This weeks bake has been planned for a while. I can not stop nibbling on Mini eggs and I have to ration myself in the evenings otherwise I would eat the whole big sharing bag! This cake is for those who love chocolate and want a perfect afternoon tea cake, the light lemon sponge is not too lemony but just sharp enough that it cuts through the sweetness of the icing and mini eggs.
Ingredients for Sponge
- 225g Self Tasing Flour
- 225g Butter or Baking Spread
- 225g of Caster Sugar
- 4 Eggs
- 1 Drop of vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 Lemon
- 1/2 tsp of Baking powder
Ingredients for Butter Icing
- 100g Unsalted butter
- 270g Icing sugar
- 1/2 Lemon
Ingredients for chocolate drip
- 100g Dark Chocolate
- 1.5 Large bags of mini eggs or 3 small bags.
Method
- Pre heat the oven to 170 degrees celsius. Grease and line two 18cm cake tins. If you have more grease proof paper cut circles – I ran out.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the vanilla bean paste and zest the lemon into the bowl.
- Add the eggs one at a time the mixture may begin to curdle a little so add some of the flour to prevent this from happening. Add the baking powder and rest of the flour and beat until all incorporated. Add about 1/2 juice of the lemon.
- Spoon the mixture in the tins and level. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden on top. Use a skewer to check the middle of the cake it should come out clean with a few crumbs when cooked.
- Whilst cakes are baking make the butter icing, ensure your butter is very soft and beat together with the icing sugar it will be easiest to use a mixer for this. Add a little lemon juice to get the butter icing to a spreadable paste.
- Remove the cakes from the oven once baked and leave to cool completely.
- Once cool add a little of the butter icing into the middle and sandwich the two layers together. Then add a light coating of butter cream all over the cake called a crumb coating then place the cake in the fridge or freezer for this to harden.
- Once hardened add a smooth layer of butter cream covering any crumbs that might be visible. Then place bake in the fridge to harden.
- Melt your dark chocolate in the microwave or in a ban Marie ensuring to keep string frequently.
- Pour the chocolate in the centre of the cake and using a small pallet knife push to the edges to create a few drips down the edges.
- Starting in the centre place the mini eggs evenly until the cake is filled to your liking.
Willey's Weekly Bake 