Dream Cake

Preheat the oven to 180C°/Fan160°, 350F°, Gas 4 and put the shelf in the bottom third of the oven.

Sift the flour and 95g (3½oz) of the Tate & Lyle Golden Caster Sugar together in a bowl.

Next, whisk the egg whites in an electric mixer at high speed for about 1 minute until light and frothy. Add the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla and whisk for 2-3 minutes until soft peaks form.

Still whisking, add the rest of the Tate & Lyle Golden Caster Sugar, a dessertspoon at a time to form firm peaks, for about 4 minutes.

Sift over one-third of the flour-sugar mixture, and, using a large metal spoon, gently fold in to combine, being careful not to knock out the air. Repeat with the remainder, one-third at a time.

Spoon the batter into the cake tin and gently run a dinner knife through the centre of the batter to remove any air pockets. The mixture should come to about 1cm (½”) below the top of the tin.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until pale golden and springy and when a fine skewer poked into the centre comes out clean.

Remove and invert onto the tin’s cooling legs, and leave to cool for at least an hour.

Run a flat-bladed knife around the outer and inner edges of the cake to remove it from the tin. Invert onto a plate and use the knife to remove the cake base, then transfer to completely cool on a wire rack.

For the icing, combine the water, Tate & Lyle Golden Caster Sugar and Lyle’s Golden Syrup in a pan and dissolve over a low heat. Brush down the sides with a pastry brush dipped in cold water to get rid of any sugar crystals. Bring to the boil and cook for 5-6 minutes until slightly thickened.

Whisk the whites in an electric mixer until soft peaks form, for about 1 minute, then slowly pour on the hot syrup in a thin stream. Continue beating at high speed for 10-12 minutes until very thick and completely col

Transfer the cake to a serving plate, spread the icing all over with a palette knife, scatter with the coconut chips and arrange the candles on top, if using. Lightly dust with Tate & Lyle Icing Sugar and serve.