Every December, I try to come up with a new spin on a festive classic: the Yule Log. My first attempt was my Almond, Rosemary and White Chocolate Yule Log, which featured an almond sponge, filled with an amaretto cream filling, covered in a rosemary-infused white chocolate ganache and sprinkled with toasted almonds.

My second take was my Tirami-Yule Log, which was (you guessed it!) inspired by the flavours of a tiramisu. It was made up of a vanilla sponge, a coffee syrup (spiked with amaretto), mascarpone cream and grated dark chocolate.

This year, I took inspiration from our Christmas Day dessert from last year, which was the Spiced Clementine Cake from the Ginger Pig Christmas Cookbook. The cake is made with ground almonds and a small amount of cinnamon, allspice and cardamom are added to give it a little bit of festive flair. It’s topped with candied orange slices and served with crème fraîche.

Let me introduce you, then, to my Spiced Orange and Almond Yule Log!

Table of Contents

• Ingredients
• Making the Spiced Orange & Almond Sponge
• Making the Spiced Orange Syrup
• Making the Crème Fraîche Filling
• Assembling the Yule Log
• Decorating the Yule Log
• Recipe

Ingredients

To make this Spiced Orange and Almond Yule Log, you will need the following ingredients (it’s a bit of a long list, but stay with me!):

• Oranges

To make an orange cake, you need oranges! You’ll need orange zest for the cake and the crème fraîche filling, then you’ll need some freshly squeezed orange juice for the syrup. I recommend using unwaxed oranges for this recipe.

• Caster sugar

I’ve used golden caster sugar throughout this recipe, but you can use white sugar instead, if you prefer.

• Eggs

I always use large eggs for baking.

• Plain flour

Don’t be tempted to use self-raising flour here, or the cake will rise too much!

• Baking powder

A small amount of baking powder is added to the sponge to help it rise the perfect amount, so that it is light and fluffy, but still rollable.

• Ground cardamom

If you can find ready-ground cardamom, I recommend using that (just for ease). If you can’t find it (and it can be hard to source sometimes), you can use the whole pods: just grind the seeds in a mortar and pestle/spice grinder until you have a fine powder.

• Ground cinnamon

A classic festive spice, ground cinnamon is readily available in supermarkets.

• Ground allspice

The final of the three spices added to the cake batter, allspice adds a lovely, festive warmth.

• Ground almonds

Ground almonds add a sweet, nutty flavour to the cake, while also helping to make the sponge super flexible, so it’s easier to roll without getting cracks!

• Fine sea salt

As with most baked goods, a small amount of salt is added to the cake batter to enhance all of the other flavours.

• Almond extract

Just to amp up the almond flavour even more!

• Vanilla extract

You won’t taste the vanilla flavour (only a very small amount is added), but it helps to counteract any potential eggy-ness that can come with this type of foam-based cake.

• Cardamom pod

A whole cardamom pod is bashed and added to the orange syrup to infuse it with some extra festive spice. It’s best to use the whole spice here, rather than the ground stuff, because it keeps the syrup nice and clear.

• Cinnamon stick

Similarly to the cardamom pod, a small cinnamon stick is added to the orange syrup to add even more festive flavour, without affecting the appearance/texture of the syrup.

• Crème fraîche

Crème fraîche is a classic pairing with any orange and almond cake and it makes the perfect filling for this Yule Log: light and fresh, but still rich and delicious.

Making the Spiced Orange & Almond Sponge

The process for making this sponge is super similar to making the almond sponge from my Almond, Rosemary and White Chocolate Yule Log (just with some added orange and spice!).

The first step is to grease and line the tin. You’ll need a 23 x 33cm Swiss roll tin for this recipe. Use a small amount of sunflower (or other flavourless) oil to grease the tin, then line it with baking paper. Set this aside, then preheat the oven to 180°C (conventional oven, not fan-forced).

Now, it’s time to make the sponge batter. Place the sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, then zest the orange directly over the top, so that all of the essential oils fall down into the bowl and you get more flavour from the fruit.

Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to rub the zest into the sugar. This helps to make sure it is evenly distributed and releases even more of the essential oils, so you’ll get even more flavour!

Add the eggs to the orange-ified sugar, then, using the whisk attachment, whisk on high speed until the mixture has become pale, fluffy and tripled in volume.

You want it to be at the ‘ribbon stage’, where you can lift the whisk and draw a figure of eight with the ribbon that falls off it.

While the egg mixture is whisking, prepare the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, baking powder, spices and salt together into a separate bowl.

Then whisk in the ground almonds. Set the dry ingredients aside for now.

Once the egg mixture is ready, add both extracts (almond and vanilla) and whisk briefly to incorporate them.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and sprinkle over the dry ingredients. Scattering the ingredients over the top, rather than dumping them all in in one spot, helps to distribute the weight a little more, so you are less likely to deflate all of the air you’ve just whipped into the eggs!

Using a balloon whisk or a large metal spoon, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until no streaks of flour remain. I like to use a whisk for this, because I think it works better, but you can use either utensil. The aim is to retain as much air as possible at this stage.

Pour the sponge batter into the prepared tin and use an offset spatula to spread it out gently into an even layer.

Bake the cake in the middle of the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes, until it is risen, golden and just about firm to the touch.

While the cake is baking, spread a piece of baking paper onto a clean work surface. Make sure the baking paper is slightly larger than the size of your cake tin. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of caster sugar all over the baking paper (this will help prevent your sponge from sticking to the paper when you roll it up).

Once the cake has come out of the oven, leave it to cool in the tin for 1 minute, then flip it out onto the prepared, sugared baking paper.

Peel the baking paper layer off the bottom of the cake and discard it, then tightly roll up the sponge, along with the baking paper underneath, starting from one of the shorter ends. Doing this while the sponge is still warm means you’re less likely to get any cracks when you roll it back up later!

Set the cake roll aside to cool completely before filling it.

Making the Spiced Orange Syrup

To add even more flavour to the cake, we’ll be soaking it in a homemade, orange syrup.

To make the syrup, place the orange juice, caster sugar, one cardamom pod (give it a little bash with a rolling pin/the flat edge of a knife first, to help it release its flavour!) and one small cinnamon stick into a small saucepan.

Place the pan over a medium-low heat and swirl it gently every now and then, until the sugar dissolves. Leave the syrup over the heat to bubble away gently, until it has reduced by about 1/3 (about 3-5 minutes).

Remove the pan from the heat and strain the syrup through a heatproof sieve to remove the cardamom pod/cinnamon stick. Set the syrup aside while you make the filling.

Making the Crème Fraîche Filling

This filling is SO easy to make! All you need to do is place the crème fraîche into a bowl, along with the orange zest. Just like with the sponge, I like to zest the orange directly over the bowl so that all of the essential oils fall in and give the filling extra flavour.

Then, just stir everything together. That’s it!

Assembling the Yule Log

Once you have your rolled and cooled sponge, orange syrup and zesty crème fraîche ready to go, it’s time to assemble the Yule Log.

Carefully unroll your sponge cake, using the baking paper to help you if needed.

Use a pastry brush to brush the orange syrup all over the surface of the cake.

Then spread the crème fraîche filling right over the surface of the cake, directly on top of the syrup.

Now, it’s time to roll! The cake should want to roll back up, because it cooled in that position, so just go slowly and roll it back up around the filling, making sure the roll is quite tight, as this will give you the most defined swirl.

Once your cake is all rolled back up, breathe a sigh of relief! You’ve done the hard bit! Don’t worry too much if you get any cracks: it won’t affect the flavour in any way (and icing sugar can hide a multitude of sins!).

If you want to, use a dry pastry brush to gently brush off some of the excess caster sugar from the top and sides of the cake (though I don’t particularly mind the extra crunch!).

Transfer your cake to a serving plate, then it’s time to decorate it!

Decorating the Yule Log

I’ve kept the decoration really simple for this Yule Log: just a generous dusting of icing sugar all over and some homemade Candied Orange Peels placed on top, right down the centre.

I’ve just placed the orange peels on top, but do be aware that they are likely to fall off if you need to transport the cake anywhere! If you want to make the decoration more secure, you might want to make some extra crème fraîche filling and pipe it down the centre of the cake, then you can stick the orange peels to the icing so that they don’t move around.

However, you can decorate this cake in any way you would like! If you really want to impress, you might want to cut a small slice off each end of the cake, to reveal the beautiful swirl inside.

Alternatively, you could make extra crème fraîche filling and use it to ice the outside of the log as well as the inside to give the log a snowy effect.

Once decorated, serve your Yule Log immediately, or store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Recipe

Print

Spiced Orange and Almond Yule Log

A spiced orange and almond sponge, soaked with a spiced orange syrup, swirled with a zesty crème fraîche filling and topped with a dusting of icing sugar and some homemade candied orange peels.

Course Dessert, Snack

Keyword almond, Orange, Spiced, yule log

Prep Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Equipment

• 23 x 33cm Swiss roll tin

Ingredients

For the spiced orange and almond sponge:

• Sunflower oil, for greasing (or other, flavourless oil).
• 80 g caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp for sprinkling.
• 1 orange, zest only.
• 4 eggs
• 50 g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 50 g ground almonds
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 splash vanilla extract

For the spiced orange syrup:

• 1 orange, juice only.
• 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 cardamom pod, bashed.
• 1 small cinnamon stick.

For the crème fraîche filling:

• 300 ml crème fraîche
• 1 orange, zest only.

To decorate:

• Icing sugar, for dusting.
• Candied orange peels, (see Note 1).

Instructions

Make the spiced orange and almond sponge:

• Grease the Swiss roll tin lightly with oil and line with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C (conventional, not fan).
• Place the 80g of sugar and the orange zest into the bowl of a stand mixer. Rub the zest into the sugar using your fingers/the back of a spoon until evenly distributed.
• Add the eggs and whisk on high speed until pale, fluffy and tripled in volume (the 'ribbon stage').
• While the eggs are whisking, sift the flour, baking powder, spices and salt together into a separate bowl, then whisk in the ground almonds. Set aside.
• Once the egg mixture has tripled in volume, add the almond and vanilla extract and whisk again briefly to incorporate.
• Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the egg mixture, then use a balloon whisk or large metal spoon to fold them in, until no streaks of flour remain.
• Pour the sponge batter into the prepared tin and use an offset spatula to spread it out into an even layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes, until risen, golden and just firm to the touch.
• While the cake is baking, cut a rectangle of baking paper slightly larger than the Swiss roll tin. Spread it out on a clean work surface, then sprinkle over the remaining 2 tbsp caster sugar.
• Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 1 minute, then flip it out onto the sugared baking paper. Peel the baking paper off the bottom of the cake, then carefully and tightly roll the warm cake up into a log. Leave the rolled cake at room temperature to cool completely.

Make the spiced orange syrup:

• Once the cake has cooled, make the orange syrup. Place all of the ingredients into a small saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Swirl gently as the sugar dissolves, then allow to bubble away until the syrup has reduced by about 1/3.
• Remove the syrup from the heat, then strain it through a heatproof sieve to remove the spices. Set aside while you make the filling.

Make the crème fraîche filling:

• Place the crème fraîche into a bowl, then add the orange zest. Stir until combined.

Assemble the Yule Log:

• Carefully unroll the cooled sponge. Use a pastry brush to brush the syrup all over the surface of the cake.
• Spread the crème fraîche filling over the cake, right on top of the syrup, then carefully roll the cake back up into the log shape. The tighter you are able to roll it, the more defined your swirl will be.
• Transfer the whole roll to a serving platter, then dust with icing sugar. Arrange the candied orange peels on top, right down the centre, then serve.
• The Yule Log is best eaten immediately, but can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Notes

1. You can find my recipe for Candied Orange Peels here.

I recently made a wedding cake for a family friend and, this weekend, I’m sharing the recipes & all of the fun, summer-y details! This was only my second time making a wedding cake (check out my Wedding Cake Week series for the first time, where I made the cake for my brother’s big day!), so I am by no means a professional, but I’m so happy with how these cakes turned out and I’m so excited to share them with you!

Yesterday, I shared the recipe for the Homemade Candied Orange Peels that I used to decorate the cakes. Today, I’m sharing the recipe for the main cake itself: an 8-inch, single-tier (but 4-layer!), naked number, featuring an orange & olive oil sponge and a super easy Greek yoghurt & honey icing. To top it all off, the cake is decorated with a ring of edible pressed flowers, along with some of the candied orange peels.

This cake is a scaled-up version of my Mini Orange & Olive Oil Layer Cakes with Greek Yoghurt and Honey Icing (from my Bridgerton Watch Party series!). The flavours and basic recipe are the same, just, well, bigger! I’ve also made this recipe multiple times now (in various iterations!), so I’ve definitely picked up a few tips and tricks for getting perfect results every time, which I’ll share in this post too.

Equipment

To make this cake, you will need the following specialist equipment:

• 2 x 8-inch circular sandwich tins

I use these tins from Silverwood, which have removable bases. They’re my absolute favourite baking tins.

• DIY Cake Release

You absolutely need to use my DIY Cake Release to line the tins when making this recipe: the cake is very prone to sticking to the tin and the cake release is the only thing I’ve found that prevents this!

• 2 x 8-inch circles of baking paper

Just for some extra peace of mind, along with the DIY Cake Release, I like to line the base of each tin with a circle of baking paper. You can buy these ready cut (a lifesaver if you bake a lot!), or you can trace the base of your tins and cut them out yourself.

• Electric whisk

There’s a lot of whisking in this recipe, so I really do recommend using an electric whisk for it. I used a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, but if you’re feeling a bit more energetic, you could use a handheld electric whisk, instead.

• Cake leveller/large serrated knife

You’ll need to split each cake into two layers horizontally (for a total of 4 layers). I like to use a cake leveller for this because then I know the layers will be even and straight, but, if you don’t have one, you can use a large serrated knife instead. This is the cake leveller I use.

• Piping bag + large round piping nozzle

The icing on this cake is piped in a series of dollops, both between the layers and on top. Because it’s a naked cake, this is a really nice way of getting a pretty finish to the top and the sides and, as an added bonus, it means you’ll always have an even layer of icing between each layer. To get this effect, you will need a piping bag and a large, round piping nozzle (the exact size of the nozzle isn’t too important, so use whatever you have!).

Ingredients

To make the cakes, you will need:

• Caster sugar

I use golden caster sugar because I like the flavour better, but you can use white caster sugar if you prefer.

• Oranges

You’ll need the zest of 4 oranges and 120ml of freshly squeezed orange juice (approx. 2-3 oranges) for this recipe. I recommend using unwaxed oranges.

• Eggs

As always, I use large eggs.

• Extra-virgin olive oil

Use a strong, extra-virgin olive oil, so that the flavour really shines through in the cake.

• Plain flour

Make sure to use plain flour, not self-raising, for this recipe, otherwise there will be too much raising agent (we’re adding baking powder in separately!).

• Baking powder

This helps the cakes to rise and become super light and fluffy.

• Salt

A fine sea salt works best for this recipe.

To make the icing, you will need:

• Greek yoghurt

Not all Greek yoghurts are made equal! For best results, look for a Greek yoghurt that has a fat content of about 10% and a neutral flavour— this will ensure you end up with a thick, creamy icing. Try to avoid yoghurts with additional stabilisers, as these will affect the final texture.

• Double cream

If you’re in the US, use heavy cream.

• Honey

For best results, use a runny honey (as opposed to a set honey, which is waxier and will affect the final texture of the icing).

To decorate the cake, you will need:

• Candied orange peels

You can find the recipe for these here. They can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for 6-8 weeks.

• Edible pressed flowers

I used an assortment of pressed flowers from Nurtured in Norfolk (my go-to source for edible flowers!). My selection included yarrow leaves, lavender heads, primulas, violas, pansies and daisies. I also used their Dried Petal Mix to add a confetti-esque vibe to the cake, which I think really elevated it!

Making the Orange & Olive Oil Sponges: Tips & Tricks

I’ve already shared a step-by-step tutorial for this orange & olive oil cake batter here on the blog, as part of my Bridgerton Watch Party series (you can find that post here!), so I won’t do a deep dive into this scaled up version here. However, as I mentioned, I have perfected the method for this cake during my practices, so I thought I’d share some tips & tricks with you in this psot!

• The DIY Cake Release is essential.

I don’t know what it is about this particular sponge recipe, but it sticks. I found that greasing the cake tin with butter/oil didn’t work, but using my homemade, DIY Cake Release (thankfully!) seemed to do the trick! I do also add a circle of baking paper to the bottom of the tin, just for an extra layer of protection, but don’t be tempted to line the sides too, because the cake needs to ‘cling’ to them to rise properly. I had the best results when I brushed the base and sides of the tin with a layer of DIY Cake Release, then added the baking paper, then brushed another, thin layer of the cake release just on top of the baking paper. It sounds a bit overkill, but it works!

• Zest the oranges directly over the bowl with the sugar.

Zesting the oranges directly over the mixing bowl containing the sugar means that all of the essential oils that are released from the fruit as you zest drop directly into the bowl, so you get even more orange flavour!

• Mix the zest and sugar together before adding the eggs.

Use the back of a spoon to press the zest and sugar together until it’s evenly combined. This is another trick that really helps to amplify the orange flavour, while also ensuring that the zest is evenly distributed throughout the batter.

• Whisk the eggs and sugar together until super thick.

It’s so easy to under-whisk the eggs and sugar when making foam cakes! You want the mixture to be super thick (like the consistency of softly whipped cream!), pale and fluffy, so whisk it for a good while. You can also use the ‘ribbon stage’ test to see if the mixture is ready: you should be able to draw a complete figure of eight with the ribbon of batter falling off the beater before the shape you’ve drawn settles back into the rest of the mixture.

I would definitely recommend using an electric whisk for this: I like to use my stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment for best results, but if you’ve got more arm strength than me, you could use a handheld whisk instead.

• Add the olive oil/orange juice in slow, steady streams, with the mixer running.

You want both of these liquids to incorporate into the egg/sugar mixture fully before you add the dry ingredients. The best way to do this is to add them each in a slow, steady stream, with the mixer running, to ensure that they are fully and evenly incorporated.

• Add the dry ingredients 1/4 at a time.

Adding the dry ingredients is the main pitfall with this recipe, because the flour mixture has a tendency to clump and then ‘hide’ in the batter, so, when you cut into your cakes, you find pesky lumps of unmixed flour! One way to help prevent this is to add the dry ingredients in batches and folding in each one fully (but gently) before adding the next batch. I like to do this in quarters (i.e. 4 separate additions).

• Sift each batch of dry ingredients directly over the top of the batter.

Sifting the dry ingredients into the mixture helps to prevent the batter from losing too much air, because you’re distributing the weight over a larger area and only a light layer is added each time.

• Use a handheld balloon whisk to ‘fold’ in the dry ingredients.

Look, I wouldn’t normally recommend using a balloon whisk to ‘fold’ in ingredients, but a whisk is much better at breaking up any clumps of flour than a spoon/spatula. Additionally, you’re less likely to get a build up of flour on the whisk itself, which means less risk of clumps! To ‘fold’ in the ingredients with a whisk, just use the exact same motion that you would use with a spoon/spatula, cutting under and back through the mixture, making sure to be gentle, but thorough, to evenly mix the batter without knocking out too much of the air.

• Use a spatula for the final stir.

I use a spatula to make sure I get all of the batter out of the bowl anyway, so I like to use it to do one final, gentle stir of the batter to catch any lingering bits of flour, particularly at the bottom of the bowl. Keep this brief though, you don’t want to knock too much air out!

• Check for doneness with a skewer.

This particular sponge cake feels quite soft when it first comes out of the oven, so, while I usually recommend gently touching the surface of the cake with your finger to check for doneness, that won’t work here. Instead, I like to insert a skewer into the very centre of the cake: if it comes out clean, the cake is ready. You’ll also notice that the cake will start to pull away from the sides of the tin when it’s ready, so you can use that as an indicator too.

• Gently release the cakes from the edges of the tin as soon as they come out of the oven.

I mentioned that this cake has a tendency to stick to the tin and, sadly, that continues even after it is baked. The DIY Cake Release will have done the hard work for you, but it’s very important that as soon as you take the cake out of the oven, you gently push the edges of the cake inwards, away from the sides, to help release them. If the cake’s too hot for your fingers, you can use the flat edge of a palette knife, or the back of a spoon for this. Be gentle, though, because you don’t want to tear the sponge. If you don’t do this, you won’t get a neat edge to your cake later on (believe me, I’ve been there!).

Making the Honey-Yoghurt Icing: Tips & Tricks

Just like with the cake batter, I’ve already got a tutorial for the honey-yoghurt icing here on the blog (you can find it here). Again, I’ll just be sharing a few tips & tricks for getting perfect icing every time in this post:

• Use a Greek yoghurt containing 10% fat.

This one took a bit of trial and error to uncover, but it’s really important that your Greek yoghurt has a fat content of at least 10%. The higher fat content gives a thicker yoghurt without the need for stabilisers, and will make your icing the perfect consistency.

• Use a runny honey.

Set/creamed honeys typically have a higher wax content than runny honey, which will affect the mouthfeel/texture of your icing, so I’d recommend opting for a runny honey for the best results.

• Whisk until the mixture reaches stiff peaks, but don’t over-whip.

Because of the cream in this icing, it can be overwhipped, at which point it will start to look curdled. You want the icing to be stiff enough to hold its shape and support the weight of the cake (which it can do— it’s a surprisingly strong and stable icing!), but you don’t want to overwhip it, so I recommend whipping until it just holds stiff peaks (if you tilt the bowl slightly, the icing inside shouldn’t ‘slip’ around— that’s when you know it’s ready!). Be aware that as you pipe the icing it will thicken up a little more too, so it’s better to under-whip it to begin with: you can always squeeze it back out and whip it again if needed.

Assembling the Cake

Once your cakes are baked and your icing is made, it’s time to assemble the cake. Assembling the bigger version of this recipe is a similar process to the mini cakes, but not exactly the same (mainly because we’re working with 4 layers here, as opposed to 3!).

First up, you need to split each cake into two separate layers, so that you end up with a total of four thin layers of cake. You can do this with a large, serrated knife but I prefer to use a cake leveller, because this cake is quite delicate (and I don’t trust myself to cut in a straight line freehand!).

Once you’ve split the cake layers, you can start assembling. Because this was a wedding cake, I assembled it directly onto the board I would be transporting/serving the cake on, so I started by spreading a generous amount of the icing onto the middle of the board, to stick down the first layer.

Make sure that first cake layer is sitting level and is centred on the serving board/plate, then pipe the icing all over the surface in dollops, arranging them in concentric circles. I like to work around the circumference of the cake first (making sure to be neat, as those are the dollops that will show once the cake is assembled), before working inwards until the whole surface is covered.

Once the first icing layer is finished, you can carefully add the next layer of cake, making sure it is level and lined up with the cake below. Then, you just repeat the same icing process all over again.

Keep going like this until you’ve added the final cake layer, then add the final layer of icing, still in that piped dollop formation, making sure to be extra neat this time around because this top layer will be on show!

As I mentioned, this is a deceptively sturdy icing that will really keep your cake standing strong. However, it will benefit from a quick chill in the fridge, just to help it firm up. I like to do this before I add the decoration, so that I don’t jostle it about too much as I add the candied peels/flowers, but the cake needs to be stored in the fridge anyway, so you can do this after you’ve decorated it instead, if you prefer.

Decoration

The decoration on this cake super easy: you’re basically just adding an assortment of pressed, edible flowers and homemade orange peels around the circumference of the cake, right on top of that final icing layer. If it helps, you can picture it as a kind of ‘flower crown’, topping off the cake!

I like to start with the bigger pressed flowers/leaves, then work my way down to the smaller, ‘filler’ flowers. Once I’d added all of the individual flowers, I added the orange peels. Finally, I scattered over some of the flower petal ‘confetti’, to really add a bit of life and celebration to the cake.

With that, it was done! As I mentioned, the cake does need to be stored in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it, because of the cream in the icing. As long as both the cream and the yoghurt are still within their use-by date, this cake will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.

Recipe

Print

Orange & Olive Oil Layer Cake with Honey-Yoghurt Icing

A scaled-up version of my mini orange & olive oil cakes, decorated with edible pressed flowers and homemade candied orange peels: this is a perfect, summer celebration cake!

Course Dessert

Keyword Cake, Greek yoghurt, Honey, Olive oil, Orange

Prep Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 36 wedding servings

Equipment

• 2 x 8-inch round sandwich tins (see Note 1).
• 2 x 8-inch round circles of baking paper
• 1 piping bag, fitted with a large, round nozzle
• 1 cake leveller (or a large, serrated knife).

Ingredients

For the tin:

• 1 batch DIY Cake Release (see Note 2).

For the cake:

• 300 g golden caster sugar
• 4 oranges (zest of 4 + 120ml juice (approx. 2-3 oranges)).
• 4 eggs
• 120 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 250 g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Fine sea salt

For the icing:

• 630 g Greek yoghurt (at least 10% fat)(see Note 3).
• 320 ml double cream
• 90 g runny honey

For the decoration:

• Edible pressed flowers (see Note 4).
• Candied orange peels (see Note 5).

Instructions

Prepare the cake tins:

• Brush each cake tin all over with a layer of DIY Cake Release. Add a circle of baking paper to the bottom of each tin, then brush the surface of the paper with a little more Cake Release. Set aside.

Make the cakes:

• Preheat the oven to 165°C (conventional oven, not fan).
• Place the caster sugar into the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Zest all 4 oranges directly into the bowl with the sugar, then use the back of spoon to press the zest into the sugar until evenly distributed.
• Add the eggs to the sugar, then whisk on high speed until the mixture has become pale and doubled in size. It should be thick and creamy, like the consistency of softly whipped cream.
• While the egg mixture is whisking, combine the flour, baking powder and sea salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
• With the mixer running, pour the olive oil into the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream, until it is all incorporated.
• Repeat this process with the orange juice, pouring it in in a slow, steady stream with the mixer running, until it is all incorporated.
• Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and sift 1/4 of the dry ingredient mixture directly over the surface of the batter. Use a handheld balloon whisk to fold the dry ingredients in gently, but thoroughly.
• Repeat this process 3 more times, adding 1/4 of the dry ingredients each time, until they are completely incorporated. Switch to a spatula for one final, brief stir to make sure no flour remains at the bottom of the bowl.
• Divide the batter between the two prepared tins, then bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until the edges of the cakes are starting to pull away from the sides of the tins and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean.
• As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, use your fingers, or the flat edge of a palette knife, to very gently push the edges of the cakes inwards, towards the centre. This helps the cakes to release from the sides of the tin, making it easier to get them out of the tin once they are cool and ensuring that the cakes have neat edges later.
• Allow the cakes to cool most of the way in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack, carefully remove the baking paper from the bottom and allow to cool completely before assembling.

Make the icing:

• When the cakes are cool, make the icing. Place the yoghurt, cream and honey into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk on high speed until the mixture just holds stiff peaks. Don't over-whip. Transfer to a piping bag, fitted with a large, round nozzle.

Assemble the cake:

• Once the cakes are cold and the icing is made, it's time to assemble. Start by dividing each cake into two layers horizontally, so you're left with 4, thin layers. I use a cake leveller for this, but you can use a large, serrated knife instead.
• Add a generous smear of icing to the centre of your serving plate/board, then stick the first layer of cake on top, making sure it is centred and level.
• Pipe a circle of icing dollops all around the circumference of the first cake's surface, then work your way inwards until the surface is completely covered with icing.
• Carefully top with the second layer of cake, then repeat the icing process again.
• Repeat this twice more, taking extra care with the final layer of icing, as this will will be on show.
• Place the cake into the fridge to chill for 15-20 minutes, then arrange the edible flowers and orange peels on top, placing them around the circumference of the cake, right on top of that final icing layer.
• The cake must be stored in the fridge until you are ready to serve it. As long as the cream/yoghurt were well within their use-by date, it will last for 2-3 days.

Notes

1. I use these tins from Silverwood.
2. My recipe for DIY Cake Release is absolutely essential for this recipe, because the cake batter is very prone to sticking to the tins.
3. Make sure to use a Greek yoghurt that has a fat content of 10%: this will make for a perfectly thick, creamy and stable icing.
4. I used a selection of pressed, edible flowers from Nurtured in Norfolk.
5. You can find my recipe for Homemade Candied Orange Peels here.

Today, I want to do a general overview of the process of making a wedding cake as a whole: this was my first time making a cake for any big event (let alone a wedding!) and I definitely learned a lot!

If you’re planning to make a wedding cake, I hope this post helps you out!

Table of Contents

• Minimising Stress
• Timings/Schedule Planning
• Ideal Wedding Cake Recipes
• Fillings
• Transport Boxes
• Cake Boards
• Cake Dowels
• Smooth Sides
• Essential Tools
• Final Takeaways

Minimising Stress

Look, making a wedding cake is never going to be a stress-free experience (is anything to do with weddings ever stress-free?), but the aim should always be to minimise the stress as much as possible!

Whether you’re making a cake for a friend/family member like me and thus need to keep things lowkey enough that you actually have the mental capacity to enjoy the wedding, or if you’re making it for a wedding you aren’t actually attending and just need to keep yourself from going completely insane, it’s definitely an important factor!

With than in mind, here are a few little crumbs (see what I did there?) of advice:

• Don’t take on too much

I’m so guilty of this: wanting to do way more than I actually have the mental space/physical capacity to do! Everyone has limits, even in baking: know yours (and honour those limits!).

• Practise

Taking the cake from an unknown concept in your head to an actual, physical bake in front of you will help take some of the pressure off you as the day draws closer. Pretend you’re on Bake Off and do a full run-through of the cake in advance: this will give you time to iron out any problems, troubleshoot certain things and remind yourself that you are capable of this!

A wedding cake is, after all, just a cake: it feels very different from a regular cake, but if you can make a cake, you can make a wedding cake.

• Get as much done in advance as possible

The last thing you want to be doing is panic-baking at 2am on the day of the wedding. Don’t do that to yourself! Admittedly, sometimes things happen: accidents occur, things don’t go to plan etc., but having a clear schedule that allows plenty of time for each stage of the process will help you avoid this.

Which brings me on to…

Timings/Schedule Planning

Speaking of getting as much done in advance as possible, something that will really help with this is having a clear schedule, planned out ahead of time. When you’re making that schedule, there are a couple of things you might want to consider:

• Other commitments

Particularly if you’re attending the wedding, it’s likely you’ll have a bunch of other commitments that need attention in the lead up to the event. Make sure you’re aware of those commitments and schedule in plenty of time for them as well as the cake (and time/space to look after yourself, too!).

• Order of bake

You can streamline your process by placing the tasks in a specific order. For example, the lemon cake I made had three separate components: the curd filling, the lemon buttercream and the cake itself. I knew the curd filling would have to chill for a while before I could use it, but I also knew I could make it advance and keep it in the fridge until I needed it. On the other hand, I knew that, to preserve the moistness of the lemon cake, I needed to bake it as close to the day as possible, then assemble AND decorate it as soon as it was cool. All of these little things will play an important role in how you allocate your time.

• Making cake layers ahead of time

Lots of people swear by freezing cake layers, but I have to admit, I’ve never actually tried it! For this particular cake, I found that making super moist cakes and aiming to fill and frost them the same day they were baked worked really well, because the icing acted as a barrier, protecting the sponge from the air and stopping it from drying out. However, if you want to make your cake layers one day, then ice them the next, I did find that tightly wrapping each individual layer in cling film and leaving them at room temperature was a pretty good substitute.

Ideal Wedding Cake Recipes

My main takeaway from this process is that the recipe you use matters. Obviously, the most important thing is that it tastes good, but there are a couple of other things you might want to take into consideration to make your life easier:

• Cuts well

For starters, the way wedding cakes are cut is different from a regular cake: instead of slices, they tend to be cut in ‘slabs’, which are then cut into fingers, which can then be cut down into single portions. For the best results, you want a cake that cuts well, because a neat slice will make your cake feel extra professional (and cause less drama on the day!).

• Moist sponge with moderately dense crumb

Additionally, a moist cake with a moderately dense crumb will make your life SO much easier. A moister cake can be made further in advance, because it won’t dry out as quickly, which means less stress for you! A moderately dense crumb will make for a cake that is more stable: it’s not going to collapse on itself or crumble (and, as a bonus, it fulfils the aforementioned clean-cutting criteria!). I say moderately dense because a ‘dense’ cake isn’t necessarily a good thing: if you can, find a recipe that is still fluffy and light, but has more of an American-style texture, that is, not too airy or crumby, but tight and soft.

Fillings

I only filled one of these cakes (the lemon tier, which I filled with a lemon curd), but it definitely added an extra layer of complexity to that tier. Not only does it add an extra couple of stages to the process, filling a cake does have an effect on its structural integrity. On the other hand, it also contributes massively to the flavour, so there are pros and cons!

If you do want to add fillings to your wedding cake, here’s what I’d recommend:

• Practise

That word again, but it’s important. I hadn’t used fillings in cakes many times before this, so I didn’t have much experience in that area. The more you practise, the more you’ll understand how to reduce the likelihood of encountering problems (Leaning Lemon Cake of Pisa, I’m looking at YOU).

• Don’t make the filling too liquid

I added an extra egg yolk to my lemon curd, to make it thicker and less runny. Steps like this will help your cake stay structurally sound. Try not to use any fillings that are too thin, liquid or runny, as this will just cause chaos.

• Use a buttercream ‘dam’

I did this and I may not have done it perfectly but I know things could have been 100x worse if I hadn’t! By piping a layer of buttercream around the circumference of the cake before adding the filling, you create a barrier that (theoretically) keeps the filling inside the cake, which allows the cake to keep its structure and prevents the filling from seeping out and potentially ruining the frosting on the sides.

• Keep the buttercream quite stiff for the filling stage

Speaking of buttercream, when it needs to act as a barrier to keep the filling in, you need it to be quite stiff and firm: if it’s too runny, it won’t form a strong enough barrier and your filling might still spill out (I know this, because that is exactly what happened to me). I’d recommend not adding all of the liquid ingredients at first, assembling the cake and THEN adding the remaining liquid and thinning out the buttercream before applying the crumb coat and the final icing layer.

• Chill filled cakes more frequently during the assembly process

I didn’t do this, but I should have! Filled cakes need a little bit of extra love, so I’d recommend chilling the cake throughout the assembly process: after the first two cake layers AND after the third layer. This will keep the cake nice and firm, helping to prevent any slipping and sliding.

Transport Boxes

Inevitably, you’ll need to get your cakes from your home to the venue and having a good, strong box to transport them in will save you a whole load of problems and stress. For my cakes, I used these boxes and I would really recommend them: they’re strong and durable, they have a handle (though I would always recommend carrying them with BOTH the handle and a hand underneath the base for added support) and they open out for easy removal.

If you’re picking a different cake box, though, here are some things to consider:

• Strength

Wedding cakes, particularly the bigger ones (and particularly if they’re stacked) can get heavy, so you need a box that is strong enough to hold that wait without tearing. Look for words like ‘heavy duty’, ‘extra strong’, ‘corrugated’ and ‘cardboard’ in the description.

• Size

For these cakes, I picked boxes that were 2 inches large in size than the diameter of the respective cake tins. Don’t get a box that is the same size as your cake, because, although it sounds like it will be good for stopping the cake from slipping around, the icing on the cake will add a fair amount of width and your cake probably won’t fit in the box once its decorated

Cake Boards

Speaking of the cakes slipping around inside the boxes, I used a (slightly unorthodox, I suppose) method to minimise this. I assembled each cake directly on a cake ‘drum’ (a thick version of a cake board) that was exactly the same size/shape as the cake layers. This meant the cakes would be really easy to manoeuvre at the venue and transfer to their stands. When I iced the cakes, I covered the edges of the cake drums too, so they still looked clean and crisp— as if there were no drum at all.

Before I started assembling the cake on the drum, though, I actually attached the drum to a larger, thinner cake board, the exact size and shape of the transport box for that cake. I just used some paper adhesive stickers (folded over on themselves, so that they could act like double-sided tape) to stick the two boards together. This meant that I could slide the cake super easily into the transport box and it wouldn’t slip around in that box, despite the extra space.

When it was time to separate the two boards, it was really easy to just slide a cake lifter/palette knife between them and, in the process, slice through those paper adhesives. Then, I could use the cake lifter to pick up the cake on the cake drum and transfer it to its stand.

As I said, this is kind of a weird method, but it worked so perfectly: I’d definitely do it like this again!

Cake Dowels

Ah cake dowels, my frenemy. I’ve never actually used cake dowels before and they aren’t strictly necessary for these cakes, seeing as they weren’t stacked on top of one another, but I just felt that the extra level of stability and security would give me a little more piece of mind.

And it did! Until it… didn’t.

To add the cake dowels, I just assembled the whole cake, then positioned four dowels evenly around the cake, about halfway in from the sides. I pushed them in, marked where they came up to, then pulled them up a little, trimmed them down with some kitchen shears and pushed them back down, so they sat flush with the top of the cake. I then chilled the cake before adding the crumb coat, chilling it again and adding the final layer of icing.

HOWEVER, I did encounter a slightly dramatic problem on the morning of the wedding, when, as a result (I guess?) of the heat in the AirBnB where we were staying, and the motion of the car on the ride down, the hardened icing on top of each dowel visibly bulged up (so sorry, what an awful word) on the surface of the cake. I’m not sure if this was a result of the cake sinking down around the dowels, the air inside the dowels (they’re hollow) causing chaos, or the dowels themselves rising up, but it was NOT the vibe at 9am on the morning of the wedding.

Luckily, it was relatively easily fixed: just in case it was an air problem, I used a pin to pierce the icing, then pressed down on the bump gently with the flat edge of a palette knife to level the icing back out. For the most part, this worked pretty well, but in some places I did have to add a bit more icing to the top to conceal the mess. Overall, if I could avoid that, I definitely would, so if I ever find out exactly what happened, I’ll be sure to let you know!

In the meantime, though, it did teach me a couple of dowel-related lessons:

• Always keep a pin in your emergency baking kit

Whether this was an air bubble problem or not, air bubbles are often a problem with cakes, so it’s good to have a pin handy to burst them without too much of a noticeable impact!

• Always bring extra buttercream

I brought a (sealed) piping bag filled with each of the three buttercreams I used for the cake with me to the venue, just in case of an emergency like this (and boy, was I glad I did!).

• Potential workaround: add the dowels after the first chill

If this situation was a result of the cake sinking down slightly around the dowels, I wonder if adding the dowels later, once the cake has had more of a chance to settle under its own weight, would help? Admittedly, I wouldn’t want to leave it too long (because I want to get the final icing layer on as soon as possible, to lock in the moisture!), but after the first chill (just before the crumb coat) could work? I’ve suggested this in the recipes, because I think it seems like the best course of action.

• Keep the cake as cool as possible

Our AirBnB was quite warm and none of us thought about the impact on the cake, but we definitely would next time! The cakes are fine at room temperature, as long as that room temperature isn’t warm warm, so keep the temperature of your house/accommodation in mind.

Smooth Sides

Confession: I’ve never successfully iced a cake with smooth sides before, so I was a little intimidated by this process. The finished cakes are by no means perfectly smooth, but they’re close enough (and much better than anything I’ve managed in the past), so I’m happy!

There are a few things to remember when aiming for smooth sides:

• You need the right equipment

If you want smooth sides, you really do need an icing smoother (or a similar, thick ruler with at least two, perpendicular, square sides). I used this one from Wilton and it really was a game changer. You also definitely need a turntable!

• Turn the turntable, NOT the scraper

Keep the scraper steady, holding it still with the bottom edge held flush to the table/bottom cake board and the side edge held upright against the cake, at a slight acute angle. Turning the turntable, not moving the scraper, will give you a cleaner, smoother finish because it allows you to hold the smoother in the right position, with the same amount of pressure all the way around. Additionally, if you can find a friend to turn the turntable for you (thanks, Dad), you’ll get an even smoother finish!

• Repeat as many times as necessary

Inevitably, after the first pass around with the smoother, you’ll end up with some uneven sections, where there wasn’t enough icing in the first place to create a smooth layer. No worries: just apply more icing to those areas and go around with the smoother again. You can repeat this process as many times as you need until you’re happy with the results, so just take it step by step and repeat until it’s how you want it!

Essential Tools

Especially for a pretty simple cake like the one I made, you don’t need a ridiculous number of specialist tools. However, there are some specific tools that I would definitely classify as essential if you’re embarking on your own wedding cake journey:

• Offset palette knife

This is my staple baking utensil: it’s great for spreading icing and fillings (also tempered chocolate, but that’s not particularly relevant for this cake). I’ve had my 4-inch one for YEARS and I bought an 8-inch one especially for this project (that chocolate tier was big!).

• Icing smoother

As I mentioned above: if you want smooth sides to your cake, you really do need to invest in a good icing smoother. I’ve tried using a regular palette knife, but it just doesn’t have the stiffness and perfect angle that a smoother has.

• Turntable

Turntables are invaluable tools for all manner of baking undertakings: particularly wedding cakes (and especially if you want smooth sides!). While I do have a specific baking turntable, more often than not I just use a regular Lazy Susan (is that a thing for everyone out there? It’s like a wide turntable that you use to serve things on at the dinner table?!). This was particularly helpful for the big chocolate tier, which, I fear, was actually bigger than my cake turntable.

• Non-slip fabric

If you’re using a turntable, I would also recommend getting/finding some non-slip fabric, because you don’t want your cake to slip off the surface if you spin it too fast (been there)! I just use some knitted dishcloths, so you might already have something in the house that would work for this.

• Piping bag + nozzles

Obviously, if you plan to add piped detail to your cake, you’ll need a piping bag and a suitable piping nozzle, but even if you aren’t planning that, a piping bag and a large, round nozzle (I used a #1A tip), is a really handy tool to ensure your buttercream layers are even and consistent. Just pipe a spiral of icing right over the surface of the cake, then smooth it out with an offset palette knife and you’ll have perfectly level, even layers every time.

• Cake lifter

Wedding cakes can be heavy and the last thing you want to do is ruin your beautifully smooth buttercream sides with fingerprints, so a cake lifter is your friend. You can slide it right under the cake and lift it from there to transfer it to the serving plate, but it’s also really handy for moving cake layers around before you assemble the cake.

Final Takeaways

So, I think even I can’t ramble on any longer: that is, quite literally, everything I learned while making my first ever wedding cake. In case you got bored and gave up halfway through (I wouldn’t blame you), here are the main takeaways:

• Practise lots (for peace of mind).
• Use the right recipe.
• Make a schedule.
• Get as much done in advance as possible.
• Take extra care when adding fillings.
• Invest in good cake boxes for transporting.
• Stack cake boards/drums for extra security.
• Use cake dowels, but be wary of them.
• Always bring a pin, palette knife, skewer and extra icing to the venue.
• Ice the cake as soon as possible to seal in the moisture.
• Keep the finished cake cool.
• Turn the turntable, not the icing smoother.
• Use a piping bag for even buttercream layers.

Anddddd I think that about covers it.

I hope this post has been helpful and I hope that you’ve enjoyed Wedding Cake Week! We’ll be returning to regular, non-wedding cake related content from now on!

I’ll see you then!

Gemma

xxx

A quick Baking Around the World disclaimer before we get into the recipe:

While I have done/will do extensive research for each of the recipes in this series, the recipes are unlikely to be 100% authentic because of differences in ingredient availability, variations within families/regions and multiple other reasons. I'm so sorry if I absolutely butcher your favourite childhood treat (and please let me know in the comments if I have made any unforgiveable errors), but please do give me the benefit of the doubt here- I am just a baker with a serious sweet tooth, trying to broaden her baking (and cultural) horizons through tasty snacks :)

Table of Contents

• Gâteau Creusois: Explained
• Ingredients
• DIY Ground Hazelnuts
• Making Gâteau Creusois
• Final Thoughts
• Recipe
• Sources Used

Gâteau Creusois: Explained

I only came across Gâteau Creusois pretty recently, when my aunt brought a commercial version over from France for us to try. My brother enjoyed it so much that he actually requested a homemade version for his birthday cake this year, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for another Baking Around the World project!

Gâteau Creusois is a meringue-based, hazelnut cake that originated in Creuse, a department in central France. The recipe was discovered in 1969, within the ruins of a local monastery, written on a piece of parchment that dated back to the 15th century. Apparently, the monks used to cook the cake in ceramic tiles known as ‘creuses’ (meaning hollow, or concave), which is likely where the name Gâteau Creusois originated (though it could also come from the name of the department, ‘Creuse’, instead). It is said that the original recipe is a closely guarded secret amongst a select group of pastry chefs, so the modern recipes in circulation are unlikely to be exact replicas of the recipe written on that initial manuscript.

Most Gâteaux Creusois in France tend to be commercial, industrially produced ones (like the one my aunt bought us), with homemade versions being much less commonplace (perhaps because of the aforementioned secretive pastry chefs!). Luckily, there are still multiple recipes online available, so all hope is not lost! You can still make a deliciously rich, soft and tender, hazelnutty Gâteau Creusois at home (which is exactly what I did).

Ingredients

Gâteau Creusois is actually a really simple cake to make— you only need 5 ingredients (or 6, if you want to dust the finished cake with icing sugar, like I did):

• Hazelnuts

You’ll need ground hazelnuts for this recipe. I like to grind them myself— you can find instructions for this below.

• Caster Sugar

Some recipes use icing sugar, but the majority use regular, caster sugar, so that’s what I’ve used here.

• Plain Flour

There’s no raising agent in this cake— the whipped egg whites do all the work, which is what gives it such a rich, almost fudgy texture. Make sure to use plain flour, because self-raising flour contains baking powder.

• Butter

You can use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe— whichever you have on hand. I’ve tried both and both cakes were delicious. Whichever butter you choose to use, it needs to be melted and cooled before you add it to the mixture.

• Egg Whites

The egg whites are whipped separately before being folded into the batter, which helps give the cake lift. You don’t need the yolks for this recipe, so set them aside for another recipe (perhaps an ice cream? You can find my ice cream recipes here!).

DIY Ground Hazelnuts

Whole hazelnuts are usually easier to find in supermarkets than ready-ground hazelnuts, but, luckily, it’s super easy to grind them at home (and it’s much easy to toast the whole nuts than the ground version, so you can get plenty of extra flavour into your Gâteau Creusois!).

You can buy hazelnuts with or without their papery skins (without the skins, they’re often sold as ‘blanched hazelnuts’). Either one is fine, but, if you’re using unblanched hazelnuts (like in the above photo), it’s best to remove the skins for this recipe (which is also very easy— more on that in a sec!).

Start by toasting the nuts. I do this in the airfryer (5 minutes at 180°C), but you can do it in the oven (for the same length of time/at the same temperature), or even in a dry pan over high heat on the hob (though this method doesn’t get the nuts quite as evenly roasty throughout). Once the nuts are toasted, tip them out onto a clean tea towel, ready for the next step.

Don’t skip this toasting step— not only does it significantly improve the hazelnut flavour, it’s also much easier to get the shells off the nuts when they are warm.

To get the skins off the nuts, wrap the clean tea towel around them and rub the whole bundle together between your hands. The friction will cause the skins to rub off the surfaces of the warm nuts and you’ll be left with a pile of the papery skins (like in the above photo), which you can discard or compost.

Don’t worry too much if you can’t get all of the skin off the nuts— it will just add a little extra colour and texture to your cake! Just try to remove as much as you can, because the skins can sometimes be a bit tough.

It’s important to let the nuts cool completely before proceeding to the grinding stage. Nuts release their oils more easily when they are warm, so you run a greater risk of ending up with nut butter, instead of ground nuts, if you try to grind them when they are still hot!

Tip the cooled nuts into a food processor and blitz until they are finely ground (I used a mini food processor for this, so the nuts are more finely ground than they appear in the above photo!). Try to get them quite fine, but don’t worry too much if there are a few slightly larger pieces— again, this will just add texture to the finished cake. Don’t over-blitz them, or you’ll end up with hazelnut butter, even if the nuts were cold when you started!

Making Gâteau Creusois

Now you have your toasted, skinned and grounded hazelnuts, you can get on with making the cake itself! Making a Gâteau Creusois is actually fairly straightforward (it’s nowhere near as finicky as you might expect from the home of pâtisserie!).

Start by preparing the tin. Grease and line an 8-inch, round tin with butter and baking paper and set aside. You’ll also need to preheat the oven to 170°C.

Place the ground hazelnuts, caster sugar and plain flour in a large bowl.

Mix these ingredients together until the hazelnuts are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Add the cooled, melted butter to the dry ingredients and mix in. You should end up with a nutty, paste-like mixture.

In a separate, metal bowl (I used a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, for this part), whisk the egg whites until they have just reached stiff peaks. They should hold their shape, but not be too dry, as this can cause the cake to rise too much and be dry and cakey, rather than dense and rich.

Add a large spoonful of the whipped egg whites to the nut mixture, and stir in vigorously to loosen the mixture.

Add the remaining egg whites and use a large, metal spoon to fold them into the mixture. It’s best to use a metal spoon for this because it can ‘slice’ through the batter more effectively, so that you don’t knock too much air out of the whites as you incorporate them.

Once the egg whites have been completely incorporated and no streaks remain, you should be left with a thick, soft batter, just like in the above photo.

Pour this batter into the tin you prepared earlier.

Then use a knife to level out the surface, so that it bakes evenly.

Place the cake into the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the surface is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

The cake will deflate quite rapidly once it is removed from the oven, but don’t worry— that’s what gives it its fudgy, moreish texture.

Allow the cake to cool for 5-10 minutes in the tin before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t leave the cake for any longer in the tin, because it will start to firm up and stick to the tin as it cools, making it harder to remove neatly (obviously, I speak from experience).

Once the cake is completely cool, you can dust it with a layer of icing sugar. I’m not sure if this is strictly traditional, but it does make it extra pretty (and delicious)!

Serve wedges of the cake as they are, with vanilla custard (apparently a traditional accompaniment), or with whipped cream and berries (not so traditional, but very delicious!). The cake is quite rich, so you won’t need a huge slice!

Final Thoughts

This is a really unassuming cake— it looks like a plain, simple cake layer, but it’s actually a rich, decadent and delicious nutty treat: more like a nutty torte than a cake! It’s also incredibly simple, quick and easy to make, so I think it would make the perfect dessert for a relaxed dinner party or subtly impressive addition to afternoon tea.

The surface of the cake can look a little odd after it has cooled— it’s covered with little holes, almost as if it has been pricked all over with a skewer, which is partly why I decided to dust the whole thing with icing sugar (which is known for covering a multitude of sins). I’m not sure if this is just a defining feature of the cake, or a result of a mistake I’ve made somewhere along the way, but I’m not too bothered— it’s still incredibly delicious!

While it would be easier to buy ground hazelnuts to use for this recipe, I do think that toasting and grind the nuts yourself adds a real hit of extra hazelnut flavour, so I would definitely recommend doing that if you have the time!

Recipe

Print

Gâteau Creusois

A meringue-based, hazelnut cake from France, this is a super quick and easy, yet surprisingly rich and decadent, bake that makes for a delicious dessert or treat any time of year.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine French

Keyword Cake, Hazelnut, Meringue

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 12

Equipment

• 1 8-inch round cake tin

Ingredients

• 120 g hazelnuts, toasted and finely ground (see Note 1).
• 150 g caster sugar
• 80 g plain flour
• 125 g butter, melted and cooled (see Note 2).
• 4 egg whites
• Icing sugar, for dusting (optional).

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease and line an 8-inch round tin with baking paper and set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together the ground hazelnuts, caster sugar and plain flour, until well combined.
• Add the cooled, melted butter to the dry ingredients and mix until you have a nutty, paste-like mixture.
• In a large, metal bowl (I used a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment), whip the egg whites until they have just reached stiff peaks. The whites should hold their shape, but not look too dry.
• Add a large spoonful of the whipped egg whites to the nut mixture and mix in vigorously to loosen the mixture.
• Add the remaining egg whites and fold in, using a large metal spoon, until no streaks remain and you have a thick, even batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared tin and level out the surface. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the surface is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool for 5-10 minutes only before removing from the tin and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once cool, dust liberally with icing sugar (if desired) and serve. You can serve the cake plain, or with an accompaniment: vanilla custard is traditional, but a spoonful of whipped cream and some fresh berries is also delicious. The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4 days.

Notes

1. To toast/grind the hazelnuts:

Toast the nuts in an oven/airfryer set to 180°C for about 5 minutes, until very golden and smelling super nutty (you can also toast the nuts in a dry pan on the hob, though you won’t get quite as intense a flavour with this method). 

Allow the nuts to cool completely before transferring to a food processor to grind them. Aim for quite a fine grind, but don’t worry if there are some stubborn, larger pieces— they’ll just add texture! Be careful not to over-grind the nuts, or you might end up with hazelnut butter instead.

2. You can use unsalted or salted butter for this recipe— whichever you have on hand.

 

 

Sources Used

Cooking Melangery: French Hazelnut Meringue Cake

Del’s Cooking Twist: French Hazelnut Cake (Creusois)

French Touch: Creusois Cake

SBS Food: Gateaux Creusois (cake from Creuse)

Taste Atlas: Gâteau Creusois

Tourisme Creuse: Gourmet and Local Products

750g: Gäteau Creusois

Today’s post is another cake recipe, because it is the season for copious amount of sugar. This time, it’s my Easter Nest Cake, a celebration of the quintessential Easter treat, Mini Eggs. It’s 4 layers of vanilla cake, sandwiched together and covered with white chocolate buttercream (in Mini Egg colours!), decorated with a cocoa speckle, a chocolate Rice Krispy nest and many, many, Mini Eggs. Surprisingly, it’s not sickly-sweet like you would expect! Don’t get me wrong, it is on the sweet side- it’s a Mini Egg cake after all. But it’s not overwhelming! Weirdly, the Rice Krispy nest actually helps to balance out the sweetness. However, if you’re really worried, there are some adjustments you can make to tone down the sweetness a little bit. I’ll touch on those as we go through it.

Just a quick note before we get into it: there are a couple of things I did that I would do differently if I were to make this cake again and I have made sure that the recipe below reflects that. I’ll talk more about these things throughout this post. Baking is a learning curve, particularly when the appearance of a baked good is the main focal point. Some things work and some things don’t, but, ultimately, I figure if there’s sugar, it’s bound to taste okay in the end. And taste is what really matters, right?

This cake is made in 4 stages: the nest, the cake, the icing and the assembly. We’ll go through them in order.

Stage 1: The Nest

Growing up, we made chocolate nests for Easter basically every year. They were 3 ingredients: milk chocolate, Rice Krispies and Mini Eggs. I wanted a nest to go on top of my cake, but making them like we used to, with straight milk chocolate, would have caused problems. Once nests made with straight chocolate set, they are basically rock solid. Trying to cut through that, with soft cake underneath, would inevitably have caused havoc, so I opted for a rocky road-style chocolate/butter/golden syrup combo for my nest instead. This softens the nest a little bit, making it easier to cut through on top of the cake, without squishing the cake/icing layers.

Some notes here: if you want to make this cake a bit less sweet, you can substitute the milk chocolate in the recipe for the same amount of dark chocolate. You can also substitute different cereals for your nest- we have always used Rice Krispies in my family, so that is what I did here. Shredded wheat gives the most authentic ‘nest’ look (we’re just not as crazy about the taste of it), but cornflakes are also a good option! Whatever you have available will be great. Finally, be careful not to overheat the chocolate mixture when you’re melting it- this will cause the chocolate to seize, rendering it useless- you’ll have to start all over again! Finely chopping the chocolate, dicing the butter, heating the mixture very gently and stirring often will help to prevent this.

You want your nest to be slightly smaller than the surface of the cake. My cakes were 6 inches in diameter, so I made my nest a circle that was about 5 1/2 inches in diameter. To do this, I used a pencil to draw a circle on some baking paper, then flipped it upside down (you don’t want the pencil to touch anything you’ll be eating!) and put it onto a baking tray to use as a guide. When you’ve made your Rice Krispy mixture, you can use a spoon to press it into the shape you want. Ideally, you want to build the sides of the ‘nest’ up higher than the centre (perhaps even more so than I did, so you have a much thinner layer of Rice Krispies in the centre)- this way you’ll be able to fit more Mini Eggs in later!

On the topic of Mini Eggs, when I made this cake I actually put some Mini Eggs into the nest before I let it set in the fridge, so they would be stuck in there. I wouldn’t recommend doing this for 3 reasons:

1) Mini Eggs don’t love being in the fridge- their sugar coating tends to absorb moisture from the air, so you’ll end up with little damp patches on the surface of the eggs, as you’ll probably be able to spot in some of my photos. Not cute.

2) A single layer of Mini Eggs in the nest ended up feeling a little flat on the cake (see photo below). When I piled more of them on top, I felt it looked much more nest-y and fun. Seeing as you can’t stick them all down by pressing them into the chocolate when they’re piled up, you might as well just skip that stage.

3) As I’ll talk about later on, it’s better to stick the nest into the final layer of icing when it’s still soft, to avoid having a gap between the edges of the nest and the top of the cake. This means you’ll have to add the cocoa speckle while the nest is on the cake. You won’t see any stray speckles on the chocolate nest, but you will definitely see them on the Mini Eggs! Better to leave them off until the messy part is over and done with.

Anyway, you’ll need to set the Rice Krispy nest in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes to firm up completely. While it’s chilling, you can get on with the rest of the cake.

Stage 2: The Cake

The cake itself is just a plain vanilla cake- super simple. It’s a 3-egg cake, baked in 2 6-inch tins, each of which is then levelled (I did not do this, and it cause problems for me later on, so, I guess, do as I say, not as I do?) and cut in half, horizontally, leaving you with 4 thin layers. You could do any flavour you want for the cake- it doesn’t have to be vanilla, chocolate or coconut would also work really well!

I use a cake leveller to cut cakes horizontally- once you get the hang of them it makes the whole process so much easier! I like to put a cake layer on a flat chopping board, then hold the top of the cake with the palm of my hand as I gently wiggle the leveller through. When I get near the other side of the cake, I’ll move my hand so it rests against the side of the cake that is furthest away from me, then wiggle the leveller carefully until it meets my hand. This way, the cake won’t break off as the leveller comes out the other side. Most levellers are just wire, so this won’t hurt at all, but if yours has a sharper blade, you might want to use a different method.

Stage 3: The white chocolate buttercream

This was a last-minute addition to my cake. There’s something about vanilla buttercream that just… doesn’t do it for me? It feels very sweet-for-the-sake-of-being-sweet, and I was worried about this cake being too sweet. (It makes perfect sense, then, that I chose one of the sweetest possible buttercream flavours on the planet. Good job, Gemma- actually though, when you eat this buttercream with the cake, it isn’t overwhelmingly sweet- but it really does fit with the Mini Egg vibe! Success!). Anyway, like the cake, you can use whatever flavour buttercream you want, including less sweet alternatives- it just needs to be a pale one so that you can colour it later.

I’ve made white chocolate buttercream a couple of times before, and I could never get it to work. It always firmed up super quickly into a dense, almost fudge-y texture. Not what I was looking for. Anyway, I did some research and apparently the way to combat that is to use a lower proportion of icing sugar than you normally would in a buttercream. This works because, as the chocolate sets, it firms the buttercream up, so you don’t need as much sugar to get a stiffer consistency. The added benefit of this is it helps tone down the sweetness (slightly, a little, hopefully?), which is definitely a good thing when it comes to white chocolate! I also found that adding a little bit of salt (something I very rarely do in my buttercreams) helped to counteract the sweetness a little too.

Some tips for the buttercream:

1. Make sure your chocolate has cooled to room temperature after you have melted it. Adding warm chocolate to butter will just melt the butter!
2. Similarly, make sure your butter is at room temperature before beating it. Not only will it beat up more smoothly, but if you add the melted chocolate to cold butter, the chocolate will set super quickly and you’ll be left with a very lumpy buttercream!
3. Don’t be afraid to really whip the icing. The longer you whip it, the lighter, fluffier and paler it will be (which is ideal not only for a delicious texture, but also for ensuring you get accurate colours from your food colouring later on!).

Once you have your buttercream, you’ll need to split it up for colouring. I wanted to get all 4 of the Mini Egg colours into my cake somehow, so I used 3 of them to sandwich the layers together, and the final colour to decorate the outside of the cake. To do that, you’ll need to take out 3x100g portions of the icing, place them into separate bowls and colour each one either yellow, purple or white. (To get a super white buttercream, you can add a tiny bit of purple food colouring. This will neutralise the yellow tones in the buttercream, leaving you with a whiter icing). You then want to colour all of the remaining icing pink. With the icing done, you’re ready to assemble.

Stage 4: Assembly

To assemble the cake, place one of your 4 cake layers onto a serving plate (this cake will be pretty tall- make sure you don’t make the same mistake as me and build it on an equally tall cake stand, or you’ll never be able to fit it in the fridge for the chilling stages!) Spread all of the yellow icing on top, smoothing it into an even layer. Add another layer of cake, then repeat the process with the purple icing, then add another layer of cake, the white icing, then a final layer of cake. Use an offset spatula to smooth out any excess icing on the sides. Once the cake is layered, you can crumb coat it.

To crumb coat, cover the whole cake (top and sides) in a thin layer of pink icing. If your cake is feeling very unstable- don’t worry! It’s probably because of the high icing to cake ratio- just pop it in the fridge for about 15 minutes to firm up, then do your crumb coat. Once you’ve done the crumb coat, put it back into the fridge for another 15 minutes to set.

Once your crumb coat is set, you can cover the cake in a thicker, final layer of pink icing. Use an offset spatula to get the icing as smooth as you can (cleaning off the spatula using warm water, then drying it well before using it, can help you get a smoother finish). When you’re happy with the cake, take the chocolate nest out of the fridge, peel off the baking paper from the bottom and place the nest on top of the cake,. When I made this, I waited until after the icing had set to put the nest on top. The problem with that was that my cake was not perfectly level (I mean… I did not level them at all, so I don’t know what I expected), so the nest did not sit flush to the cake. If I were to do it again, I would definitely put the nest on top at this stage- it’ll also be more securely stuck down if you do this! Once the nest is on, put the cake back into the fridge for an extra 15 minutes.

With the icing done, it’s time to speckle the cake! To do this, you’ll need cocoa powder, vanilla extract and a pastry brush with firm bristles. Don’t bother using a super good quality vanilla extract- you’ll need a relatively large quantity of it (as vanilla goes), and you’ll barely taste it, so it would be a waste! Mix the cocoa powder and vanilla extract together in a small bowl (I used an egg cup), until completely combined. Dip the pastry brush into the mixture, then use your finger to pull back on the bristles, ‘splattering’ it onto the cake. You might want to practise against a plate before going straight onto the cake, just to get the hang of the technique. You’ll definitely want to move any important documents/items out of the way when you do this, and make sure your cake is on a wipe-clean surface, with a wipe-clean backdrop, because this can get messy. Make sure to wipe off any speckles that have landed on your serving plate, as well.

When you’re happy with your speckles, you can add the Mini Eggs! You can do this however you like, I added a row of eggs in a repeating pattern around the bottom edge and filled the nest on top of the cake with a pile of them. And there you have it: an Easter Nest Cake. As with all cakes, this is best eaten the day you made it, but it will last, at room temperature, for a few days if needed. Don’t keep it in the fridge though, because, as we have already discussed, the sugar shell of your Mini Eggs will absorb the moisture in the air, and discolour.

Let me know what you think of it!

Gemma

xxx

Print

Easter Nest Cake

A 6-inch, 4-layer vanilla cake, iced with white chocolate buttercream, decorated with a Rice Krispy chocolate nest, cocoa speckles and a multitude of Mini Eggs.

Course Dessert, Snack

Keyword Cake, Chocolate, Easter, Milk Chocolate, Mini Eggs, rice krispies, Vanilla, White Chocolate

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Chill Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Equipment

• 2 6" round cake tins
• 1 pastry brush, with firm bristles

Ingredients

For the Rice Krispy nest:

• 30 g Rice Krispies (or other cereal, e.g. cornflakes or shredded wheat)
• 100 g milk chocolate, finely chopped (can be substituted with an equal amount of dark chocolate)
• 20 g unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 tbsp golden syrup

For the vanilla cake:

• 170 g unsalted butter, softened (I use Stork)
• 170 g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 170 g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp milk

For the white chocolate buttercream:

• 140 g white chocolate, melted and cooled
• 190 g unsalted butter, softened
• 210 g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 tbsp milk
• gel food colouring (pink, purple and yellow)

To decorate:

• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (see Note 1)
• 300 g Mini Eggs

Instructions

For the Rice Krispy Nest:

• With a pencil, draw a 5 1/2" diameter circle on a piece of baking paper. Flip the paper upside down and place onto a baking tray. Set aside.
• Place the chocolate, butter and golden syrup into a heatproof bowl. Melt gently (either in microwave or over a pan of barely simmering water), until smooth. Stir in the Rice Krispies until completely incorporated.
• Working quickly, tip the Rice Krispy mixture onto the lined baking tray, into the centre of the marked circle. Using the pencil as a guide, push the mixture into shape. Use a spoon to press the centre down and build up the sides to mimic a nest.
• Place the nest into the fridge to firm up while you make the rest of the cake.

For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan). Grease and line 2 6" round cake tins
• Place the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on high until light and fluffy.
• With the mixer on a medium-low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to incorporate fully between each addition.
• Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add to the butter mixture, and mix on medium-low speed until just incorporated.
• Add the vanilla extract and milk, and mix to combine.
• Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until cakes spring back when touched.
• Leave cakes to cool in tins for 5-10 minutes, then remove carefully and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, use a serrated knife/cake leveller to level each cake, then split each in half horizontally, to leave you with 4 even layers.

For the white chocolate buttercream:

• Place the softened butter into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for about 3 minutes, until very pale and fluffy.
• Pour the cooled white chocolate into the whipped butter, then mix on medium speed for a further minute to combine fully.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the icing sugar, a spoonful at a time, until fully incorporated.
• Add the salt and milk, mix on medium speed to combine, then turn the speed up to high, and beat for a further 3-5 minutes, until fluffy and significantly paler. Turn the mixer down to its lowest setting, and mix for a further 30 seconds (this will help to reduce the air bubbles in the icing).
• Once the icing is ready, divide it into 4 for colouring. You will need 3x100g bowls of icing for filling, while the rest will be used for decorating. Colour one each of the smaller bowls yellow, purple and white (see Note 2). Colour the final, largest portion pink.

To assemble:

• Place one layer of cake onto a serving plate. Place all of the yellow buttercream on top and spread out into an even layer. Add another layer of cake, then repeat the process with the purple buttercream. Add another layer, top with the white buttercream, then add the final layer.
• Use an offset spatula to smooth out any icing that has squished out from the filling. Smooth a thin layer of pink icing all over the top and sides of the cake, to act as a crumb coat (see Note 3). Put the cake into the fridge for about 15 minutes, to allow the buttercream to firm up before proceeding.
• When the crumb coat has set, use the remaining pink icing to generously ice the top and sides of the cake, using an offset spatula to smooth it out as much as you can (see Note 4).
• At this point, you'll want to remove your chocolate nest from the fridge. Carefully peel the baking paper off the bottom, then set the nest on top of the cake, making sure to centre it. Once you have added the nest, put the whole cake back into the fridge for a further 15 minutes, to firm up the final buttercream layer.
• When the buttercream has chilled for 15 minutes, mix together the cocoa powder and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Remove the cake from the fridge, then dip the pastry brush into the cocoa mixture. Use your finger to pull back the bristles and flick the mixture towards the cake to make little chocolate speckles, reminiscent of a Mini Egg.
• The cocoa mixture will set relatively quickly, so you can move onto adding the Mini Eggs. Place a row of the eggs all around the base of the cake, then pile the remaining eggs into the chocolate nest on top of the cake.
• The cake can be served immediately, or left at room temperature until you are ready to eat it. As always, cake is best eaten on the day it is made, but it will last for about 2-3 days if necessary.

Notes

1. You don’t need to use a particularly good quality vanilla extract for this stage- it’s just to dissolve the cocoa powder and counteract the bitter taste.
2. To colour icing that has a slight yellow tinge white, add a very (very) small amount of purple gel food colouring. The purple will neutralise the yellow tone, leaving you with a much whiter icing. 
3. Because of the high icing-to-cake layer ratio in this cake, your cake may be a little unsteady when you come to crumb coat it. If this is causing you problems, smooth out any residual filling icing on the sides as best you can, then pop the filled cake into the fridge for about 15 minutes before crumb-coating. This will firm up the filling icing, making your cake a bit sturdier and easier to deal with. 
4. If you’re having trouble getting a smooth edge on your cake, try using warm water to rinse off your spatula. The clean, slightly warm spatula will make it much easier to smooth out the icing, and you can repeat this as many times as you need to when icing. 

I feel like carrot cake is one of those very marmite things- you either love it or you hate it. As a child, I just could not understand why anyone would want a) vegetables in their cake???? and b) cheese in their icing???? I was, to be perfectly truthful, all-round very suspicious of it. Now, however, I have grown up. My tastes have developed (barely- I would still eat my bodyweight in chocolate on a daily basis if left to my own devices). I am no longer horrified by the prospect of cheese in icing (in fact, my favourite icing ever is a marscapone icing! Go figure). My dislike for carrot cake, however, persevered. That is, until I tried out this recipe, by Cupcake Jemma (owner of my favourite bakery of all time, Crumbs and Doilies, in London). And it was magic. Moist, nutty, carrot-y but in a delicate, normal, not a why-the-heck-is-there-a-vegetable-in-my-dessert kind of way. Dreamy.

Anyway, long story short, I’m a carrot cake convert. Thank you, Cupcake Jemma.

Today, I’m bringing you my (significantly smaller) version of Cupcake Jemma’s cake. Instead of a 4-layer, 8-inch cake, mine is a 2-layer, 6-inch situation. I may be a convert, but I still have limits. Anyway, I’ve done all the required maths for this adaptation, so you don’t have to!

Oh, also- because it’s Easter soon, and because I think it’s funny when cake is made to look like other things, I made my cake look like the top of a carrot poking out of a bed of soil. Obviously, this is totally optional, but I think it’s cute! It’s also a pretty easy process, so it’d be great for an impressive Easter dessert for beginners.

Let’s get into it, shall we?

Making the cake batter:

First up, the cake itself. I’m convinced that the reason this cake is so good is because of the ground walnuts. You’ll want to grind them in a food processor until they are pretty fine, like in the photo below. They act a little like ground almonds, giving the cake a lovely moist crumb and a toasty, nutty flavour. However, be careful not to overdo it when you grind the nuts- the more you process them, the more oils they will release and the more likely it is that you will be left with a bowl of walnut butter, instead of ground walnuts! Blitz them until they are finely chopped, but don’t worry if there are some bigger pieces- it will just add to the texture.

The other thing you’ll want to get ready before you start are the carrots. You need to peel and grate them- I used a food processor for this, because grating carrots by hand takes quite a bit of elbow grease (definitely not within my capabilities). With the food processor, the whole process took about 2 minutes at most. Big fan.

Along with the carrots and walnuts, the main flavour in this cake is ground cinnamon. It lends a lovely autumnal warmth and colour to the cake. I’ve also heard that fresh or ground ginger can be a nice addition in carrot cake- I’ll have to give that a go one day!

Making the cake batter is a relatively straightforward process. You start by sifting the dry ingredients together and combining with the walnuts (like in my Maple Pecan Cupcake recipe, coating the walnuts in flour will ensure that any larger pieces don’t sink during baking). After setting the dry ingredients aside, you beat the eggs and sugar together in a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, until pale and creamy. You don’t even need to take the egg/sugar mixture as far as you usually would for things like a Genoise sponge, where it’s imperative that the mixture reaches the so-called ‘ribbon stage’, where it is pale, creamy and tripled in volume. For this recipe, just beat the eggs and sugar on high speed for about a minute- the mixture should be pale and creamy, but won’t be overly voluminous. That’s fine! After that, with the mixer on medium speed, you slowly drizzle in the oil, then fold in the carrots and finally, fold in the dry ingredient mixture. That’s it! You just need to divide the batter between the two tins and then you can bake it.

Baking the cakes:

One thing to note about Cupcake Jemma’s recipes is that they all use a fan oven. This cake is baked at 175°C fan. Technically, this should be equivalent to 195°C in a conventional oven, but I have never tried this recipe using this temperature setting. If you do use a conventional oven, you might need to adapt the cooking time slightly and it might change the finished cake a little, so keep this in mind.

On the topic of cooking times, it can be tricky to figure out how long to bake something for when you are decreasing the size of the tins/the volume of the batter. Cupcake Jemma’s original recipe (with 4 8-inch layers) baked the cakes at 175°C fan for 25-28 minutes. While you would expect 2 6-inch layers to take significantly less time to bake, I have found that this often isn’t the case. My layers took the full 28 minutes to bake, despite being smaller! I’d still recommend checking your cake after about 20 minutes, just in case your oven is more powerful than mine.

Making the white chocolate carrot tops:

While your cakes are baking, you can work on the white chocolate carrot tops. To do this, you need to temper your white chocolate (I have a whole post walking you through how to do this, you can check it out here). Once your chocolate is in temper, you want to add a little green food colouring, then spread it out in a thin layer (about 1-2mm thick) on a tray lined with baking paper. Give it a couple of firm taps on the countertop to release any air bubbles, then set it aside at room temperature to harden up completely. Once hard, you can crack it into pointy shards, ready to decorate your cake.

A couple of notes on the carrot tops: first up, working with chocolate, particularly white chocolate, and especially in such small quantities, can be super tricky. Don’t panic if your tempering doesn’t quite work out- if this happens, just use a sharp knife to score out the shards, then place the tray into the fridge for about 30 minutes. When you take it out, the chocolate should be snappy enough to break cleanly along the score lines, giving you the required shards. If you do this, the shards will start to lose their snappiness after about 5 minutes of being out of the fridge- so you’ll need to work quickly when pressing them into the cake. Once they’re in the cake and you’re not putting applying any force to them, you shouldn’t have any problems! The second thing to note is that you need to use either a powdered or oil-based food colouring when colouring chocolate. A liquid colouring will cause the chocolate to seize up, while a non oil-based food colouring will give a speckled, uneven colour.

Carving the cake:

Once your cakes are baked, let them cool for about 5 minutes in their tins, then take them out and put them on a wire rack to cool completely. It’s really important that your cakes are completely cool when you come to assemble the cake for two reasons: 1) when you ice the cake, the icing will melt and run off if your cake is too warm (this is particularly icky when you’re using cream cheese icing) and 2) we’re going to be doing a little bit of cake carving to get that ‘carrot top’ shape- if your cake is warm, carving it without breaking it up/it crumbling apart will be practically impossible!

The carving part of this recipe is completely optional, but I did feel it helped to enhance that carrot top shape that I was looking for. You essentially want to trim off the corners, where the sides of the cake meet the top, at a 45° angle, right around the circumference of one of the cakes, to give a more rounded shape. You can see a picture of this below.

I used a large teacup to mark a smaller circle, about an inch in on all sides, then cut at an angle from there to the sides of the cake. Don’t worry about being too perfect here- the whole thing will be covered in icing in the end anyway! You just want to give it the beginnings of a slightly rounded shape, which can then be perfected during icing. That being said, if you are finding it very difficult to carve the cake without it breaking, even when it is completely cool, try placing it into the fridge for 30 minutes (or the freezer, for about 10), to help it firm up a bit.

Making the chocolate ‘soil’:

In this recipe, I use the offcuts from the carving process as a basis for the soil that surrounds the cake on the plate. Blitz it in the food processor with a few bourbon biscuits (or any other chocolate biscuit), until it resembles soil. If you chose to skip the carving step, just use a couple extra biscuits instead of the additional cake. You’ll get a drier crumb, but it will still be delicious.

Making the cream cheese icing:

With all of the decorations prepared, the only thing left is to make up the cream cheese icing (a staple of a traditional carrot cake). For ages, I really struggled with cream cheese icing- it has an unnerving tendency to get super sloppy when you start adding the icing sugar, before it eventually stiffens up like a proper buttercream. The quantity of icing sugar given in this recipe should be the perfect amount to bring it through that sloppy stage and give a lovely, thick and whippy icing, but, if you find your icing is still too loose for your liking, just add some more sifted icing sugar, a spoonful at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.

Assembling the cake:

Once the icing is made, use a little orange food colouring (or a combination of red and yellow colouring, like I did- ✨colour theory✨ and all that) to dye it a nice carrot-y shade. Then, you can start assembling. Place the uncarved cake layer down first, then use about 1/5th of the icing to cover the top, before adding the second layer on top, carved side facing up. For this cake, because of the sections of exposed cake left over by the carving, I did do a crumb coat. This is essentially a very thin layer of icing across the whole cake that locks in any crumbs, ensuring that you get a neater appearance in the end. You’ll need to put the crumb coat into the fridge to set up for about 15-20 minutes, until the buttercream forms a crust (you should be able to touch it lightly without any buttercream coming off on your finger), before you continue. Once it has set up, You can use the remaining icing to cover the cake all over with a thicker layer, taking care to smooth it out as best you can and rounding out the edges at the top.

Once the cake is iced, you can decorate it! Start by sticking the shards into the top, in the centre. Try to vary shape and sizes, to make it look more ‘natural’. If you’re having trouble inserting the shards without them breaking, use a small serrated knife to make small incisions into the top layer of cake- this will make it easier to push the shards in without putting to much pressure on them. Once your shards are in, fill in the empty spaces between them with any leftover smaller pieces of green chocolate. After that, simply spoon the biscuit ‘soil’ all around the bottom of the cake, pressing it a little way up the sides as you go. And there you have it, a carrot carrot cake (carrot-ception?), perfect for Easter, spring, and people who just really, really like carrots.

Because of the cream cheese icing, you’ll want to store this cake in the fridge, where it will keep for a few days.

I hope you like this fun Easter bake. Let me know if you try it out!

Print

Carrot Cake

Cinnamon-spiced carrot & walnut cake, decorated with cream cheese icing, white chocolate 'leaves' and chocolate soil to look like a carrot top.

Course Dessert, Snack

Keyword Cake, Carrot, Cinnamon, Cream cheese, Icing, Nuts, Walnuts

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Bake time 28 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 28 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Equipment

• Food processor
• 2 6-inch round cake pans

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 140 g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 pinch salt
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 85 g walnuts, finely ground
• 2 eggs
• 160 g caster sugar
• 150 ml sunflower oil (or other flavourless oil)
• 125 g carrot, grated

For the icing:

• 55 g unsalted butter, softened
• 90 g cream cheese
• 310 g icing sugar, sifted
• orange food colouring

To decorate:

• 40 g white chocolate
• green food colouring (powdered or oil-based)
• 3 bourbon biscuits (see Note 1)

Instructions

For the cake:

• Preheat the oven to 175°C fan (see Note 2). Grease and line 2 6-inch tins, then set aside.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon together. Mix in the ground walnuts until evenly distributed within the dry ingredients. Set aside.
• Place the eggs and the sugar into the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute, until pale and the consistency of double cream (see Note 3).
• With the mixer on a medium-high speed, slowly pour in the oil, allowing the mixture to combine fully.
• Add the grated carrots and, with the mixer on a low speed, fold in gently.
• Keeping the mixer on a low speed, add the dry ingredients, a spoonful at a time, into the mixture. Stop the mixer as soon as the dry ingredients have been incorporated- be careful not to overmix.
• Divide the batter between the two tins and bake in the preheated oven for 25-28 minutes, until cakes spring back when touched. Once cooked, allow to cool for 5 mins, then remove from tins and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the white chocolate 'carrot tops':

• Temper the white chocolate (see Note 4). Add a little green food colouring (see Note 5), mix well to ensure the colour is even, then pour onto a tray lined with baking paper. Using an offset spatula and working quickly before the chocolate sets, spread it out into a thin layer (1-2mm thick). Tap the tray firmly on the work surface to smooth out the surface and get rid of any air bubbles. Set aside at room temperature to set completely.
• Once the chocolate has hardened, snap it into large, pointy shards and set aside.

For the icing:

• Place the softened butter into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high for 2-3 minutes, until smooth, light and creamy. Add in the cream cheese and mix briefly on medium to combine.
• With the mixer on a medium speed, add the icing sugar, a spoonful at a time, to the butter/cream cheese mixture, allowing the sugar to incorporate fully after each addition. Do not worry if the icing goes a little sloppy at first, just keep adding the icing sugar and it will come back to a normal buttercream consistency.
• Once the icing sugar has been fully incorporated, add a little orange food colouring to the icing. Beat the icing on high for another 1-2 minutes to distribute the colour evenly and to ensure that the icing is light and smooth.

To assemble:

• Place one of your cooled cakes onto a cutting board. Using a small serrated knife, lightly mark out a smaller circle on top of the cake, about an inch in from the edge on all sides (I used a large tea cup as a guide- a small saucer or 4-inch cake tin would also work well). Once you have the inner circle marked out, use the same serrated knife to carve off a bevelled edge all around the cake (see photo in post and Note 5). The aim here is to mimic the rounded shape of a carrot top, but don't worry about being too precise, because this will be covered in icing later on!
• Place the offcuts of cake from the previous step into the bowl of a food processor, along with the bourbon biscuits (I used a mini processor for this, because it was such a small quantity). Blitz until you have a fine crumb, then set aside.
• Set your uncarved cake on a serving plate. Place 1/5th of the cream cheese icing on top and spread out. Carefully place your carved cake on top, with the flat edge facing down. Taking about 1/3rd of the remaining icing, cover the whole cake in a light crumb coat, following the bevelled edges along the top. Once done, place into the fridge for 15-20 minutes, until the buttercream has formed a crust.
• After the crumb-coated cake has chilled, take it out of the fridge and ice liberally using the remaining icing. Take your time smoothing out the sides and rounding out the bevelled edge. When you are happy with the icing, start positioning your white chocolate shards on top of the cake, in the centre, varying heights and directions. You may want to use a knife to create a small incision for each shard, instead of trying to force the chocolate in, which may break the thin shards. Fill in any gaps with smaller shards and splinters of the chocolate.
• Finally, use a teaspoon to scatter the cake crumb/biscuit 'soil' all around the base of the cake, pressing it up the sides a little as you go.

Notes

1. Feel free to use your favourite chocolate biscuit- I love bourbons, but you could also use Oreos, double chocolate cookies etc. 
2. Cupcake Jemma’s recipes all use a fan oven. The equivalent temperature for a conventional oven is 195°C, but I have not tested this recipe using this setup. 
3. Typically, you would whip eggs and sugar together using a whisk attachment, until thick, pale and fluffy – i.e. the ‘ribbon stage’. You don’t need to take the egg/sugar mix this far for this recipe (indeed, it would be difficult to get it quite as light and aerated with a paddle attachment). When the mixture is smooth and a little paler, it will be perfect!
4. I have a whole post about tempering chocolate! You can check it out here. White chocolate is notoriously difficult to temper- especially with such small amounts! If your tempering doesn’t quite work out, use a sharp knife to score the chocolate into crisp shards, then place into the fridge/freezer for a little while, until ‘snappable’. Your shards won’t stay crisp and snappy, but they will be firm enough to poke into the cake and give the ‘carroty’ impression. 
5. If you’re having trouble carving your cake, place it in the fridge for 30 minutes (or freezer for 10 if you’re in a rush!). This will firm up your cake, making it easier to carve without it crumbling. 

A quick notes before we get into it: this recipe can be very easily adapted to accommodate whatever shape/size cake(s) you would like to make. As a general rule of thumb, I like to go by number of eggs, and scale the other ingredients proportionally, i.e. this recipe uses 3 eggs and makes 12 full-size cupcakes, 4 eggs will give you enough batter to make 2x 8-inch circle cakes, 2 eggs will make 12 fairy cakes (flatter versions of cupcakes- I think this might be a British thing?) or 24 mini cupcakes. I’ve made all sorts using the ratios from this recipe (see below, for a couple of examples), and they all taste great!

I’m hoping to make a post at some point about scaling cake recipes, where I can talk about quantities, cooking times and temperatures, so let me know if you think that would be helpful!

For now, though, let’s discuss the cupcakes. They are maple syrup sponges with chopped pecans folded right into the batter. The cupcakes are then decorated with a maple syrup icing and a mixture of pecan halves and chopped pecans.

The batter uses 1 part brown sugar to 4 parts caster sugar. This just enhances that intense, maple-y flavour, but the cupcakes will still work if you replace the brown sugar with caster sugar. However, it won’t work if you replace the caster sugar with brown sugar! You’ll end up with a dense, solid cake that just doesn’t have the fluffiness that a cake should. Believe me, I’ve tried.

Now, let’s talk butter (an excellent topic, no?). I spent a lot of my childhood watching the Food Network, so I was essentially raised by Ina Garten (who, by the way, was the one who taught me to toss heavier mix-ins, like the nuts in this recipe, in flour before adding them to cake batter, so they don’t sink while baking!). She loves butter. I love butter. However, I was actually raised by my mum (and my dad, but he bakes bread, not cake). Growing up, we never made cakes with actual butter, but with Stork, which is a brand of baking margarine here in the UK. My mum swears that Stork produces a lighter, fluffier cake and, honestly, I have to agree (bonus! Stork is already quite soft, so you don’t need to worry about softening it/bringing it to room temperature before baking, which is a definite win in my book). I know that a lot of people have strong opinions about using baking spreads/margarines, and you by no means have to use it- this recipe will work fine if you use softened, unsalted butter instead, your cupcakes might just be a little less soft and fluffy.

Finally, I wanted to talk a little bit about the icing technique I used in this recipe. I tried my best to explain it within the recipe, but it makes it sound a lot more complicated than it actually is! I love icing cupcakes like this because of how simple the process is- there’s no piping, no needing to be perfect, no finicky decorations. You literally slap on the icing, give it a spread, straighten off the edges and roll it in chopped nuts (which truly cover a multitude of sins). A few tips: I like to use an offset spatula to do this because it helps with the movement and has a fine, straight edge, but a knife can also work. Put more icing on than you think you’ll need- you’ll end up scraping a lot off when you straighten up the sides anyway. When you’re straightening off the sides, hold your cupcake in your non-dominant hand, and, using your dominant hand, hold the offset spatula/knife vertically against the cake and run it around the circumference of the cake, turning the cake to help you.

Right, I think it’s time for the recipe, don’t you?

Print

Maple Pecan Cupcakes

Maple cupcakes with pecan chunks, topped with maple buttercream and decorated with more pecans

Course Dessert, Snack

Keyword Cake, Cupcake, Maple Syrup, Pecans

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Baking Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 150 g unsalted butter, softened (I use Stork baking spread)
• 120 g caster sugar
• 30 g soft brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150 g self-raising flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 100 g pecans, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp milk
• 3 tbsp maple syrup

For the icing:

• 150 g butter, softened
• 300 g icing sugar, sifted
• 3 tsp maple syrup
• 2-4 tbsp milk

To decorate:

• 100 g pecan halves

Instructions

For the cupcakes:

• Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Line a 12-hole cupcake tray with paper cases and set aside while you make the batter.
• Place the butter and both sugars into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 3-5 minutes until pale and creamy.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
• Combine the chopped pecans with 1 tsp of the flour (this will prevent the pecans from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes during baking). Sift together the remaining flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl and mix on medium speed until just combined.
• Add the milk and maple syrup to the mixer bowl and mix for a few seconds, until combined. Gently fold in the flour-coated chopped pecans.
• Divide the batter between the cupcake tins (I like to use a regular-sized ice cream/cookie scoop for this- it fills the cupcake cases perfectly and ensures all of the cakes are even. You want to fill the cases about 2/3 full.
• Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until they are golden brown and spring back when touched. Because of the higher sugar content, these cakes will be slightly darker than a typical vanilla sponge- don't worry about this! Allow the cupcakes to cool for a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire wrack to cool completely.

For the icing:

• Place the softened butter into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 4-5 minutes, until the butter is soft and significantly paler (almost white), scraping down the edges of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
• Add half of the sifted icing sugar to the butter and mix on low-medium speed until fully incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the maple syrup and 2 tbsp of the milk. Beat on high speed for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add the remaining icing sugar, mix on low-medium speed until combined, then beat on high for a final 3-5 minutes, until fluffy and airy. Check the consistency at this point, you're looking for a buttercream that holds its shape, but is still soft and spreadable. If the buttercream is too stiff, add more milk, a little at a time, until your desired consistency is achieved.
• Turn the stand mixer to low speed, and mix the icing for 1 minute. This will make for a smoother, silkier buttercream.

To decorate:

• Set aside 12 pecan halves for later and finely chop the remaining pecans. Spread the chopped pecans out, in an even layer, on the chopping board.
• Place a generous amount of buttercream on top of a cupcake. Using an offset spatula or knife, spread the buttercream out past the sides of the case. You're looking to get a flat surface, right across the top of the cake, with excess at the edges. Then, holding your spatula vertically (perpendicular to the flat surface of buttercream), scrape around the circumference of the cake to achieve a thick, buttercream 'disk' atop your cupcake.
• Before the buttercream has a chance to firm up, gently roll the straight edge of the buttercream 'disk' in the chopped pecans, right around the circle. Finish the cupcake by placing one of the reserved halves in the centre. Repeat for the remaining cupcakes.

Let me know if you try these out, I’d love to hear about it!

Gemma

xxx