For the longest time English food had to live with a fairly bad reputation. English cuisine was seen as bland and unimaginative by many people. But the truth is, it is a reputation that it does not deserve. English food has developed and improved over the last few decades and it is now one of the culinary hot spots in the world. [Read more…]
Union Jack Cake
With a British Royal Wedding coming up in a few weeks, what better way to celebrate than by baking this cake!
If you can’t find coloured Icing, add some colouring to white ready-to-roll icing – you’ll need Red, White and Blue for this cake.
To Serve 12
225g Self Raising Flour
75g Plain Flour
300g Butter, Softened
225g Caster Sugar
4 Large Eggs
4tbsp Milk
150g Icing Sugar
1tsp Vanilla Extract
4tbsp Raspberry Jam
5tbsp Apricot Jam
1500g Ready to Roll Icing, coloured Red, Blue and White
1. Preheat an oven to 160C, and line a twenty centimetre square baking tin.
2. Sift the Flours into a large bowl, and in a separate bowl cream the two hundred and twenty five grams of the Butter and all of the Caster Sugar together, then beat the Eggs in, one at a time.
3. Fold the Flours in along with three tablespoons of the Milk until evenly mixed. Put into the Tin, and level the top.
4. Bake in the Oven for an hour and fifteen minutes, or until the top springs back when gently pressed. Turn out onto a wire rack and leave until completely cooled – or the Icing won’t set properly on it.
5. Beat the rest of the Butter with the Icing Sugar, a tablespoon of Milk, and the Vanilla until light and creamy. Cut the Cake in half through the centre and sandwich with the Buttercream and Raspberry Jam.
6. Heat the Apricot Jam in a pan with a tablespoon of water until melted. Brush over the cake.
7. Mix up the Icing with the appropriate colours, then roll out on a lightly dusted work surface – use Icing sugar to dust the surface, or the texture won’t be right. Drape over the cake, in the correct patterns to make the Union Jack flag – or what flag you wish!
Photo Courtesy of: garryknight