Prep
3 HRBake
2 hoursServes
10+Difficulty
Hard About
This show stopper of a cake, moist and chocolaty can be decorated however you wish with other flowers such as overblow roses, peonies or lilac, depending on your colour scheme.
For each of the cakes
Don't attempt to make all 3 cakes together, as a domestic oven and equipment will not be able to cope with the quantities. Each cake follows the same method. However, when making the largest cake, whisk the egg whites in three batches, folding each batch in as soon as it has been whisked.
Melt the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a medium-sized pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Be careful not to overheat the chocolate or it will turn grainy and affect the finish of the cake.
While the chocolate is melting, put the whole egg(s), the egg yolks and Tate & Lyle Fairtrade Golden Caster Sugar in another large bowl. Beat with an electric hand whisk until thick and creamy. With a large metal spoon, quickly stir the melted chocolate into the egg mixture, along with the almonds and coffee, until well mixed.
In a scrupulously clean large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry (see note, above, regarding egg whites for the largest cake). Using a large metal spoon, fold 1 heaped tablespoon of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it. Quickly and carefully fold in the rest, using a figure of eight motion, until just combined.
Preheat the oven to 170°C/Fan150°, 325°F, Gas 3. Place a shallow dish or baking tin on the bottom shelf of the oven, then fill it with near-boiling water (it isn't safe to fill it before placing it on the shelf). The shelf for baking the cakes should be placed a third up from the bottom of the oven, just above the water.
Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and lightly smooth over the surface, then place on a baking tray. Cover each of the 2 smaller cakes with a double thickness of parchment paper and make a hole in the centre of each the size of a 50p piece. Cover the 30cm (12”)cake with a double thickness of extra-wide foil with a hole made in it, as above.
Bake the 15cm (6”) cake for 55-65 minutes; the 23cm (9”) cake will take 75-85 minutes to bake and the 30cm (12”) cake will take about 2¾-3 hours.
The cake is ready when well-risen, with a nicely set crust, and when a fine metal skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven, take off the baking paper or foil, cover the cake with a damp, clean tea towel and leave to cool in the tin for 1 hour. Then turn it out on to a wire rack to cool completely, and remove the parchment paper.
For the icing
When all the cakes are made and have cooled completely, make the icing. Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a medium-sized pan of hot water over a low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until melted, stirring regularly, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Be careful not to overheat the chocolate, nor get any water or steam into it or it will turn grainy and affect the finish of the cake.
Add the butter, bit by bit, stirring gently until melted. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool until the icing mixture has started to set to the consistency of double cream.
Meanwhile, if the tops of the cakes are uneven, trim with a sharp, long-bladed knife, then upturn on to wire racks so that there is a flat surface for icing. Brush away any loose crumbs and place flat plates or trays underneath each rack to catch any drips of icing.
Melt the apricot jam with the water in a small pan over a low heat, strain to remove any lumps and then, using a pastry brush, brush over the surface of the cakes to prevent any loose crumbs from spoiling the icing. Heat the jam again if it starts to thicken up too much.
Starting with the largest cake, pour over a thin layer of icing and then, using a long-bladed palette knife, quickly and evenly smooth it over the top and sides. Repeat with the remaining cakes and chill until set – about 30 minutes. If your fridge is not big enough, you will need to set them aside in a cool place instead and allow longer for the icing to set.
Put the remaining icing back over the pan of barely simmering water to melt again, then remove and allow to thicken, and, as before, give the cakes a second coat. Chill until the icing has set, then, if you have any spare icing, repeat the process for a third and final time and chill for about 1 hour. Any spare icing on the trays can be saved and used at the last minute to disguise any marks – just melt it, then pass it through a sieve into a small lidded container to remove any crumbs, and refrigerate.
When the icing has set, remove the cakes from the fridge and, using a small sharp knife dipped in very hot water, carefully cut them away from the cooling racks. Using the cake lifter carefully transfer each cake to a tray lined with baking paper and chill, uncovered, overnight or leave in a cool place.
The following day when you are ready to decorate the cake, place the largest cake on the cake board or stand and stack the other two tiers on top, in order of size, using the cake lifter and making sure they are evenly positioned. You can decorate the cake up to 6 hours ahead if you have adequate refrigeration or a very cool storage place.
TOP TIP
Have an idea of where you want to place the flowers before decorating the cake as it can be quite difficult to move them around afterwards without any tell-tale signs
To decorate the cake
Decide on which part of the cake the icing looks best and make this the front of the cake. Then, using the thickest ribbon wrap it round the base of the cake, securing it at the back with the pins, then lay the thinner ribbon over it and, again, secure with pins. When doing this, make a note of exactly where the pins are for removal before serving. Try to only position the ribbons once as it will become very difficult and messy if you have to make several attempts at getting it right, since the chocolate may mark the ribbons.
Starting with the top tier, decorate the top of the cake with a few of the orchids. Next, work your way down to the lower tiers, arranging the flowers so that they point outwards. You may need to carefully push the stalks into the icing to secure them. The weather will determine how long in advance you can decorate the cake with the flowers, but if it’s cool they will probably be fine for 2-3 hours ahead.
To serve the cake
Divide each tier into quarters, cut into 2.5cm (1”) wide slices and then cut each slice into 4cm (1½”) fingers. Arrange on plates and serve.
Make-ahead
This cake freezes well if each tier is kept in an airtight container, un-iced and wrapped in a double layer of foil, for up to 8 weeks. Defrost overnight at room temperature. Alternatively, make the cakes up to 1 week ahead, wrap in a double layer of foil and keep in airtight containers in a cool place. Ice them up to 5 days ahead and store in individual plastic boxes (put the cake on the lid and click the box into place over the top) in the fridge or a cool place. If stored in the fridge, remove about 4 hours before decorating so that any condensation on the cakes will disappear.
Cooking times
2¾-3 hours for the largest cake, 75-85 minutes for the medium cake and 55-65 minutes for the smallest cake.
Ingredients – 6 items
1
For the 15cm cake
Dark chocolate
Broken into squares
Large eggs
Room temperature
Large eggs
Separated, at room temperature
Fairtrade Tate & Lyle Golden Caster Cane Sugar
Almonds
Ground
Coffee
For the 23cm cake
Dark chocolate
Broken into squares
Large eggs
Room temperature
Large eggs
Separated, at room temperature
Fairtrade Tate & Lyle Golden Caster Sugar
Almonds
Ground
Coffee
For the 30 cm cake
Dark chocolate
Large eggs
At room temperature
Large eggs
Separated, at room temperature
Fairtrade Tate & Lyle Golden Caster Sugar
Almonds
Ground
Coffee
Finely ground
For the icing
Dark chocolate
Broken into squares
Butter
Unsalted, cubed
Apricot jam
Water
For the decoration
Decorative sugar flowers
Purple and gold ribbon
Rate this recipe!
Share your thoughts or advice
Good job, now enjoy!
Don't forget to share your creation using our hashtags in the chance to get featured.
Your next crumble...
Blackberry and apple have been coated in oats too many times for our liking, so we`re starting the campaign for sweet, syrupy peach fillings!
Because who`s going to say no to this!?
100g Tate & Lyle Soft Brown Sugar
50g Tate & Lyle Caster Sugar
150g Plain Flour
150g Jumbo Oats
160g softened Unsalted Butter
75g Walnut Pieces
8 Peaches destoned and sliced
Juice of 1 lemon.
100ml White wine or Rose
100ml Water.
Handful of fresh mint roughly chopped
Method.
1.Pre –heat the oven to 200c 180c Fan Gas mark 6 Place the flour and oats in a large bowl with the soft brown sugar and butter, rub in the butter in until it forms chunky crumbs, add the walnut pieces.
2. Place the peach slices in a large saucepan with the lemon juice, water, wine and caster sugar and heat on a medium heat for approximately 10 minutes until the peach slices begin to break down. Add the mint stir in and place in an ovenproof bowl. Cover with the crumble mix and cook for 25/30 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Serve with the delicious stem ginger ice cream!!
Stem Ginger Ice cream. Serves 4.
Ingredients
6 Pieces Stem Ginger chopped into 5mm cubes
50mls Stem Ginger syrup
300mls Double Cream
300mls Single cream
4 egg yolks
25g Corn flour
100g Caster Sugar.
10g Ground Ginger
Method.
1. Whip the double cream until it is just beginning to thicken, refrigerate,
2. Place the single cream in a medium sized saucepan and heat on low until it is just below boiling point.
3. Beat together the egg yolks, caster sugar and corn flour until smooth. Pour the hot cream onto the mixture and return to the pan and whisk on a low heat until it thickens. Pour the custard into a clean bowl and stir in the stem ginger syrup and ground ginger.
4. When the custard is completely, fold in the whipped cream and stem ginger pieces.
5. Transfer to a I litre container and freeze for 2 hours and use a hand whisk to breakdown the ice crystals during the freezing process, this helps distribute the ginger pieces. Repeat again after a further 2 hours and then leave overnight to completely freeze.
6. Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before you need it.
Swapping a glass of sangria for a slice instead, this boozy cake is inspired by our favourite Spanish holidays!
A red-wine-infused bundt cake with a fruity and pink frosted topping, this summer spectacle is a worthy centrepiece for any upcoming little get-together.
Serves: 12
Ingredients:
For the cake
315g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
165g unsalted butter
Zest of one orange
300g Tate & Lyle Caster Sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
240ml Sangria
Fushia pink food colouring
For the glaze and decoration
160g Tate & Lyle Icing Sugar
1½ - 2 tbsp Sangria
Fushia pink food colouring, if required
Fresh fruit, to serve
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (fan oven). Brush a bundt tin with melted butter and dust with flour before tapping out any excess. Set aside whilst making the cake.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a stand mixer, beat together the butter, Tate & Lyle Caster Sugar and orange zest until pale and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and mix the eggs in one at a time.
4. Alternate additions of the flour mixture and Sangria in five parts, beginning and ending with the flour, mixing between additions until just combined (flour-Sangria-flour-Sangria-flour).
5. Tip the cake mixture into the prepared tin and level the top. Tap the tin a few times on your work surface to release any bubbles and smooth out the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before releasing onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Once the cake is cool, make the glaze. Simply place the icing sugar in a mixing bowl and add the Sangrai, whisking to create the glaze. Add more or less Sangria depending on how thick or thin you want the glaze to be. Use a little food colouring if required to achieve the desired colour of glaze you prefer.
7. Pour the glaze over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Fill the middle generously with fresh fruit and serve immediately. Enjoy!
#bundtcake #bundtrecipe #summerbaking #partyfood #specialcake #celebratorycake #sangria
An original. The quintessential cake. But do you know how to bake one?
If you`ve never crossed her majesty off your cake bucket list, here`s a simple and fuss-free recipe that looks perfect and goes down splendid with a nice cup of tea.
A cake you simply must have in your arsenal!
#easycake #easybakingrecipe #victoriasponge #spongerecipe #viccysponge #cake
Don`t know what you mean... we`ve always called them Jam Drop Biscuits 👀 It`s been a family recipe for years!
Golden, buttery biscuits with sweet jam centres will never not be irresistible. And not enough of you have tried baking your own!
Raspberry, apricot, strawberry, plum... they can be whatever flavour you fancy.
What kind of jam would you use?
A sublime carrot cake from @the.wren.bakery, made with love and Tate & Lyle sugars! 💙
#trustedbythebest #bestcafe #leedscafe #tateandlylesugar #sugareducation #canesugar
We hope everyone`s eyes are suitably peeled today, because you don`t want to miss this latest tip from @elliebakess!
Our sugars have been loved by bakers since 1878 and we`re proud to be used as a trusted ingredient in the kitchens and bakeries of so many professional chefs and bakers too!
Trusted By The Best is our way of saying thank you - championing the chefs and bakeries who go above and beyond every single day - the bakeries that deserve a 24/7 ringing endorsement!
Over the past year we`ve been celebrating some of our many customers and shining a light on their amazing businesses... here are just some of them!
#TrustedByTheBest
Two of our favourite fruity flavours in one delicious scone triangle!
Here`s how to make them:
Ingredients
For the scones
3 tbsp Tate & Lyle Granulated Sugar
Zest of one lemon
175g self raising flour
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
45g unsalted butter
80ml milk
1½ tsp lemon juice (squeeze fresh from the zested lemon)
100g blueberries
A little milk, for brushing the scones
For the glaze (optional)
80g Tate & Lyle Icing Sugar
2-3 tsp lemon juice
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/390F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, rub the Tate & Lyle Granulated Sugar and lemon zest together.
Add in the flour, salt and baking powder, stirring everything together.
Tip in the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Separately in a jug, mix together the milk and lemon juice. Pour into the flour mixture and roughly bring together. Add in the blueberries and mix through evenly, bringing the dough together.
Lightly flour your worktop then tip the dough out, squeezing together to form a disc about 1” thick. Cut into eight wedges, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
Lightly brush the tops of each scone with a little milk, then bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until the scones are baked and golden on top.
For the glaze, mix together the Tate & Lyle Icing Sugar and as much lemon juice as required to achieve the consistency you like. Drizzle over the scones and enjoy!
Yet another dessert mash-up... and this time it`s Battenburg Blondies!
A delicious marzipan chessboard you can`t help but make a move for, it`s your favourite cake with an irresistible new texture...
Serves: 16
Ingredients:
200g unsalted butter
125g Tate & Lyle Caster Sugar
125g Tate & Lyle Soft Light Brown Sugar
¼ tsp salt
¾ tsp almond extract
2 large eggs
225g plain flour, sifted
75g ground almonds
Pink food colouring
6 mini Battenberg cakes (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (fan oven). Line an 8” square loose-bottomed tin with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, add in the butter and both sugars. Heat in 20-second bursts in the microwave until completely melted. Whisk the ingredients together until fully combined. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes.
Stir in the salt and almond extract, then whisk in the eggs one at a time until completely combined. Tip in the flour and ground almonds and mix again until completely combined.
Divide the blondie mixture equally between two bowls. Colour one of them pink using some food colouring, then transfer both into piping bags. Pipe alternating lines of the mixture in the tin, covering the bottom and using about half of the batter to do so. Shake the tin or use a small knife or spatula to help level the batter, then pipe a second layer of blondie mixture on top of the first, topping the pink lines with plain batter and the plain with pink. Again, shake the tin a little to level the top and fill in any gaps. Don’t worry too much, it will also spread during baking in the oven.
Once all the blondie mixture has been piped, place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. The blondie is done when the top is pale golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few damp crumbs. Cool completely before slicing.
Once cooled, slice the blondie into 16 squares. Top with a couple of slices of mini Battenberg cake if you wish, using a little apricot jam to hold it in place.
Enjoy!
We know you can`t keep up with all these smashed together recipes, but this one`s simple and stunning, we promise!
Introducing the Brondie, a gooey comforting brownie mix of milk, dark and white chocolate.
Because when you can`t choose between baking brownies or blondies... we say just have both!
Our Products
View all products
