BAKING
We
Baking
Oh how we love cake…and biscuits…and pie. We love all things baked
here at insideKENT, so we thought it was about time we dedicated an
entire section to the craft that has taken the country by storm.
With TV shows like The Great British Bake Off
and countless primetime programmes dedicated
to cake, cake and more cake, it’s no wonder
we’re all donning our oven gloves and whisks in
a bid to become the next Paul Hollywood or Mary
Berry.
You’ll also need a red velvet sheet cake of around
37x23 cm (if you’re short of time, use a Betty
Crocker Red Velvet mix for this, who’s to know?),
and around 1.5kg of buttercream frosting. If you
really can’t be bothered with the red velvet cake,
you can leave this stage, I’ll explain how in a bit.
Though appearing on TV to showcase your baking
talents may be a far-fetched dream, you have
opportunities a-plenty to show off your freshly
baked skills at home amongst family and friends.
So sit back, relax and enjoy this special ‘sweet’
feature, including an exclusive interview with Mr
Hollywood himself (p57), and lots of scrumptious
recipes, like this fabulous Hidden Heart Cake
from Kent-based Emma Page Cakes. Enjoy!
When the round Madeira sponges are completely
cool, level off the tops and very carefully halve
each horizontally. You now have four circular
sponges of the same size. Spread the top of two
of the sponges with a layer of buttercream and
sandwich with the other two. You now have two
separate sandwich sponges. Now follow these
instructions:
Hidden Heart Cake
Why should the outside of a cake have all the
fun? Rustic buttercream cakes are on-trend for
birthdays and even weddings, but if you think
your occasion demands a bit more embellishment,
why not surprise guests with a hidden heart?
You’re going to need a deep, firm sponge, so
use a reliable Madeira cake recipe (like this one
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/2009/12/17/bak
ing-the-perfect-madeira-cake/) and make in two
8-inch pans. To avoid a huge dome, wrap the
tins with newspaper and pile the raw mixture
around the sides of the tins, leaving a hollow in
the middle.
a. Scratch a
circle around
the top of
each cake,
around 1cm
in from the
edge. You’re
going to
invert one
cake onto the top of the other, so these circles
will have to match up exactly. Some people use
a little compass made out of cocktail sticks and
string to make sure their circles are the same
size.
b. To find the
precise
centre of
your cake,
fold a circle
of paper that
is the same
diameter into
quarters and line it up with the edge of your cake.
The point will mark the centre. Mark this point
with a skewer pushed deep into both cakes and
use it to guide your compass.
c. Take one
cake and,
using a
sharp, longbladed knife,
cut a cone
from the
circle you
have
scratched out down to the centre of the cake,
close to the bottom. With the second cake, cut
down around the circle, but only half way down
and return to the middle of the top in a curve, so
41
you’re carving out a doughnut shape and leaving
an inverted cone in the middle. You may find it
easier to freeze this cake for half an hour before
carving to get a smoother shape. This is going
to be the top of your solid heart. Freeze the
discarded chunks of cake to make cake pops at
a later date.
d. Crumble your red velvet cake when cool with
a fork and, using your hands, mix with about a
cup of frosting. This is basically a cake pop
mixture and will hold its shape when chilled. If
you haven’t got a red velvet cake, break up the
chunks of cake you have just discarded, along
with the trimmings from the levelling stage, and
mix with a cup of buttercream that you have
coloured red with food paste. Fill your cakes with
this mixture, better to slightly overfill them, pressing
it in firmly. Now spread or pipe a band of
buttercream around the edge of your red filling
on both cakes. Now you have to invert the second
cake on top of the first. Just hold your breath
and flip it over in one movement. Whatever you
do don’t mix them up!
Put the cake in the fridge for at least half an hour.
Th V