Butterscotch, Caramel and Chocolate Checkerboard Cake

My love affair with checkerboard cakes continues and I got the pleasure of making this one again last week. Three of my favourite flavours; butterscotch in the golden layer, caramel in the light brown layer and the chocolate in the chocolate brown layer.

The cake rings are joined with a delicious butter caramel sauce and all wrapped in a whipped butterscotch buttercream. Let me just repeat my favourite bit there; whipped butterscotch buttercream !

Also, just to show that you don't need any special equipment to make this fun cake. Directions for this are below or you can go to the Knickerboker Glory Cake - Checkerboard Style for Strawberry, Chocolate and Vanilla version made in June last year. 

Magical Fairy Dust in the Kitchen? or Overuse of Gold Shimmer Spray!

Word of warning on the gold shimmer spray, I got a bit carried away and sprayed it from a distance onto the cake and the particles hung in the air for some time before hitting the floor. ( Yes I have used it before.... ) Whether it was due to the warmth that the shimmer suspended in the air for some time, I'm not sure but I took a quick picture.

However, it was only later in the evening as we got ready with the reflection of the artificial light, I realised that we were all sparkling on our hair and clothes! I'm not sure that it was a good idea to breathe that in either. The cake on the other hand has only a very slight coating of gold....

Text Only Printable Recipe

Ingredients :

Butterscotch and Caramel Cakes :

225g   Butter

225g   Soft brown sugar

1 tbsp golden/corn syrup

4 Large eggs

225g   Self raising flour

2 tbsp Milk

2 tbsp Caramel Syrup for one half

2 tsp Butterscotch flavouring for the other half

Chocolate Cake :

110g  Butter

110g  Caster sugar

1 tbsp golden/corn syrup

2 Eggs

55g Self raising flour

55g  Cocoa powder (light cocoa such as Cadburys)

1 tbsp Milk

6-8 tbsp Caramel Sauce for joining cake rings

Butterscotch Buttercream for inside and outside decoration:

440g Icing sugar

110g Butter

3+ tbsp Milk

A few drops of butterscotch essence to taste

Method:

Preheat oven 160c/140c Fan/325F/Gas Mark 3.

Grease three tins and line bottom with baking paper. Quantities are for three 7 inch /18cm cake tins.

Cream the sugar and butter together. Beat in the syrup. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the flour.  Divide into two. You can weigh each one to make sure you have the same weight of mixture in both, for two even bakes.

Add butterscotch and 1 tbsp milk to one and add the caramel syrup and 1 tbsp milk to the other.

Make up the chocolate cake batter using the same method but  fold in the flour and cocoa. Add milk to soften batter.

Place in the centre of the oven. Check after 20 minutes. Cook until risen and a skewer comes cleanly out. Allow to cool.

Chill cakes before cutting out circles to reduce crumbing. You can use a special tin or simply use a glass for the centre circles, score with a knife and then cut out. For the outer circle use a saucer  or small bowl to draw around and cut out. Do the same for all three.

Put the colour circles into three different colour sets before you begin to assemble. In the past I have got the wrong combo and not got 3 different colours in each layer and it is very, very messy to take apart.

Put circles onto a wire rack.

Warm the caramel sauce lightly and brush or spoon onto the cut surfaces. Compared to using jam or jelly this was quite a sticky operation. 

Insert circles back into cakes making three layers. If you don't have much room in the fridge use grease proof paper between finished layers before stacking on top of each other to stop them sticky together.

  Chill for 10  minutes.

Make simple butter cream – whisk butter, and icing sugar and flavouring together. Add tbsp of the milk at a time until smooth enough to spreadable.  Spread the icing on top of the first and second layers and place the final layer on top. Spread on a crumb coat of icing. Return to fridge and chill until firm. Finish with final layer of buttercream. The cake was finished with a gold shimmer spray and some gold stars. Leave for the buttercream to firm slightly before cutting. This cake also freezes well. Magic!

Let's Celebrate with Jubilee Sprinkles!

All these lovely red, white and blue sprinkles, chocolate crowns and cake. But looking back at the photos maybe I should have tried to get the Queen's profile in the sprinkles too? I don't know know how much Jubilee fever I can stand but anyone who can do a job for 60 years needs an accolade. I'm sure Her Majesty is just fine with her profile on a postage stamp. After all how much time do I have?

Not enough as I need to get ready for another bake sale and the additional Jubilee work on top. However, I thought you may like this almond based lemon cake which I have used for some gluten free jubilee cakes and a friend's birthday cake. I'm not keen on the texture of gluten free flour in a plain cake but the addition of the almonds and yogurt really improves the texture . It is a slightly denser batter but it's useful for holding it's shape and cut outs.

So lets get  a little more English and add some real English strawberries. We have wild strawberries growing in our garden but now strawberries from the county of Sussex have arrived in the stores and wow! they are wonderful; bursting with sweet intense  flavour. You may find cheaper Spanish ones in the supermarket but you won't get the best taste. 

I also used this lemon and almond cake as a decorated sheet cake for my friend's birthday cake; a single layer cake with a lime buttercream top and white chocolate buttercream finish. I also own an edible image printer which meant I could find a lovely picture to eat as well! However, it was the refreshing strawberries on the side that we enjoyed just a much. Then again it's hard to improve on the strawberry that nature gives us . I find it creeping into my designs all the time! 

Text Only Printable Recipe


Strawberries with Lemon and Almond Gluten Free Cake and Cupcakes

Ingredients

225g  (8oz) Butter
225g  (8oz) Caster sugar 
4 Large eggs
225g  (8oz) Self raising flour (Gluten free)
90g  (3oz) Ground Almonds
150g Natural Yogurt (small pot)

Zest of 2 lemons

Juice of one lemon

For lemon drizzle*;

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp caster sugar
* you can double this if you like more zing on your cake

Icing for decorations

White chocolate icing*

110g  (4oz) Icing sugar
60g (2 oz)  Butter
110g  (4oz) White chocolate or white candy melts

1 tsp chocolate extract
* For large cupcake swirls double icing quantities

Large  cake icing top
110g  (4oz) Icing sugar
60g (2 oz) Butter

Tinted with Lime Green flavouring and colour

Strawberries for decoration

For cupcakes

Strawberry Jam/Jelly for centre of cupcakes

Fresh strawberries for centres

Sprinkles

Method:

Preheat oven 160c/140c Fan/325F/Gas Mark 3.

Grease and line a cake tin - makes one sheet cake -1 oblong tin size 30cm x 23cm or
it makes 18 - 20 cupcakes. Deep cupcake cases and pans work best for this recipe.

Cream the sugar and butter together. Add the zest of both lemons, then the eggs, one at a time. Fold in half the flour and the almonds. Stir in the lemon juice. Fold in the rest of the flour and almonds . Add yogurt to the mix. Put into your chosen baking container.

Place in the centre of the oven. Check after 20 minutes. Cook until risen and a skewer comes cleanly out. Dissolve sugar and lemon juice together and brush over cake/s. Allow to cool and make icings. 

Make simple buttercream first if making sheet cake. Gently whisk butter, and icing sugar together. Add flavouring and colour of choice  and whisk until it forms a light whipped cream texture. Add enough water for this to be a spreadable consistency.  Spread over top of cake. Make white chocolate buttercream icing, pipe round sides and decorate with strawberries.

If making cupcakes take out the centre of the cupcake so a strawberry fits in the hole snugly.  ( You will have a bag full of cake centres at the end of this or you will have eaten a lots of cake - save if you can for cake pops maybe!) First line the hole with strawberry jam/jelly, pop the strawberry in and brush strawberry jam on the top. 

Chocolate extract
 a worthwhile investment! *

Make white chocolate buttercream icing next  for the cupcakes, make double quantity for the cupcakes to get big swirls. This is a nice firm buttercream ideal for holding strawberries on the top of cakes too. I've had good results using chocolate melts as well as ordinary white chocolate. Make buttercream in the usual way plus 1 tsp of chocolate extract and add melted chocolate gradually, allow to stiffen slightly before piping especially if using candy melts. The real depth of flavour comes with adding the chocolate extract* to the buttercream mix. Pipe swirls on top of cupcake and add your sprinkles. Cupcakes will be wearing crowns on Saturday!

Shhhh ........Don't they look like Fourth of July Sprinkles in that jar?