Two-Tier Birthday Cake

A cake I made for Neil's Gran's 80th birthday.

Level 1: Victoria sponge with vanilla buttercream, cherries and cherry vodka.



Level 2: Chocolate sponge with chocolate and orange buttercream, fresh oranges and Cointreau.



Delizioso :)

LEVEL #1:

Victoria sponge:

Ingredients:

• 200g caster sugar
• 200g butter, softened
• 4 eggs , beaten
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp milk

1. Heat oven to 190 degrees (170 if you have a fan assisted oven). Butter a cake tin and line with baking paper. In a large bowl, beat all the cake ingredients together until you have a smooth, soft batter.
2. Bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed. Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

Vanilla buttercream:

Ingredients:

• 60g butter, softened
• 120ml milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 375g icing sugar (more if necessary)

1. Beat the butter for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Mix the milk with the vanilla extract and mix into the butter at a low speed alternately with the icing sugar, until the mixture is light and fluffy. If it is too thin, add more icing sugar.

I cut the Victoria sponge longitudinally and pored a bit of cherry vodka on both slices, just to infuse them a bit, but not to soak them. I then spread the buttercream on one slice, added a layer of defrosted cherries and covered with the second slice.

LEVEL #2:

Chocolate sponge:

Ingredients:

• 50g cocoa powder
• 6 tbsp boiling water
• 3 eggs
• 4 tbsp milk
• 175g self-raising flour
• 1 rounded tsp baking powder
• 100g butter, softened
• 300g caster sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line a 20cm tin with baking parchment.
2. Put the cocoa powder and boiling water into a large bowl and mix well to make a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and beat again until combined. This can also be done in a food processor, but take care not to over whisk. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until well risen and shrinking away from the sides of the tin.
3. Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Chocolate and orange buttercream:


Ingredients:

• 175g butter
• 125g cocoa powder
• 650g icing sugar
• 150ml milk
• 1 tsp Orange extract

1. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Stir in the cocoa and icing sugar alternately with the milk and vanilla. Beat to a spreading consistency.

Again, I sliced the sponge into two halves and infused both with Cointreau. I spread the buttercream on one half, layered slices of fresh orange on top and covered with the second half of the sponge.


I used ready-to-roll regal icing, food dyes and edible glitter for the decorations.