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a jubilee celebration cake

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… of course I couldn’t let this up-coming weekend pass without celebrating Her Madge’s 60 years on the throne and I had been thinking long and hard about what I should create that both reflects her incredible tenure to our great country and also something terribly British and fun for all to enjoy on a sunny bank-holiday street party…

… and then my dear, sweet editor Caroline from Lincolnshire Life Magazine emailed in a panic… could we possible drop the article on the Skidbrooke Cyder Company, push it back to July… and pick up on a Jubilee themed bake of some kind… oh and you have 24 hours to turn something around!

… and so dear friends whilst this may look like a complicated cake it really isn’t… you know me… I don’t do complicated… it just takes a steady hand and an analytical mind… anyone who was good at rubiks cube as a kid would find this a blast…

Jubilee Celebration Cake

The cake is a flag-waving celebration of red, white and blue, covered in a double cream and cream-cheese frosting topped off with a white chocolate crown.  Whilst the cake looks rather complicated it is in fact rather a simple classic Victoria Sponge cake with a little food colouring.  Each layer is then cut into three concentric rings and shuffled around to create the checkerboard bunting effect. For some added flair I’ve sandwiched each layer with two flavours of jam from Lincolnshire’s own Jenny’s Jams.

You will need 3 x 20cm loose-bottomed cake tins.
For the cake layers:
6 large free-range eggs
425g soft butter or margarine
425g self –raising flour
425g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
red gel colouring
blue gel colouring
For the icing:
200g mascarpone
200g cream cheese
200ml double cream
2 teaspoons honey
– pre-heat the oven to 170c 
– in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light, pale and fluffy.  You can do this by hand with a
wooden spoon or with an electric whisk.
– Add one egg and beat it in then add a little four and beat it in then beat in the vanilla extract
– Now alternate between eggs and flour until it is all used up and you have a smooth creamy cake batter
– divide the cake batter equally between three bowls
– add half a teaspoon of red gel colouring to one bowl and half a teaspoon of blue gel colouring to a second bowl and stir them well in
– pour the cake batter into three prepared tins and bake for 25-30mins or until risen and a sharp knife inserted comes out clean.
– let them cool completely before using.
– in a large bow whisk the cream cheeses together with the honey, then add the double cream and whisk again until thick and spreadable
Now for the assembly, you will need to find two templates, one for the inner circle – I used a medium scone cutter, and one for the outer ring – I used the base of the loose-bottomed cake tin which has a deep ridge where the loose bottom sits which made a perfect outer circle.  Cut out the circles on all three cakes and swap them around so that each layer has a red, white and blue section.
Place the bottom layer on a cake-stand, spread the top with jam and sandwich the next layer on top, again spread this with jam and place the final layer on top.
Spread the icing all over the cake and smooth out with a pallet knife, shave a crown of white chocolate on top.

I’ve entered this cake in The Times Diamond Jubilee Baking Competition and it has already been shortlisted as a favourite.  The winner is to be contacted and announced today so it’s unlikely i’ve won and I haven’t been out to buy the paper yet… but it was fun baking…

… I also realise i’m rather late with a lot of these entries but i’m entering the cake into a few jubilee bake bloggers challenges nonetheless, including… Sarah at Maison Cupcake’s Forever Nigella challenge, this month hosted by Nelly at Nelly’s Cupcakes… also for Homemade by Fleur’s Jubilee Baking Challenge

…and whilst its not quite ‘in season’ it is perfectly timed so i’m also entering it into Ren from Fabulicious Food’s brilliant Simple and in Season challenge, this month hosted by The Botanical Baker…

eat and of course, enjoy!

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Comments

  1. Nelly says

    What a gorgeously patriotic cake! Thanks for entering Forever Nigella, any chance you can post a slice of this bad boy up north? That double cream cheese frosting malarky sounds orgasmic!

  2. Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

    Bravo! Although I think I prefer the layout with concentric rings as it looks like the circles you see on RAF planes. Thanks for submitting to Forever Nigella!

    PS I have been teaching Ted how to play with my old rubik cube, he loves it!!

  3. Homemade by Fleur says

    Dom, I'm not surprised that you have been shortlisted for the Times comp. It's a fabulous cake and even better since you only had 24 hours to make it. Thanks for entering my bloggers Jubilee baking competition.

  5. laura@howtocookgoodfood says

    I am with you so much on the don't do complicated front but that still doesn't stop this cake from looking pretty gorgeous! Given such little time & preparation I am not sure I could have come up with a more Jubilee inspired cake creation and I love the cake rings, bit of an art work you have created there Dom.
    God only knows how my cupcakes got shortlisted, but I am not complaining!

  6. debby emadian says

    WOW…I'm with Sarah…love the circles. It sounds so complicated…I'm sure that I would have got confused with the colour combination at some point…

    Hope you and the Viking have an awesome bank holiday weekend Dom

    Oh must go and do my vote for you if I'm not too late….
    Dx

  7. Magnolia Verandah says

    I was always rubbish at rubiks cube but will have to make this only because it is so outrageously colourful (absolutely perfect for the celebratory upcoming weekend) and to prove to myself I can juggle this checkerboard cake . Love it!

  8. Ruth says

    Wow Dom, you don't do things by halves! This looks fantastic – and what a puzzle to put together. One to bookmark for when I have some time – it is so impressive it will have to be attempted! Maybe in Swedish coolours! 😉 x

  12. Jenn says

    That has to be one of the best looking cakes I've seen in a long time. Love the colors! Fantastic job, Dom!

  13. Susan Lindquist says

    Amazing job, Dom! You are a true foodie pro! All this thought and execution in 24 hours? Perhaps there's a knighthood somewhere in the deal, too? Enjoy celebratrating Her Majesty … she's a remarkable woman!

  14. little macaroon. says

    That's so clever! I couldn't work out how you managed that at all (but now you've given it away and we'll all be able to pretend we're geniuses). xx

  16. Mark Willis says

    I'm sure that Her Majesty would appreciate this “Battenberg Plus” cake! (And I have to admire the technical brilliance of it).
    P.S. I think I'd have to eat the blue bits with my eyes shut.

  17. bellini says

    Yes I will be following the festivities. It is quite the year for Britain with the Olympics as well. As for the cake it is very creative as well as delicious Dom.

  18. Janice says

    Is it a boy thing? Rubiks cube leaves me cold, however your cake is genius! I just couldn't be faffed with all that cutting and sticking despite my crafty tendencies. I'm having a Jubiliee Tea for my MIL's birthday on Sunday so look out for some jubbly treats 😉

  21. Susan's blog says

    That had me stumped it really did I just could not work out how you'd done that (match not my strong point I'm a girl see?). Its amazing and looks delicious, just love it! x

  23. Shu Han says

    so THAT'S how you get the alternating checkers. I always wondered! That is just pure genius! Artistically and geometrically, haha. You make it sound so easy, but really, it looks mighty impressive. I have a feeling it might not be as easy as you make it out to be though, if I ever decide to try it myself.

  24. From Beyond My Kitchen Window says

    Wow, my mind just doesn't work like that. You did a fantastic job figuring out how to assemble your celebration cake. Have a fun weekend celebrating Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee. Oh, I could make this cake for 4th of July this year.

  25. Karen S Booth says

    OMG! What a positively REGAL cake Dom and such a clever idea too…I have made a few Jubilee bakes, but nowhere as MAGNIFICENT as your cake! GOOD LUCK darlink! Karen

  26. Phil in the Kitchen says

    That's a truly fun cake – any passing royal would be proud to have it placed in front of them and, speaking for the commoners, I'd be well pleased too. I'm impressed with your rapid response to a deadline – it takes me 24 hours to realise that I've even got a deadline these days.

  27. Soni says

    Wow, what a stunning cake!Perfect for a celebration!Love everything about it :)Very very creative indeed!!

  29. Baking Addict says

    This is definitely a winning cake!! You are a genius!! I had the same idea but a cheats version as I bought a checkerboard pan from America. I was going to make it for a cake club but I wasn't able to attend at the last minute. If only I'd known about this before I bought the pan and lugged it all the way back!