Chintz upon Chintz: Cakey Gifts

I've been thoroughly enjoying my new teaching post in a Reception class, and have been really well supported and welcomed into the school. I therefore decided to do something special for my colleagues birthday. She's the teacher in the other Reception class and has helped me out no end in this settling in phase for both the children and myself. So, her birthday rolled around last week and upon visiting Bygone Times I saw a beautiful Royal Albert Cake stand. I thought of my colleague and her well-known love of cakes and decided to buy it and fill it with homemade cakes for her and her grandchildren to share.

I used the basic recipe from my old Be-Ro book, that I used for my sinful chocolate cake in one of my first posts. I was feeling the pressure as it was a gift and I'm not the most experienced baker, but it was a real success.

Ingredients:

For the chocolate cakes:
3oz self raising flour
1oz cocoa powder
1tsp baking powder
4oz caster sugar
4oz butter
2 eggs

For the chocolate buttercream:
Butter
Icing sugar
Cocoa powder

For the vanilla cakes:
4oz self raising flour
1tsp baking powder
Couple of drops vanilla essence
4oz caster sugar
4oz butter
2 eggs
For the plain buttercream:
Butter
Icing sugar

1) In two seperate bowls (one for vanilla and one for chocolate) beat the caster sugar and butter together until smooth. The more you beat it, the lighter the cakes will be.

2) Mix the flour and baking powder and add a quarter of this to each of the creamed butter and sugar mixtures, mixing as you go along. Also add the cocoa to the chocolate bowl.  Add an egg and beat until combined. Add another egg then rest of the flour mixture bit by bit and continue beating to achieve a light and airy texture.

  

3) Split this between paper cake cases in a baking tray.

Peeking!

4) Place in the oven for about 20mins at 160°. This does depend on your oven, so keep looking inside to see whether it’s well risen. When it’s done it should spring back up when pressed, you can check this but try not to do it too often throughout cooking as the cakes will sink or go hard. 

5) Allow the cakes to cool for 10mins whilst still in the trays.  

6) While the cakes are cooling you can make the buttercream by mixing softened butter, icing sugar and cocoa (leave out the cocoa to make the plain buttercream)

7) To make the butterfly cakes, use a spoon to scoop out a thin circlular layer in the middle of the cake. Fill with buttercream, cut the circle you cut out in half and stick the halves on the top as butterfly 'wings'. Sprinkle some icing sugar on the top for a professional look!

8) For the iced ones I made some icing using icing sugar, water and food colouring.

I was so pleased with how the cakes turned out and my friend was ecstatic with her special gift. She can play tea parties with her grandkids and they apparently loved the cakes. I'd love to serve these up at some sort of vintage tea party wearing a lovely summer dress #chintzoverload