Cherry and Almond Victoria Sandwich: Recipe

Today is World Baking Day - I didn't #bakebrave and step out of my comfort zone because I was drawn towards this lovely cake after seeing it on the front cover of Waitrose Kitchen May Magazine.

These days I'm not quite so keen on cakes slathered in cream, I prefer to whip up a small pot of whipping cream, then add an equal amount of natural yogurt to the cream and whip again until thick. Once you have tried the cream and yogurt filling I think you may well find you will always use this method.

A while back I was chosen to be a World Baking Day Ambassador and I chose to make a chocolate heart cake for this event. A couple of people on twitter have kindly sent me tweets with photographs of their chocolate heart cakes and I'm really pleased they had fun baking my cake.

Adapted Recipe

225g margarine
225g caster sugar
225g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp flaked almonds

For the filling:

425g can black cherries in light syrup (drained and juice reserved)
Approx 1 tsp arrowroot
150ml whipping cream
150ml natural yogurt
Icing sugar for dusting

1. Preheat the oven 180ºC. Grease 2 x 18cm sandwich tins, base line with parchment paper.  Dust the inside of the cake tin with flour and tip out the surplus flour.
2. In a large bowl add the butter, caster sugar, sieved flour, baking powder, eggs, almond extract and milk.  Using an electric hand whisk, beat for 2 minutes until smooth.
3. Divide the batter between the two tins, scatter the flaked almonds over one of the cakes.
4. Bake for 25 minutes until golden.  Leave the cooked cakes in the tins for 10 minutes.  Turn out and place on a cooling rack.
5. To make the filling:  Put 1 tsp arrowroot into a small basin and mix to a paste with a few teaspoons of the reserved cherry syrup.  Place the drained cherries into a small pan with approx four tablespoons of the reserved syrup and heat gently.  Add the arrowroot mixture to the pan and stir to thicken.  If it is too thick add more of the syrup, or too thin mix more arrowroot with a few teaspoons of reserved syrup and add again to the pan.  Remove from the heat and cool.
6. Whisk the cream until floppy add the yogurt, whisk again until floppy.
7. On the base cake spread over the cherry compote.  Top with the cream mixture.
8. Place the cake sprinkled with almonds top.  Dust with the icing sugar.

World Baking Day 2013 - Chocolate Heart Cake: Recipe

Chocolate Heart Cake

I have been asked to take part in World Baking Day which is sponsored by Stork, and to also be an ambassador for this wonderful annual event.  World Baking Day is on Sunday 19th May, 2013 - they are asking us all to bake for fun, bake with friends and Bake Brave, so let's all join together and bake a cake.

I have had a passion for cake ever since I was a child - baking cakes is a fun activity and has always been high on my list of things I most enjoy, and best of all you get to eat a piece of the cake you have baked.

I never like my everyday cakes to look as though they have come off a production line and I like my cake to look homemade.  I haven't spent hours and hours making the perfect bake but I've had a fun afternoon and I get to eat a wonderful slice of cake made in my own kitchen - it simply can't be beaten.

I think some people are put off baking cakes because they believe you need lots of fancy baking equipment, but you only need a bowl, a baking tin and a set of kitchen scales. Try using your hands to mix the cake batter, this method produces fabulous cakes and is fun and messy too, so trust me you don't even need to own a wooden spoon.

You will need:  2 x 18cm round shallow cake tins greased, base lined and coat the tins with a fine dusting of cocoa powder.

175g Stork tub
175g caster sugar
150g self-raising flour
25g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs

Filling: Unsweetened apricot jam
Icing: 50g dark chocolate, 15g Stork packet, 2 tablespoons milk
Chocolate Hearts:  Good quality white cooking chocolate.
Decoration: Edible gold leaf and edible gold glitter.

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC.
2. Place the Stork, caster sugar and eggs into a mixing bowl.  Sift over the self-raising flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.  With an electric mixer beat everything together for 2 minutes or until smooth.
3. Divide the mixture equally between the two cake tins and spread out evenly.
4. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Cool for 10 minutes before turning out on to a cooling tray.
6. Icing: Place all the icing ingredients into a bowl and place over a pan of barely simmering water.  Stir until melted and smooth.  Cool and spread over the top of the cake. This produces a matt icing.
7. Chocolate Hearts:  Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place 75g broken chocolate into a bowl, place over a pan of simmering water.  Allow the chocolate to melt without stirring.  When the chocolate has melted stir until smooth.  Place heaped teaspoons of melted chocolate onto the parchment paper and spread to make circles.  Place in the fridge to set. When set take a small heart cutter and cut out heart shapes. Dab a small amount of leftover melted chocolate to the underside of the hearts and place onto the cake.
8. Decorate with gold leaf and edible glitter.

Thank you to Stork for the fabulous baking set.