Practise #1

As I've said previously, I'm going to be making my own wedding cakes. So obviously I need to make lots of prototypes until I've got what I wanted.

I have found the perfect recipe for a sponge cake and it's a hit with friends and P's family.

Recipe for sponge cake

5oz self-raising flour

5oz butter (I use margarine and it still works)

5oz caster sugar (although if you want to make it less sugary, just take 10% away)

3 medium eggs

Cap full of almond essence (although other essences will work but I only have almond in at the moment)

Beat the sugar and butter/margarine together until it's creamy.

Beat together the eggs in a separate container. Use a mug or jug. 

Pour in a bit of the beaten eggs a bit at a time, beat the mixtures together. 

Once all the eggs have been incorporated, pour in the flour in two batches.

I tend to stir, not beat. Gently folding in the flour never works for me and I always seemed to find clumps of flour after I got the cakes out of the oven.

I then add the essence, although you could probably add this between the eggs and the flour.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180oC for 25 minutes.

Leave to cool for a bit before transferring to a cooling rack.

For this, I added some cocoa powder. I didn't substitute any of the flour.

I attempted to turn the buttercream blue, not that well as you can see.

The inside of this has chopped chocolate chunks in the sponge. 

The yellow fondant, I bought pre-made from Asda. An absolute nightmare to put on the cake!

I am determined to do better next time! Not quite satisfied with these.

L x