Shaggy Cake

Directions

Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. Lightly grease and line three 6 inch round cake tins with baking paper.

2. Cream together the caster sugar and baking spread in a bowl for 2 mins, until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, along with 2 large spoonfuls of the flour and beat together.

4. Fold the remaining flour into the mixture with the milk, using a spatula/metal spoon.

5. Add equal amounts of the mixture to each tin and bake in the oven for approx. 25 mins.

6. 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 2-3 mins until pale and fluffy.

2. Add a third of the icing sugar and beat again until combined. Repeat for each third of the icing sugar.

3. Add the vanilla extract and milk and beat the buttercream for 5 mins. If you are working in a warm environment, less milk may be required. You want the buttercream to be able to hold its shape.

4. Divide the buttercream into two halves (one for assembling the cake, the other for piping). Then separate one of these halves into 5.

5. Colour the buttercream with your chosen colours.

6. Add the 5 smaller portions of buttercream to piping bags, with a grass piping tip at the end of each one.

Decorating

1. Assemble the cake by adding a thin layer of buttercream to the first sponge. Then add a thick ring of buttercream around the edge and fill the centre with half the jam. Add the next sponge and repeat, then place the third sponge on top.

2. Cover the cake with a thin crumb coat (layer of buttercream covering the whole cake). Place the cake in the fridge for at least half an hour to chill.

3. Using the buttercream in the prepared piping bags, begin piping your chosen pattern, starting from the bottom of the cake.

4. Work your way up the cake, finishing the piping in the centre of the top of the cake.

Tips

1. By folding in the flour for your sponge mix with a spatula or metal spoon, this ensures the air bubbles in the mixture are retained and it will help make your cake mixture light.

2. You can use unsalted butter instead of baking spread for the sponge, just make sure the butter is at room temperature.

3. When piping using a grass tip, keep pressure on the piping bag as you pull away from the cake and then release. This will give you long strings of buttercream.

4. To get the shaggy look, pipe from the bottom up, making sure each layer of piping falls slightly over the layer below.