Ingredients
185g unsalted butter
softened
330g caster sugar
(1 1/2 cups)
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
75g self raising flour
(1/2 cup)
225g plain flour
(1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
80g cocoa powder
(1/2 cup)
280ml buttermilk
50g unsalted butter
For the icing
2 cups icing sugar
For the icing
2 tbsp milk
For the icing
600g red ready-to-roll fondant icing
For decoration
icing sugar
for dusting
275g white ready-to-roll fondant icing
For decoration
yellow, orange and blue gel or paste colouring
liquid food colouring not compatible with the fondant icing
narrow ribbons
For decoration
Allergy Advice
Contains Dairy
Contains Eggs
Contains Gluten
Equipment
- 1 22-23cm round cake tin
- 1 22-23cm round cake board or plate
- 1 Non-stick baking paper
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Wire cake rack
- 1 Butter knife or offset spatula
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Small sharp knife
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 22-23cm round cake tin and line with non-stick baking paper.
- In an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about a minute between each addition. Add the vanilla essence and beat until combined.
- Sift flours, bicarb and cocoa into a large bowl. Add half the flour mixture and half the buttermilk to the butter mixture, beat on low speed until combined.
- Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk and beat until well combined.
- Spoon into tin and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Leave the cake to cool in tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cake rack to cool completely.
- To make the icing, cream butter until pale and smooth. Add the milk and half the sifted icing sugar. Beat until well combined. Add the remaining icing sugar and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Adjust with more milk or sugar to get a spreadable paste.
- Trim the top of the cake so it is level, turn the cake upside down onto the cake board or plate. Spread a thin layer of butter icing over the top and side of the cake.
- Chop the red icing into small pieces and knead on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar until it softens slightly. Roll out the icing to 5mm thick and about 7cm larger than the diameter of the cake.
- Carefully roll the icing onto the rolling pin and roll out over the cake. Dust your fingers lightly with icing sugar and smooth the icing into place. Brush off excess icing sugar. Trim off the excess, wrap in plastic film and reserve.
- For the yellow balloons, knead 50g of white icing then add a small amount of yellow colouring using a toothpick. Knead until the colour is even and roll out to 3mm thick.
- Cut out two balloons with a small sharp knife (a 5cm x 6cm template is helpful) and arrange on the cake with a piece of ribbon about 15cm long tucked under the balloon.
- Repeat with the orange and blue colouring, then make one balloon with 25g white icing. Tie the balloon ribbons together with another ribbon.
- Shape the remaining white icing (100g) into a long rope, about 70cm. Repeat with the reserved red icing. Carefully twist the ropes together and press on to the base of the cake.
Notes
Tip
It is better to buy red fondant icing as it is very difficult to get such a rich even colour yourself. However, red icing is a little unforgiving if you make a mistake.
Tip
If you are a beginner fondant icer, I would use a white fondant base.
Tip
I put some plastic wrap on top of the fondant icing and then roll onto the rolling pin so it doesn’t stick to itself.
Tip
If you have fondant smoothers, use them as they give a lovely smooth surface and avoid white icing specks on the finished product.
Variation
Choose the colours of the balloons and rope to suit your child’s favourite colours.
Variation
You could also pipe a letter onto each balloon to spell out your child’s name.
Variation
For a plain vanilla butter cake, prepare the cake as for the Princess cake.
Variation
If you would prefer not to bake, buy a premade sponge or madeira cake from the supermarket and decorate as above.
