Birthday Cake Help Required

[NoMercy]

I have to make a cake this Saturday for Bobjugs' Nan's 80th. I am not sure what kind of cake to make but fruit cake isn't an option. The family love my usual Victoria sponge but I think that would be too light to support the weight of the icing. Also, I've never iced before - is it tricky?

Any recipes, advice and/or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks. X

[NoMercy]

I don't have cups, just weighing scales.

Thanks everyone for your help. X

[crisgal]

pound cake - easy peasy:
9 eggs
1lb sr flour
1lb sugar
1lb marg
whizz in food processor with a teaspoon vanilla extract.
bake in a roasting tin for 50 mins.

TIP: if using the warmed jam, don't forget to seive it or it will be lumpy under your icing.

[vodkancoke]

Ok, this makes 3x9" tins. It has occassionaly stretched to 4 tins but if you have any left-over you can make cupcakes and freeze them if you don't want to use them.

500g self raising flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 tbsp cocoa powder
225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
600g caster sugar
4 large eggs
2tsp vanilla bean paste
480ml buttermilk
2 tablespoons red food paste
2 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:

400g Philadelphia
200g softened butter
2tsp vanilla bean paste
1kg icing sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) Butter three - 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In a seperate bowl beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla paste and beat until combined.

In a jug whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans and smooth the tops with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.
Make the frosting: In a large bowl beat the butter until smooth, add the cream cheese and beat for another couple of minutes. Add the icing sugar and continue beating slowly. Mix until light and creamy. Place in the fridge until needed.
Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the cakes from their tins and cool completely.
Once cooled sandwich together using the frosting. Place frosting on the top of the cake and smooth over the top and round the sides until the cake is completely covered.
You can decorate it with cocoa powder, or fresh raspberries work too. xxx

[vodkancoke]

Sorry mix the baking soda in with the sieved flour! Brain isnt working today! lol x

[NoMercy]

Thank you very much for that. x

[welshlibranr]

frosting is very easy to use NoMercy, and very forgiving, I have a fail safe recipe if you would like it, easiest piped with a large nozzle, looks realy good!.......happy to give it to you if you'd like!..........

[punkrock101]

Make a cake similar to Victoria Sponge but that is moister (soured cream or buttermilk does the trick), so it will support the weight of the icing.

Here's a soured cream cake recipe to try:

85g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the dish
170g caster sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
75ml sour cream
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp pure vanilla essence
150g plus 2 tbsps plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1) Preheat the oven to 180C. Cream the 85g of butter and the remaining 170g of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy. Lower the speed and beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the sour cream, zest and vanilla and mix until combined.

2) Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and, with the mixer on low speed, add it to the butter mixture. Mix only until combined. Pour the cake batter evenly into two greased sandwich tins.

3) Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a flat plate.

With regards to icing, it can be easy.
First off, roll out the icing away from you on an icing-sugared surface to about 0.75cm-1cm thick (a good idea is to knead a tablespoon or so of vegetable shortening into the icing). Then, when it is rolled out to thickness and appropriate coverage, take the farthest end of icing and bring this over the rolling pin, so you are rolling it towards you.
Next, lubricate the cake by brushing it with some melted apricot jam (no bits please). Then, unroll the icing over the cake (a plastering trowel is good for smoothing over the cake to ensure there are no air bubbles - make sure this plastering trowel is not from your man's toolbox, please). Trim off any excess icing from the base of the cake.
Decorate as desired.

[sherrardk]

My friend advised someone today (child's birthday came but you could alter the theme) not to ice the whole cake but to cut butterfly shapes out of pre-coloured, shop-bought icing sheets (B and M have some cheap, fancy cookie cutters at the moment) and to overlap them all (sticking them on using ordinary, runny icing). Don't know how good a plan that is but thought I would pass it on.