Cherry Topper Butter Cream Sponge

You will be the baking goddess and the envy of your friends when you've made this unctuous butter cream cherry sponge . Plus, you'll also save an absolute fortune! Have you seen how much afternoon tea costs at The Ritz these days. That's not to say I wouldn't mind going if somebody wanted to take me there....hint, hint!


Ingredients: Cake Mix

1. 4 large eggs - weigh the whole eggs and then weigh out equal amounts of: Caster Sugar, Hard Margarine, and Sifted self raising Flour e.g. 400gms of egg would mean 400 gms caster sugar, 400 gms hard margarine and 400gms self raising flour.
2. A pinch of salt
3. 1 tspn of vanilla extract

Ingredients: Butter Icing 

1. 8oz sifted icing sugar
2. 4oz softened butter
3. 1 tbspn lemon juice - heated gently in the microwave

Decoration:

1. 12 Glace cherries - I used natural cherries
2. Icing sugar to decorate
3. Jam 100g - your choice of flavour - I used seedless raspberry jam.

Method - Cakes

1. Grease two 7 1/2" sandwich tins and line with greaseproof paper.
2. Pre-heat oven to Fan 160/375F/gas mark 5
3. In a bowl place the sugar and margarine and beat with a wooden spoon until pale, light and fluffy (or use a mixer)
4. Beat in eggs one at a time followed by one tbsp of sifted self raising flour.
5. Fold in the remaining flour. The mixture should have a soft 'dropping' consistency basically it should easily fall off the spoon. If it seems a little dry add a couple of tbsp of cold water.
6. Divide the mixture between the sandwich tins and bake in the centre of the pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes. The cakes will be well risen and when a finger tip is pressed lightly in the centre it will spring back.
7. Turn out onto a wire cooling rack until cold.

Method - Make the butter icing

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and blend together
2. Beat with a wooden spoon until pale, light and fluffy

Assemble your cake

1.  Place one cake on a plate or board and, using a palette knife spread the jam evently across the cake.
2. Take the second half and spread half of the butter cream evenly across the surface.
3. Sandwich the cakes together
4. Place the remaining butter cream in a piping bag with a large nozzel and pipe 16 whirls on top of the cake. Top Tip: I always pipe North, South, East and West and then pipe two more rosettes between each.
5. Place a whole cherry on each rosette
6. Finish the cake by liberally sprinkling with sifted icing sugar

Enjoy!