This is not as daring as is sounds!

This is the new trend to come across the Atlantic.

The cake plays a key role at the baby shower. It is cut in front of the guests and the colour of the cake inside reveals the gender of the baby that the couple are expecting. Even the parents are in the dark until the cake is sliced. This is how it works:

The expectant mother attends the hospital for her scans and asks the gender of the baby to be written down and then sealed in an envelope. The mother then passes this to the cake maker without looking and the cake maker designs a baby shower cake. She will colour the sponge either blue or pink. Therefore the gender of the baby is secret from all at the baby shower including the parents until it is served!

INGREDIENTS.

200g salted butter

200g caster sugar

1tblsp madagascan vanilla paste

4 free range eggs

200g self raising flour

FILLING AND DECORATION

2 x 225g punnets of fresh raspberries

8tbsp mascarpone

40g icing sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

METHOD:

1. Preheat the overn to 180C/gas 4

2. Grease and line a round 8″ tin

3.Cream together the butter, caster sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

4.Add the eggs one at a time. if the mixture starts to curdle add a little of the flour. Once the eggs are combined mix in the flour at a slow speed.

5. Spread the mixture evenly in the tin and bake for 45mins or until the cake is risen well and golden in colour.

6. Ideally leave the cake in an air tight container over night as it will tend to crumble if it is cut soon after baking.

7. Level the cake and split. Prepare the filling by beating together the marscapone, icing sugar and vanilla to produce a smooth spreadable consistancy. Spread two thirds of the mascarpone mix onto the base half of the cake. Sprinkle on 1 punnet of chopped raspberries and top with the other half of the cake. Spread the remaining marscapone mix on top of the cake and decorate with the other punnet of raspberries leaving them whole.

Once decorated with the mascarpone the cake must be served immediately or stored in a refridgerator.

Ingredients:

fat for greasing

200g/7oz plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

150g/5oz butter

150g/5oz caster sugar

4 eggs

100g/4oz glace cherries

150g/5oz currants

150g/5oz sultanas

100g/4oz raisins

50g/2oz mixed peel

50g/2oz ground almonds

grated rind of 1 lemon

Decoration:

450g/1lb marzipan

2tbsp apricot jam

1 egg beaten

white glace icing

easter decorations

Method:

Grease and line a 18cm/7″ cake tin. Set overn to 180C/350F/gas 4.

Cream together the butter and sugar well and then beat in the eggs adding a little flour if the mixture starts to curdle. In a separate bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt.. Fold this into the creamed mixture along with the cherries, dried fruit, peel and ground almonds. Add the lemon rind and mix well.

Place half of this mixture into the prepared tin. Roll out a third of the marzipan into a disc about 1cm/0.5 inch thick and a little smaller than the diametre of the tin. Place this on top of the mixture in the tin and spoon the remaining mixture on top.

Bake for 1hour and then reduce the overn temperature to 160C/325F/gas3 and bake for a further 1.5 hours. Cool in the tin and then turn out onto a wire rack.

Once the cake is cold it can be decorated. Roll out half of the remaining marzipan into a disc slightly smaller than the cake. Warm and sieve the apricot jam and use this to fix the marzipan disc to the top of the cake.

Using the remaining marzipan make 11 evenly sized balls and fix to the top of the cake with a little of the apricot jam. Brush the balls with the beaten egg and brown under the grill. Drizzle the glace icing over the centre and decorate with any Easter decorations you may have.

Enjoy and Happy Easter!

When do you need the cake for?

How many portions you would like it to provide?

Do you have any idea what cake you want inside?

Do any of the guests have any special dietry requirements?

Would you like to collect the cake or us to deliver and set it up for you?

There is also an enquiry form for anyone wanting to order a cake from us. This is designed to ask you all the relevant questions we need to get an order under way.
Along with this website we are going to be on Twitter and there will be regular status updates on our Facebook page.
This blog will be used to give you hints and tips regarding all things cake!

On our next blog we will be giving you a recipe for a last minute Christmas cake that can be eaten the day after the day it was baked, unlike our Christmas cakes that ideally require eight weeks to mature!