We asked our friend and Great British Bake-Off contestant, Michelle Evans-Fecci to create us the perfect showstopper cake for the Christmas table.
Say hello to Michelle's warmly spiced ginger & cranberry wreath cake.
The Ingredients
Cake:
- 250g unsalted butter
- 150g light muscovado sugar
- 150g dark muscovado sugar
- 160ml golden syrup
- 100g black treacle
- 500g plain flour
- 1 1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 3tsp ground ginger
- 2tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 eggs
- 200ml buttermilk
- 3 balls stem ginger (finely chopped)
- 90g dried cranberries
Frosting:
- 180g unsalted butter, softened
- 370g icing sugar
- 180g full fat cream cheese
- 1tsp vanilla bean paste
To decorate:
- Fondant leaves, pine cones, holly, berries
- Fresh cranberries
- Fresh rosemary
- Dusting of icing sugar
Method
1) Preheat oven to 160 fan and lightly grease and line the base of two 8” cake tins.
2) Melt the butter, sugars, syrup, and treacle in a saucepan over a low heat until melted and sugar has dissolved.
3) In a large bowl, add the flour, bicarb and spices, then add the melted cooled mixture on top. Mix well then add the eggs, buttermilk, stem ginger and cranberries and divide between two tins evenly. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
4) Once the cakes are cool, trim the top flat and cut out the centre of each sponge using a cookie cutter.
5) To make the frosting, beat the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy then add the cream cheese and vanilla. Mix well and place into a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle.
6) Place one sponge onto a cake stand and pipe peaks all over in a circular pattern. Add the second sponge on top and pipe the frosting in the same way. Decorate with fondant decorations, rosemary and fresh cranberries and a dusting of icing sugar.
Discover more recipes from Michelle over on Instagram at @bakesbymichelle.
