Pinch of salt
¼ tsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
Two 23cm (9in) diameter sandwich tins, each about 5cm (2in) deep
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Butter and flour the sides of the cake tins and line the bases with parchment paper.
2 Cream the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and the egg yolks, one by one, beating well after each addition.
3 Place the flour, cornflour, baking powder and cocoa powder in a sieve resting on a plate. Measure the buttermilk with the food colouring and mix together. It should be very red, so add more if you need to.
4 Sift one-third of the dry ingredients into the butter and eggs mixture until just combined, then pour in one-third of the buttermilk mixture and mix until just combined. Continue, combining a third at a time, until both are incorporated.
5 Whisk the egg whites and salt in a large, spotlessly clean bowl until stiffish peaks form. Add one-quarter to the batter and mix. Add the remaining egg whites in three stages, folding them in gently with a large metal spoon until just incorporated, leaving as much air in the egg whites as possible.
6 In a small bowl, mix the vinegar and bicarbonate of soda until it bubbles up, then gently fold this into the batter. Quickly pour the batter into the two prepared tins and smooth the tops. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean and the cakes feel slightly springy on top.
7 Leave in the tins for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the cakes from the tins, running a table knife or a palette knife slowly around them to loosen them, and invert them onto a wire rack to cool.
8 To make the white frosting, place the egg whites, sugar, golden syrup, salt, cream of tartar and water in a stainless steel or heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. (The base of the bowl should not touch the water.) Bring the water to a steady simmer. With a hand-held electric beater or a balloon whisk (to build up your muscles!), whisk the mixture until you have shiny, satiny soft peaks. Remove the bowl from the simmering water and continue to whisk for a further 2 minutes—it will get a bit stiffer. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
9 Immediately ice the middle, top and sides of the cake with a palette knife, fluffing the frosting up to form little peaks all over the cake. You need to work fast to ice the cake, as the icing sets very quickly. Leave for at least 30 minutes to allow a thin crust to form outside a creamy interior.
RACHEL’S BAKING TIP
*After the cakes have cooled completely and before frosting, cover them loosely with cling film and place them in the freezer for 30 minutes-1 hour. This really helps when it comes to icing delicate crumbly cakes.
CHOCOLATE, MARMALADE AND HAZELNUT CAKE
If you love the combination of chocolate with orange, this is the cake for you! It’s incredibly rich and intense in flavour.
SERVES 12
175g (6oz) butter
175g (6oz) good-quality dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
5 eggs, separated
175g (6oz) caster sugar
150g (5oz) hazelnuts (with skins on), ground in a food processor
200g (7oz) fine-cut marmalade
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
For the topping
75g (3oz) good-quality dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
75ml (2½fl oz) double cream
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
22cm (8½in) diameter spring-form/loose-bottomed tin
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas mark 5. Butter the sides of the cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
2 Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water.
3 In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together with a hand-held electric beater until the mixture is light and mousse-like.
4 Add the ground hazelnuts, marmalade and orange zest to the melted chocolate mixture.
5 Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites in a large, spotlessly clean bowl until stiff peaks form.
6 Fold the egg yolk and sugar mixture into the chocolate mixture until combined, then gently fold in the egg whites in three stages so as not to deflate them. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3 and continue to cook for a further 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
7 Allow to cool for 20 minutes, then carefully remove from the tin to a wire rack to cool completely.
8 When the cake is cool, melt the chocolate, cream and orange zest in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Place the cake on a serving plate and pour over the topping. Using a palette knife, smooth the icing, allowing it to fall down the sides of the cake. Allow to set for 30 minutes-1 hour.
KUGELHOPF
This buttery, light, bread-like cake comes from the Alsace region in France and is quite like Italian panettone. Indeed, the word ‘Kugelhopf’ is related to the German kugel, meaning ‘ball’ or ‘globe’, evoking the round shape of the cake. It is simple to make using an electric food mixer, but of course can also be made by hand. The cake does, however, require a fair amount of time overall, so start the day before if possible.
SERVES 8
1 tbsp flaked almonds or whole almonds
75g (3oz) raisins
3 tbsp brandy
160g (5¾oz) strong white flour
¼ tsp salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
3 tbsp caster sugar
75ml (2½fl oz) barely warmed-up full fat milk
1½ tsp dried yeast or 15g (½oz) fresh yeast or 1 x 7g sachet fast-acting yeast
2 eggs
1 egg yolk