little before you start to stir them all together – after a couple of minutes, the ingredients should have started to melt together and start to easily combine. You’re looking for the mixture to be smooth and glossy – transfer into a clean bowl and place in the fridge and allow to firm up to reach a spreadable consistency.

For the cake, take a mixing bowl and place in the butter and sugar, beating the two together until they are very well combine – reaching a lighter and fluffier colour and consistency.

You can then go ahead and add in the eggs, roughly one at time, beating well in-between each addition. Once all of the eggs have been added, give the bowl a good scraping down, just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in from earlier on.

Now add in the golden syrup and ground almonds, mixing them in just until they are fully incorporated – then give the bowl a good scraping down again.

Take the bowl and place a sieve on top of the bowl and pass through the dry ingredients – this helps to remove any lumps and keep the mixture as smooth as can be. You can use a little milk to help you achieve the perfect consistency, only if needed.

Transfer the cake batter into the lined cake tin and smooth/level it off as best you can. Then place the cake tin into your preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes (or until a tester comes out clean).

Once the cake is baked, allow to cool fully before you intend on finishing it off. Now is also the ideal time to remove the icing from the fridge, so it has time to become the perfectly smooth spreadable consistency.

When you’re ready to finish the cake off, you’ll want to level the cake, just to remove the dome on the top and then in half so you have two layers of cake – which is what you need. Take your cake stand/plate/board and smear a small amount of icing in the centre, then top that with the first layer of cake. Onto the first layer of cake, place a generous amount of the icing and spread out until level and consistent.

Top with the final layer of cake and use the remaining icing to coat the sides and top, finish it however you’d like. As optional finish, use sprinkles or chocolate chips.

Allow the cake to firm up a little, then slice it up and enjoy it on its own or with a hot beverage – whichever you like!

That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed. If you did, don’t forget to share this recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it. I’ll be back soon with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my other social’s – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The YouTube tutorial will be linked down below.