Here is an offering from our mini pastry chef Evie, aged 6. She was watching the Great British Bake Off and decided to design her own cake so got out her pens and drew the design like they do on the show. 'My cake needs to have 2 or 3 layers of chocolate, mummy, with orange cream in between because daddy told me the things that go well with chocolate and orange is a thing that goes well with chocolate! When can we make my cake mummy?'. Well after a bit of discussion we decided that perhaps 2 layers of choc sponge was enough as long as it also had melted chocolate and smarties on top! Please see below for the recipe (sponge recipe courtesy of my friend Lisbeth Bjergbæk).
CHOCOLATE SPONGE 150 g butter 2 eggs 3 dl sugar 4.5 dl flour 2.5 tsp baking powder 2 tsp vanilla sugar 2 tbsp Cocoa 1.5 dl milk few drops orange flavour ORANGE BUTTERCREAM 140g butter softened 280g icing sugar 1-2 tbsp milk few drops food colouring (optional) orange flavouring to taste TO DECORATE melted chocolate (milk or dark) smarties | METHOD Pre heat the oven to 175 degrees Melt the butter. Whisk the egg and sugar to a light and airy mass that has at least doubled in volume. Mix all the dry ingredients and fold them into the egg mixture with the melted butter and orange flavouring. Pour in the milk and mix to an even batter. Grease and flour a baking tray (20 x 20cm). Cover the bottom with greaseproof paper. Pour in mixture and bake in the oven for 30-40 min. To mix the buttercream. Cream together the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Add the milk, orange flavouring and food colouring if using and mix a bit further. Set aside until your cake has cooled. For the decoration. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a bain marie (pan of warm water. Don't let the water boil and don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Once your cake is cool cut it in half (lengthways!) and slather the buttercream on bottom half. Replace the top half and spread the chocolate on the top. Finish with the smarties. Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee!! |