The Cake Slice June 09: Pina Colada Cake

The Cake Slice Bakers chose a perfect cake this month, Pina Colada cake, a great choice for the start of the summer. The cake consists of a brown sugar cake, doused in rum and sandwiched together with a pineapple and lime compote/jam and covered with a fluffy coconut buttercream. I topped my cake off with some twists of mango and some fresh passion fruit to give it that extra tropical appearance and flavour.

The cake was meant to be baked in nine inch tins but I decided to do something a little different by halving the recipe, baking it in a swiss roll tin and then making it into a rectangle cake. The cake rose well and so it turned out wonderfully sky high.

The cake had a slight caramel flavour to it thanks to the brown sugar, while buttermilk kept it very tender and light. I hardly ever bake with buttermilk, but it always produces such good results that I really must use it more often. I couldn’t find crushed pineapple so I used a can of pineapple pieces and attempted to mash it, although rather unsuccessfully (I’ll blend it next time) so my filling stayed rather chunky, but this meant you got a big hit of zesty tropical pineapple every few bites. The coconut flavour in the buttercream really shone through and created a cloud of sweet smelling coconut that wafted around the cake, drawing you to it if you happened to wander past. It really made me think of sun, golden sandy beaches and palm trees – sigh, if only. The rum used to soak the layers worked with the other flavours wonderfully, creating a taste of topical holidays in every bite.

Pina Colada Cake
(Recipe from Sky High Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne)
Brown Sugar Cake
400g American cake flour (or 320g plain flour with 80g cornflour)
1¾ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
450g light brown sugar
200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
380ml buttermilk
5 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Butter and line the base of three 9inch cake pans. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk gently to combine. Add the brown sugar, butter and 325ml of the buttermilk to the dry ingredients. With the mixer on low blend to incorporate. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Whisk the eggs with the remaining 55ml buttermilk and the vanilla and add to the batter in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and beating only long enough to incorporate between additions. Divide the batter between the 3 pans.
Bake for 25-28 minutes or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper and allow to cool completely.

For the Pineapple Filling
560g canned crushed pineapple (no added sugar)
225g caster sugar
60ml freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
One inch piece of vanilla bean split in half

Filling method
Combine the pineapple, sugar and lime juice in a pan. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the pan too. Warm over a medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, 2 to 3 minutes.
Raise the het to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the juices have almost completely evaporated and its turned jam-like in consistency. Let the filling cool completely before using. (Can be made a day in advance and refrigerated) (If you can’t find crushed pineapple blend a can of pineapple into small pieces)

Coconut Buttercream
3 eggs whites
225g caster sugar
60ml water
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150ml unsweetened coconut milk
1½ tsp coconut extract

Buttercream method
Put the eggs whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whip attachment so they are ready to go.
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and place over a medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and cook without stirring until the syrup reaches the sold boil stage on a sugar thermometer, around 120C.
Beat the egg whites briefly at medium speed. Slowly add the hot syrup in a thin stream, being careful to avoid the beaters. Continue to whip until the meringue has cooled to body temperature.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the butter, several tablespoons at a time and continue to beat until a smooth fluffy frosting forms.
Add the coconut milk in several additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well after each addition. Add the coconut extract and mix until smooth.

To assemble
9 tbsp rum – light, amber or dark
Coconut flakes and thin slices of pineapple

Assembly method
Place one layer flat side up on a cake stand. Sprinkle 3 tbsp rum over the cake. Spread half of the pineapple filling over the layer, leaving a small gap around the edge. Add the second layer, sprinkle with more rum and cover with the remaining pineapple filling.
Top with the third layer and sprinkle with the remaining rum. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the coconut buttercream.
Decorate with some thin shreds of coconut and slices of pineapple if wished.
Makes one 9inch triple layer cake

The Cake Slice May 09: Mile High Devils Food Cake

Another month has passed and its time for another delicious serving of a triple layer cake. This month the Cake Slice Bakers voted for a Devils Food Cake with a fluffy brown sugar frosting, a decision that was joyfully received in my household. I had been planning on making half the recipe but when I told them what the cake was they begged me to bake the full one and who am I to refuse?

A devils food cake is a deep, dark and slightly dense cocoa rich chocolate cake with either a light or dark icing. It’s quite unusual in that it uses a lot of water in the mix which helps make it moist and a little dense in texture. I had never made a full devils food cake before so was eager to try it. The only alteration I made was to reduce the sugar in the cake batter as it seemed to call for far too much compared to the rest of the ingredients. I’m glad I did as it turned out perfectly sweet enough, especially when topped with mounds of sweet fluffy frosting.

We had a choice of two frostings this time. A brown sugar 7 minute frosting or a brown sugar buttercream. I decided to go with the 7 minute frosting as it sounded lighter as it’s made using mostly egg whites which are whipped into a fluffy meringue using a hot brown sugar syrup. It reminded me distinctly of marshmallows with a slight caramel hint – delicious. The recipe made an enormous amount of frosting and I had lots leftover which we ate with some apple pie to get success.

When icing, the cake looked a bit bland on its own so I peaked the frosting into little peaks and then dusted it lightly with cocoa powder. I loved how the peaks around the sides caught a light dusting. It also hints at what might be lurking beneath that pale creamy mountain of frosting is a dark rich chocolate cake. The contrast in colour and texture when you cut a slice is fantastic. The cake is quite dense and wonderfully fudgy with a soft fine crumb that was slightly truffle like.

Its height and deep cocoa flavour meant small slices were sufficient, but the fluffy frosting prevented it from being too intense. However, if you wanted to go for a chocolate overload I bet it would make a wickedly rich and decadent dessert if you replaced the frosting with a chocolate ganache. Click here to see other Cake Slice Bakers cakes.

Mile High Devils Food Cake
(Recipe by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes)
Ingredients
100g cocoa powder
280ml hot water
600g light soft brown sugar (I only used 400g)
240g plain flour
80g cornflour
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¾ tsp salt
225g soft butter
3 eggs
1½ tsp vanilla extract
165ml cold water

Method
Preheat the oven to 170C. Grease and line three 8inch/20cm sandwich tins.
Measure out the hot water in a jug and whisk in the cocoa powder. Set aside to cool.
Gently mix together the sugar, flour, cornflour, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Add the butter and cocoa mixture and beat well with an electric mixer for around 2 minutes until smooth and well combined.
In another jug, measure out the cold water and then whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
While mixing the cake batter, beat in the egg mixture in three stages, making sure everything is well incorporated.
Divide the batter between the three cake tins (I found a ladle helped divide it up equally).
Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until the cakes are starting to come away from the sides of the tin and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack and leaving to cool completely before filling and covering with your choice of frosting.

Brown Sugar 7 Minute Frosting
Ingredients
6 egg whites
300g light soft brown sugar
80g liquid glucose or corn syrup
2 tbsp water
½ tsp cream of tartar

Method
Place the egg whites in a very large bowl and set to one side.
In a small saucepan combine the sugar, glucose syrup and water. Bring the mixture to the boil over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring and allow to boil until it reaches 116C (softball stage) on a sugar thermometer. Then remove from the heat.
Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat until its starting to foam but not yet form peaks.
While still whisking the egg whites, carefully drizzle in the hot syrup in a thin yet steady stream. Do not pour over the beaters or else you will create spun sugar!
Continue to beat until all the syrup is incorporated and shiny stiff peaks have formed. Beat for a further minute and then use immediately to sandwich the cakes together and cover the outside.
It makes a LOT of frosting so you can be very generous with it. Best eaten within 1-2 days.
Makes one triple layer 8inch/20cm cake.

The Cake Slice April 09: Chai Cake with Honey & Ginger Cream

Wow! This cake is A-MAZ-ING! Regular readers will know I love my cakes and desserts with a bit of spice, well this cake definitely ticked that box. The cake layers were light and fluffy with a strong warming spiciness thanks to the use of a generous amount of Chia tea infused milk as well as some added cinnamon and ground cardamom. It’s a spicy taste sensation! If that wasn’t enough the cake is filled and topped with a sweet and creamy cream cheese frosting flavoured with sweet honey and freshly grated ginger. This may sound like a lot of flavours, but they all worked together in harmony. The spiciness coming in first, followed by the honey and ginger swooping in and cleansing your palate, ready for another bite. It’s truly fantastic.

I used blossom honey which added a nice subtle floral sweetness and went with the fresh ginger perfectly. I was really surprised how much the small amount of ginger shone through. I plan to use fresh ginger in icing again; I bet it would be wonderful in the frosting for a carrot or chocolate cake.

The only changes I made to this cake were to reduce the amount of sugar in the cake batter from 500g to 350g as I thought 500g was a bit excessive. The resulting cake was still perfectly sweet. I might try reducing the icing sugar in the cream next time too as the honey made it more than sweet enough. The only problem I encountered was when making the honey and ginger cream. The resulting cream was quite thin and oozy, even after an hour in the fridge so unfortunately the sides of my cake look a little patchy – didn’t stop it tasting amazing though!
I loved how tall the cake turned out and the contrast between the pale creamy icing and the dark spicy cake within. Click here to view the blogroll for the other Cake Slice Bakers cakes.

For those who don’t know, Chai tea is an Indian spiced tea comprising of strong Black Assam tea mixed with a combination of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, citrus and cardamom. It is traditionally brewed with milk and served strong.

Chai Cake with Honey & Ginger Cream
For the Chai cake
300ml milk
6 Chai tea bags
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
330g American cake flour OR 270g plain flour with 50g cornflour
500g caster sugar (I only used 350g)
4½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp salt
220g butter

For the honey & ginger cream
310g icing sugar
175g cream cheese
75g butter, softened
175g runny honey
1 tsp fresh grated ginger

Method – cake layers
Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the base of three 8inch/20cm cake tins with greaseproof paper.
Heat the milk until just hot, either in a saucepan or the microwave, add the tea bags and leave to infuse for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cardamom in a large bowl.
Remove the tea bags from the milk, squeezing out all the moisture.
Place the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla and 75ml of the milk into a jug and beat together until combined.
Add the remaining milk and the butter to the flour and beat well until a smooth batter is created.
Add the egg mixture, in thirds, beating well between each addition.
Divide the batter between the three cake tins and bake for 26-28 minutes until risen and springy to the touch.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tins and leaving to cool completely before filling and covering with the honey and ginger cream.

Method – cream
Place all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth.
Transfer to a bowl and chill for an hour before using to fill and cover the cake layers, allowing any excess to drizzle down the sides.
Decorate as desired.
Make one triple layer 8inch/20cm cake

The Cake Slice March 09: Triple Lemon Chiffon Cake

This was such a good choice for the Cake Slice Bakers this month – a lovely and light and zesty lemon cake. Perfect for the arrival of spring, lighter days and the hope of warmer weather. Plus its National Lemon Chiffon Day on the 29th March in the U.S. how fitting is that! It’s also Mother Day this Sunday in the UK and this cake would make the perfect afternoon treat to share with your mum. I gave mine to my mum as an early Mother Day treat and it looked lovely on the table next to some daffodils – picked fresh from the garden. I love the appearance of these bright and cheerful flowers, they always reassure me that spring is on the way.

Anyway, onto the cake itself. If you like lemons this is the cake for you. In total it uses around 5 lemons which results in a wonderful lemon hit. The chiffon cake was incredibly light and tender with a sort of marshmallow, springy meringue type consistency thanks to the use of so many whisked egg whites into the mix. It’s similar in texture to an angel food cake, but the egg yolks are also included, giving it a little more substance. The cake layers were delicately lemony and provided a great background to the zingy lemon curd we made to sandwich it together. Wow that lemon curd was so good – fresh, zesty and zingy and when paired with the sweet airy light sponge and the creamy frosting it was divine and so easy to make that I’ll definitely make it again. I had some lemon curd leftover and ate it spread on slices of crusty bread – heavenly.

I thought the cake looking a little dull left plain and so I coloured a little of the cream yellow and piped it on in a series of flowers and dots, which I think made it look a lot more sunny and spring-like. I think next time I might up the lemon zest in the cake for an even bigger hit. So for all you lemon lovers out there, this cake is a sure winner and guaranteed to give your taste buds a tingle. Click to see the other Cake Slice Bakers lemon cakes.

Triple Lemon Chiffon Cake
(Adapted from Sky High Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne).
Lemon Chiffon Cake
8 eggs, separated
55ml sunflower oil
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
75ml water
½ tsp cream of tartar
225g and a separate 110g caster sugar
210g cake flour (180g plain flour and 30g cornflour)
½ tsp baking powder

Method – for the cake
Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the base of three 9inch/22cm cake tins.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, oil, water, lemon juice and zest.
In another large bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until light and frothy. Slowly add the 100g of caster sugar, whisking until soft peaks form.
Sift the flour(s) and baking powder over the egg yolk mixture, add the remaining caster sugar and beat to create a smooth paste.
Add a quarter of the whisked egg whites to the flour batter and beat in to slacken the mix.
Fold in the remaining egg whites gently, until no streaks remain but no longer than necessary to retain as much air as possible.
Divide the batter between the three tins and bake for 15-18 minutes until risen, puffy and springy when gently pressed.
Remove from the oven and immediately run a sharp knife around the rim of the tins to release the cake. They will shrink and deflate slightly on cooling.
Once cool, turn out the cake and carefully feel away the greaseproof paper ready for assembly.


Lemon Curd
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
110g caster sugar
115ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
Grated zest of 3 lemons
50g butter, at room temperature

Method – for the lemon curd
Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and zest in the base of a saucepan. Gently heat the mixture, whisking constantly until it begins to thicken, about 3 minutes. Continue to whisk until the mixture is a thick spreadable consistency and coats the back of a spoon. Do not allow to boil.
Remove from the heat and pass the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl. Whisk in the butter while the curd is still warm before covering the surface with cling film, so it touches the curd and prevents a skin forming. Refrigerate until cool.


Lemon Cream
330ml double cream
3 tbsp of the lemon curd
2 tbsp icing sugar (optional)

Method – for the lemon cream
Whip the cream and icing sugar (if using) until it starts to thicken. Add the lemon curd and whisk until soft peaks form.
(You don’t want it too stiff or it won’t spread over your cake easily).

To assemble the cake
Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate and top with a quarter (4tbsp) of the lemon curd. Place another cake layer on top and spread over another quarter of the curd and top with the final cake layer.
Cover the top and side with a generous layer of the lemon cream. Decorate as you wish and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving to allow the cream to stiffen.
Makes one 9inch/22cm cake. Serves 10-12

The Cake Slice February Cake: Southern Coconut Cake

This is Februarys cake of choice for The Cake Slice Bakers and what an unbelievable cake it was. It looks quite unassuming, all elegantly white and rather like a giant snowball which was perfect considering the snowy weather we had earlier this month. Don’t let its snowball appearance fool you into thinking it’s a plain boring cake, for it contains a whole host of wonderful flavours and textures. The cake layers themselves are so soft and tender thanks to the addition of coconut milk into the batter which gives it a fantastic smooth and sort of creamy mouthfeel. It is also made using only egg whites which resulted in a wonderfully light texture. This is going to sound odd, but imagine the feel of silky soft cotton wool on your skin, well it’s a bit like that, soft and smooth in your mouth – (without the nasty woolliness) I know its sounds strange but that was honestly the first thought that came into my head when I ate it. It’s got quite a close texture with no large air holes and yet it’s so light, I’ve never had a cake like it before.

The frosting was a new revelation for me too. It’s your basic cream cheese frosting, but it then has Italian meringue whisked into it which made it much lighter and allowed it to sort of melt on your tongue. Creamy and slightly sweet but without being too rich. I added the grated zest of a lime to my frosting too, as I think coconut and lime complement each other so well. It wasn’t obviously limey but it just added a subtle zesty undertone while still allowing the coconut to be the prominent flavour. A word of advice though is to ensure you use an American cream cheese when making the frosting, such as Philadelphia, I don’t normally suggest brands but I used a UK own brand first time but it sort of collapsed into a wet mess and I ended up with an icing that was more like soup and had to start again – lesson learned. I also reduced the sugar to 400g for the cake without any ill effects.

Topped off with desiccated or flaked coconut for a nice contrasting texture this cake was a joy to eat. I’ll be making it again soon as I’m sure it will be a hit with my family back home. Click to see the other Cake Slice Bakers coconut cakes.

Southern Coconut Cake
(Recipe from Shy High Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman & Peter Wynne)
For the cake
5 egg whites
110ml milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
360g plain flour
475g caster sugar
4½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
220g butter at room temperature
225ml unsweetened coconut milk
250g desiccated or flaked coconut for decoration

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line the base of three 8inch/20cm sandwich tins and set to one side.
Put the egg whites into a bowl and whisk gently until slightly foamy but not so that they become white and fully aerated. Add the milk and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Add the soft butter and coconut milk and beat with an electric whisk until combined. Increase the speed and whisk for 2 minutes until light and creamy.
Add the egg white mixture a third at a time, whisking well between each addition.
Divide the batter between the three tins and bake for 30 minutes until risen, springy when pressed and lightly golden in colour.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Cream cheese meringue buttercream frosting
(Use Philadelphia or other American brand of cream cheese – UK own brands for some reason collapse into a wet mess during this method)
350g cream cheese
200g butter at room temperature
125g icing sugar
2 tsp granulated or caster sugar
55ml water
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg whites

Method
Beat the cream cheese and smooth and fluffy. Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, beating well until combined.
Sift over the icing sugar and add the vanilla and mix until well incorporated. (Add any additional flavouring you wish – I added the grated zest of 1 lime).
Mix the water and caster sugar in a small pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to bubble for 2-3 minutes until syrupy and measuring 112C on a sugar thermometer.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites until foamy, then slowly drizzle in the sugar syrup while combining to whisk until the syrup is all incorporated. Continue to beat until the mixture cools and a stiff meringue has formed.
Continue to whisk the meringue and beat in the cream cheese mixture a tablespoon at a time, beating well until smooth and fluffy.
To assemble
Place one cake layer on the serving plate and cover generously with the meringue buttercream. Top with another cake layer, more buttercream and the final cake layer.
Use the remaining buttecream to completely cover the top and sides of the cake.
Scatter the desiccated or shredded coconut over the top of the cake and press it onto the sides using a cupped hand (I sort of tossed mine at the sides and scooped up any bits that fell off).
Place the cake in the fridge to chill for at least an hour before serving to allow the buttercream to firm up.
Takes even better the next day when the flavours have melded together.
Serves 12 generously.

The Cake Slice – Decembers Cake: Chocolate Hazelnut Nutcracker Cake

An intriguing sounding cake that is perfect for this festive season. Below are the author’s words as to how the cake got its name.

“This cake is delicious any time of year but it was specially designed for the Christmas holidays – The Nutcracker is a play on the hazelnuts which are a key ingredient and a play on the popular ballet associated with this season.The layers can be baked in advance but the cake is best served the day it is assembled, allow it is best to leave it 6-8 hours before serving to allow the flavours to meld together and the crème to set up. The cake can be stored in the fridge for 3 days but the recipe contains so little flour that it will start to turn pudding-like.”

Sounds delicious doesn’t it? I played around with the recipe a bit for this cake. I chose to bake cupcakes instead of the large cake and used walnuts in place of hazelnuts as I had some that needed using up. I also replaced the crushed biscuits crumbs with leftover gingerbread cookies, which I had great fun attacking with a rolling pin and I think added extra flavour to the batter. The recipe suggests blitzing the nuts in a food processor but while away at uni I don’t have access to one of these and so I chopped the nuts by hand as finely as I could but I still ended up with a few largish chunks. However, I loved the texture this gave the cupcakes and I think it helped keep them very moist and wonderfully light. I also topped the cupcakes with leftover royal icing that I stored away in the fridge after making the gingerbread cookies from the previous week – I can’t let anything go to waste! Baked into pretty liners and topping with a few chocolate sprinkles I think the cakes look quite festive. Due to such a small amount of flour used, the cakes have a springy soft texture and a wonderful nutty flavour. They certainly went down a treat with my flat mates.

Chocolate Hazelnut Nutcracker Cake
(Recipe from Shy High Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman & Peter Wynne)
Makes one 9inch triple layer cake
Ingredients – for the cake layers
140g skinned hazelnuts
150g whole graham crackers (or digestive biscuits), broken into pieces
175g caster sugar
50g plain chocolate, finely grated
10 eggs, separated
55ml vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g plain flour
1½ tsp mixed spice
1 tsp baking powder

Dark chocolate curls for decoration

Method – for the cake layers
Preheat the oven to 170C. Butter the bottom and sides of 3 x 9inch cake tins. Line the base with parchment paper and dust the sides with flour, tap out any excess.
Spread the nuts onto a baking tray and toast for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Leave to cool completely. Increase the oven temperature to 180C.
In a food processor, grind the graham crackers to crumbs. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add the toasted nuts to the processor (no need to wash) and add 30g of sugar. Pulse until the nuts are finely ground, but do not blitz too much or else it will form a paste. Add the nuts, graham cracker crumbs (crushed digestives) and grated chocolate together in the bowl and mix.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 70g of sugar using an electric mixer until well blended. Add the oil and vanilla slowly, beating until ribbons begin to form on the surface of the mixture. Then, fold in the chocolate nut crumbs.
Place the egg whites in a clean bowl and beat until thick and foamy. Gradually add the remaining 75g of sugar, continuing to beat until the whites form stiff peaks. Fold a third of the egg whites into the yolk mixture and mix well to slacken the mix. Sift over the flour, spice and baking powder and fold in. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites until no streaks remain but do not over mix.
Divide the batter between the three pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire wrack to cool completely.
To assemble the cake, place a layer on a cake stand, flat side up. Sprinkle it with a third of the rum syrup and let it all soak in for 1-2 minutes. Spread 1/5 of crème Chantilly over the top, right to the edge. Repeat with the remaining layers, letting the syrup soak in before adding the crème.
Use the rest of the crème to cover the sides of the cake. Decorate the top with dark chocolate curls.

Rum Syrup
55g sugar
55ml water
55ml dark rum

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Place over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add the rum. Allow to cool before using.

Crème Chantilly

450ml double cream

3 tbsp icing sugar

1½ tsp vanilla extract

Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla in a chilled bowl and whip until the cream is stiff but not too thick or buttery.

The Cake Slice Novembers Cake: Sweet Potato Cake with Orange & Chocolate Frosting

I was very excited when this sweet potato cake was voted as Novembers cake for The Cake Slice. I had never tried baking sweet potato into a cake before and hadn’t even tasted one so I was so intrigued about how it would turn out.

The recipe provided makes a 9inch triple layered cake which I thought was too much for just me and a flatmate and so I halved the recipe and baked it in a swiss roll tin instead. I then cut the cake into three equal sections, sandwiched it together with the orange filling and covered it with the chocolate frosting to create a triple layer oblong cake.

I loved the texture of the sponge. It is very light, springy and studded with tiny air holes. It also has a slight chewiness to it (in the good way), whether this was down to the sweet potato or whisking the egg whites separately to the yolks I’m not sure, but whatever the cause it produced a delicious cake. It was pale golden in colour and lightly speckled with streaks of orange, hints at its secret ingredient. Incidentally, the recipe says to roast the sweet potato for an hour in the oven to make it soft but I was pushed for time and found a quick blast in the microwave to be just as effective.

The cake also used as assortment of spices, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves which complemented the cake perfectly. Other bakers have described it as tasting similar to carrot cake and I totally agree. It’s got the same earthy spiciness, only without the fruits and nuts. I think chopped pecans would be a fantastic addition though. I was a little worried how sweet potato, chocolate, orange and spices would all taste together but I am pleased to say they really do work. It’s the perfect cake for autumn.

Click here to see the other Cake Slice cakes.

Sweet Potato Cake with Orange & Chocolate Frosting
(Recipe from Shy High Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman & Peter Wynne) Makes a 9-inch triple layer cake

Ingredients

2 medium or 1 large sweet potato (pumpkin or butternut squash)

360g cake flour*

3 tsp baking powder

1½ tsp cinnamon

¾ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp cloves

5 eggs, separated

450g and a separate 55g caster sugar

125g butter

1½ tsp vanilla

280ml milk

(*The recipe calls for American cake flour and if you only have plain flour on hand, you can use 300g plain flour plus 60g cornflour)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Prick the sweet potatoes in 2-3 places, place on a small baking dish and bake for 1 hour or until the potatoes are very soft. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.Reduce the oven temperature to 180C.

Butter the bottoms and the sides of the pans and line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper also.

When the sweet potatoes are cool peel off the skin and remove any dark spots. Cut the potatoes into chunks and puree in a food processors. Puree until smooth. Measure out one cup (210g) of potato puree and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Set aside.In the bowl of electric mixer add the egg whites and attach whip attachment. Beat on medium speed until egg whites are frothy. Raise the speed to high and gradually beat in the 55g of sugar. Continue to beat until the egg whites are moderately stiff.

In another large bowl with the paddle attachment, combine the sweet potato, butter, vanilla, and remaining 450g sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl after each egg yolk is added. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk in alternately in 2-3 additions. making sure to begin and end with the dry ingredients.

With a large spatula, fold in one fourth of the egg whites into the batter to lighten. Then fold in the remaining egg whites until no streaks remain. Making sure to not over mix or this will deflate the batter.

Divide the batter among of the three pans.Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn out the cake layers onto a wire rack and cool completely at least 1 hour.

To assemble the cake, place one layer flat side up on to a cake stand. With a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch round tip and filled with chocolate cream cheese icing, pipe border around the edge of the cake.

Fill the center with the orange cream filling smoothing it to the edge of the border. Place the second layer on top and repeat the process. Place the third layer on top and use all the chocolate cream cheese frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Cream Frosting

280g cream cheese at room temperature

100g butter at room temperature

450g sifted icing sugar

40g dark chocolate melted and slightly cooled

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar to cream cheese butter mixture. Making sure to scrape down the sides the sides of the bowl. Then beat until light fluffy 2-3 minutes.Measure out one-third of frosting and set aside.Add the melted chocolate to the remaining icing in the bowl and beat until well combined.

Orange Cream Filling

The reserved cream cheese icing from above

2 tablespoons of frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (or grated zest of one orange)

¼ tsp orange extract

Stir together all the ingredients until well mixed.

The Cake Slice: Cappuccino Chiffon Cake

This is our first official posting for our first cake baked by The Cake Slice group. We are going to spend a year baking one cake from 'Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes' by Alicia Huntsman and Peter Wynne each month. It’s the creation of Gigi from Gigi Cakes and I was thrilled when she asked me to be co-host. To launch the group, we started with a recipe for Cappuccino Chiffon Cake and it truly is irresistible.

It involves three layers of light espresso chiffon cake, each one doused in rum (I used Amaretto) spiked espresso syrup and sandwiched together with mountains of cream. To finish it off, a dusting of cocoa powder is added to the top in the design of your choosing. I put a ring of chocolate coffee beans around the cake and cut out a stencil design of a steaming cup of coffee for my decoration. I dusted over the top of it and then peeled off the paper to reveal the design.

What can I say about the flavour of this cake? – Oh it’s divine. It is so moist and light with a really strong espresso kick while the sweet syrup keeps it from tasting too strong. The final dusting of cocoa finishes it off perfectly and it tastes just like a tiramisu. Heavenly.

Be sure to check out the other cappuccino cakes from my fellow Cake Slice bakers. See you next month with another irresistible layer cake.

Cappuccino Chiffon Cake
Makes an 8inch triple layer cake

For the cake layers
55ml vegetable oil
6 eggs, separated
6tbsp cooled freshly made espresso
160g plain flour
340g caster sugar
1tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cream of tartar
Cocoa powder for dusting

Espresso Syrup
70ml hot espresso
150g caster sugar (I used 100g)
50ml rum (I used Amaretto)

Vanilla Cream
600ml double cream
40g sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the oil, egg yolks, espresso, and vanilla; whisk lightly to blend. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, 200g of sugar, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium-low speed until frothy. Raise the mixer to medium high and gradually add the remaining 140g of sugar. Continue to beat until soft peaks form. Do not whip to stiff peaks or the cake will shrink upon cooling.

Add the espresso-egg mixture to the dry ingredients and fold together just until combined. Add one fourth of the egg whites and fold them gently into the batter. Fold in the remaining egg whites just until no streaks remain.

Divide the batter among the pans.Bake the cakes for 18-22 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Run a knife around the rim of the pans to prevent the cakes from tearing while cooling. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans.
Invert onto a wire rack and remove the parchment papers.

For the espresso syrup

In a bowl, stir together the espresso and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the rum and let cool to room temperature.

For the vanilla cream
Place the cream, sugar, and vanilla in large chilled mixing bowl with chilled beaters. With the whip attachment, beat the cream until stiff peaks form.

To assemble the cake

Place one cake layer flat side up on a cake stand or platter. Soak the cake with a third of the espresso syrup.
Spread 3 tbsp of whipped cream evenly over the top of the cake. Repeat with the next layer, syrup, cream, cake etc.
Finally top with the third layer. Soak with syrup and frost the top and sides of the cake with the whipped cream.

To decorate

Smooth out the whipped cream as much as possible on top. Lay a paper doily or stencil design on top of the cream and sift over cocoa powder or cinnamon.
Carefully remove the doily and serve.
Keep refrigerated until required and eat within 3 days.
Serves 12

The Cake Slice

I have some exciting news today. My good friend Gigi of Gigi Cakes had the brilliant idea to set up a new baking group, which involves choosing a book and then baking a new recipe from it each month for a year. The idea came from us always buying new cookery books and then never getting round to baking more than one or two of the recipes. This way we are guaranteed to get through at least 12. I am also thrilled that she asked me to be her c0-host.

We have called the group 'The Cake Slice' rather fitting don't you think? For more info and a sneak preview at one of the cakes on offer visit Gigi's blog.