Last week I shared a few sneak peeks on Instagram of a beautiful cake that I was making for a very special occasion - I’m so excited to finally share what the cake was for. Last week Saben celebrated it’s 15th Birthday - a truly stunning and incredible achievement for any business, and one their gorgeous team of ladies are beyond proud of. I had the absolute honour of creating a signature Exposed Orange and Chocolate Layer Cake for their party, where champagne and cake was enjoyed and we celebrated the launch of their limited edition Miller Handbag that has been made exclusively for Saben’s 15 birthday. This gorgeous handbag comes in three beautiful colours and as there are only going to be 50 bags made in each colour, this truly is a piece to collect and admire for years to come. I’m beyond excited and so honoured to share that one incredibly lucky reader will be the proud owner of this beautiful bag as Saben are so generously giving you the chance to win your own Miller Handbag. All you need to do is take a peek here, fill in your details and Saben and I will announce the lucky winner on the 10th of October - the winner will of course get to choose the colour of their handbag!! Good luck everyone, I already can’t wait to announce the winner - I can’t think of anything more perfect than cake, champagne and a beautiful handbag to celebrate Saben’s 15th Birthday. x
Recipe
Orange Cake
Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter and flour two 20cm cake tins and two 6” cake tins. Add the flour, almond meal, baking powder and sugar to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly pour in the milk and vanilla and continue to whisk until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time and continue to mix until combined, scrap down the sides of the bowl so that all of the flour has mixed into the batter. In a medium sauce pan, gently melt the butter and orange zest and juice. Once melted, slowly pour the melted butter mix into the cake batter, continue to mix until the butter is fully combined into the cake batter and smooth.
Divide the cake batter between your four cake pans - I add 770g to the 20cm cake tin and 400g to the 6” pan so that each layer is even. Bake for around 30-35min (checking after 20min) or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the tin for 10min before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Orange Buttercream
Beat together the butter, milk, vanilla essence and half of the icing sugar until combined. Gradually add in the remaining icing and orange zest and juice, beat until smooth and creamy - the longer you mix it the whiter the icing it will be.
Assembling your layer cake
Once all of your cakes have cooled completely, you will need to carefully level the tops of the cakes so that they are all flat.
Starting with one of the larger cakes, spread a small amount of icing onto the cut side of the cake and then gently place onto either the cake board or cake stand - this will stop the cake from moving around. Add 1 cup of icing to the top of your cake, using a pallet knife spread on top of the cake until you have a nice smooth finish, being careful not to let the icing go over the edges of the cake. Place the first layer into the fridge and allow to cool before adding the the next layer of cake and icing, repeat the above steps. For the 6” layers, top tier, repeat the above steps but spread 1/2 cup of icing onto the cakes. Once iced, place in the fridge for 10min for the icing to cool.
Chocolate Sauce
Place the chocolate and cream into a heat proof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Gently melt the chocolate and cream together, once melted, set aside to cool slightly before drizzling atop your iced cake. Serve a generous slice with a glass of champagne and enjoy x
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