Bubble Gum Celebration Cake

Instructions

Servings 12 / Prep time 20 mins, plus Proving 90 mins / Cook Time 25 mins

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Lightly grease and line four 8 inch round cake tins with greaseproof baking paper.
2. Cream together the caster sugar and baking spread in a bowl for 1-2 mins, until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time along with a large spoonful of the flour, mixing in-between each.
4. Mix in the vanilla.
5. Fold in the remaining flour with the milk, using a spatula/metal spoon.
6. Add the sprinkles and gently fold in until evenly distributed.
7. Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and bake in the middle of a preheated oven at 180°C/160°C fan for approx. 25 mins.
8. Leave the sponges in the tins for 10 mins, then remove and cool on a wire rack.

Buttercream

1. With a handheld or stand mixer, beat the butter for 3-5 mins until pale and fluffy.
2. Add a third of the icing sugar and beat again until combined.
3. Mix in the next third of icing sugar and half the milk.
4. Then mix the final third of icing sugar, along with the Bubble Gum flavouring and beat the buttercream for 5 mins. If the buttercream is too stiff, add more of the milk.
5. Fold the buttercream using a silicone spatula, pressing out any air bubbles. This will make the buttercream nice and smooth.
6. Take around one quarter of the buttercream and colour it purple. Colour the rest blue.

Ganache Drip

1. Chop the white chocolate into small pieces and add to a mixing bowl.
2. Put the cream in a microwaveable jug and heat on a high heat setting in the microwave for 40 secs, stirring halfway through.
3. Pour the cream over the chocolate and allow it to sit for a few minutes.
4. Stir the chocolate and cream together until smooth. If there are still lumps of chocolate remaining, heat the ganache in the microwave in 20 seconds bursts, stirring in between.
5. Colour the ganache pink.
6. Cool the ganache at room temperature for 10-20 mins, until it is just above room temperature.

Cake Assembly

1. Assemble the cake by spreading a layer of blue buttercream on top of the first sponge. Add the next sponge and repeat until all four layers are stacked.
2. Cover the cake with a very thin layer of blue buttercream (crumb coat). You will cover the cake later with more buttercream so this layer doesn’t need to be neat.
3. Place the cake in the fridge for at least half an hour to chill.
4. Cover the cake with the remaining buttercream and smooth the edges with an angled palette knife or straight edged cake scraper.
5. Add your sprinkles around the bottom of the cake, then chill the cake for 30 mins.
6. Using either a piping bag or spoon, work your way around the top of the cake adding drips of pink ganache and then fill in the top of the cake with the remaining ganache. Smooth with an angled palette knife, being careful not to go right up to the edge or you may add more drips.
7. Once the ganache has set, pipe the purple buttercream on top and finish with sprinkles.

Tips

• Test the ganache on a cold glass by spooning a small amount on the side. If it drips all the way to the bottom it is too runny and if it doesn’t drip at all then it is too thick. To thicken the ganache, leave it to cool slightly and to make the ganache runnier, heat it in the microwave for 10 secs.