If you read my last blog post ‘My recent bakes’ you’ll know that I have been a massive, massive fail at logging my baking like I had been doing on my previous baking blog posts. Unfortunately, this time is no different! I was so stressed out trying to make this cake perfect that I didn’t take any pictures of the process. I was so proud of the end result of this cake that I had to do a blog post about it! So without the progress pictures here is the birthday cake I made for my best friend for her 22nd birthday!
Recipe
For the cake
- 375g butter
- 525g caster sugar
- 6 eggs
- 525g self raising flour
- Zest 3 lemons
- Juice 3 lemons
- Pinch of salt
- 12 table spoons of milk
- 210g icing sugar
For the icing
• 800g icing sugar
•400g butter
•10 shots pink gin
Method
For the cake
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius
- Beat together butter and sugar
- Add eggs one by one
- Add lemon zest and mix in well
- Fold in flour sifted and salt
- Add milk until mixture is smooth
- Divide mixture between 3 round cake tins
- Bake for 20 minutes until tops are springy and a skewer comes out clean
- While the cakes are baking mix together lemon juice and icing sugar in a saucepan over a low heat, until sugar is all dissolved
- While cakes are cooling pierce holes with a skewer all over them
- Spoon the lemon juice mixture all over the cakes
- (try not to over-moisten the cakes as this will make them difficult to stack later)
- Leave cakes to cool completely
- Once completely cool take them out of their tins
For the icing
(I did this the next day but it can be done same day if you require)
- Beat the butter until smooth
- Sift in icing sugar bit by bit until it is all combined
- Add gin, gradually tasting your mixture to ensure the taste is how you like it
- Once you are happy with the flavour use whatever food colouring you’d like – I kept it white to cover the cake and then added pink!
- I find it helpful to keep this icing refrigerated when you can as the alcohol does make it split.
Decorating
- Place your first layer on a plate/cake circle
- Cover evenly in your icing
- Place the next layer on top of this one
- Cover evenly in your icing
- Place the top layer
- Cover evenly in your icing
- Cover the sides in your icing
- Leave in the fridge to set
- Drip your drip mixture down the side of the cake (I used double cream, white chocolate and some food colouring).
- Leave in fridge to set
- Pipe your icing on the cake
- Cover in all your sweet, pink treats!!!!
Here we have the finished cake!
My best friend was absolutely blown away with it and I am so bloody happy so loved it! What do you think? I have had incredible feedback from a lot of people so I am so happy and maybe even a little bit proud of myself!
Beth x
Beth Than Perfect 