Courtingcake Recipes

COURTING CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 190°C/375°F.
• Grease and line the bases of three 7-inch round cake tins.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
• Gradually add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Fold in the flour, and then add enough milk to give a soft dropping consistency.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tins and bake for 25-30 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch, swapping the position of the top and bottom cakes halfway through the cooking.
• Turn out and leave to cool on a wire rack.
• Whip the cream until it just holds its shape.
• Sandwich the cakes together with the cream and the strawberries, reserving a few for decoration.
• Dredge the top with icing sugar and decorate with the reserved strawberries.

LANCASHIRE COURTING CAKE HELPED LASSES LAND A HUSBAND

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare 2 or 3 cake pans by lining the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Taking time at this stage will result in a much lighter cake.
• Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in 2 teaspoons vanilla.
• Sift flour, baking powder, salt into medium bowl. Fold into butter mixture.
• Gently mix in milk to make a dropping consistency.
• Divide batter into your prepared pans. To remove extra air bubbles give your pans a good whack on your counter before putting into the oven. Think about an ex...it will help!
• Bake cake for 25- 30 minutes, or light brown and firm to the touch. Let cool completely on wire racks.
• If you have made two layers and have lots of berries, you can carefully slice each layer in half horizontally with a long serrated knife so you have four layers.
• Otherwise, just place one layer on a decorative plate, layer with sweetened whipped cream (or flavoured non fat yoghurt) and sliced strawberries.
• Top with the next layer and repeat until complete. Some prefer to place the final layer with the cut side up to make it more flat, but topping covers all sins.
• Dust with powdered sugar. Arrange more berries atop cake.
• Refrigerate the cake for at least an hour before serving to let the flavours blend. Good luck!

FLUFFY CONFETTI BIRTHDAY CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans; dust with flour, then tap out the excess.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in the vanilla until combined.
• Alternate folding the flour mixture and milk into the batter with a spatula, adding the flour in 3 additions and the milk in 2, starting and ending with the flour, until just smooth. Add the sprinkles and fold 3 or 4 times until just blended to prevent the colors from bleeding too much. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake the cakes on the same oven rack, rotating the pans about halfway if they seem to be browning unevenly, until golden on top and the centers spring back to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pans about 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks and let cool completely.
• For the frosting: While the cakes cool, beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. Once it's all been added, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until white and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla until blended. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, and beat to incorporate. Beat in the remaining milk, 1 tablespoon at a time (the frosting will be spreadable but not runny).
• To assemble: Place 1 cake layer right-side up on a cake plate or stand, and spread with 1 cup of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Decorate the top with additional sprinkles.
• The cake layers can be made a day ahead; wrap the cooled layers in plastic and aluminum foil and store at room temperature overnight. You can also assemble and frost the cake the day before serving; let it stand at room temperature overnight, covered by a large bowl or cake dome (if your kitchen is very hot, chill the cake and let it stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving).

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB "COURTING" CAKE

Steps:

• To Make Cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment. Using electric mixer, beat butter until light. Add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon nutmeg and salt into medium bowl. Fold into butter mixture. Gently mix in milk.
• Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until firm to touch about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely.
• Split each cake into 2 layers, using serrated knife. Combine cream, 6 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon nutmeg in bowl. Beat to stiff peaks. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on platter. Spread with 3/4 cup compote, then 1 cup cream. Repeat layering with 2 more cake layers, compote and cream. Top with last cake layer, cut side down. Cover cake and chill 1 hour. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Dust with powdered sugar. Arrange berries atop cake. Serve, spooning some of remaining compote over each slice.
• To Make Compote:
• Combine rhubarb, sugar and water in heavy medium saucepan. Bring just to boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook just until rhubarb is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; mix in berries, vanilla and nutmeg. Chill until cold. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)

HOMEMADE CONFETTI CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Grease a 13x9-in. baking dish. In a large bowl, cream butter, oil and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, then egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Fold in sprinkles., Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack., For buttercream, in a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add cream, vanilla and food coloring. Beat until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Frost top of cake with frosting, and, if desired, top with additional sprinkles.

ENGLISH NORTH COUNTRY STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM COURTING CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.
• Grease and line with baking parchment, three 7" or 8" round Victoria sandwich tins.
• Cream the butter, vanilla extract and sugar together until pale and fluffy - this is very important, it captures air and keeps the cake light and moist!
• Add the beaten eggs gradually, mixing well each time. Lightly sieve in the flour - again gradually - and then add enough milk to make the cake mixture a dropping consistency.
• Divide the mixture between the three cake tins - giving them a gentle shake to level them, and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 25 - 30 minutes, or until well risen and a pale golden brown. Turn the cakes out and leave to cool on a wire rack.
• Whip the cream until thick and holding soft peaks and add the vanilla extract if using.
• Sandwich the cakes together with the cream and sliced strawberries - reserving at least 8 for the top of the cake.
• Place the cake on an atractive cake or gateau serving platter/stand and sprinkle the icing sugar over the top of the cake.
• Decorate with the reserved whole strawberries.
• N.B. you can also decorate the top of the cake with the whipped cream - but this is not traditional!

COURTING CAKE

Steps:

• -Grease and flour three 7" round cake tins. -Cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. -Gradually add eggs, beating well after each addition. -Fold in flour, and add just enough milk to give a soft dropping consistency. -Divide mixture evenly between the cake tins and bake 375' for 25-30 minutes, until top springs back lightly when touched. Cool on wire racks. -Whip cream until it just holds its shape. Sandwich the layers together with the cream and berries, saving a few for decoration. -Sprinkle top with confectioner's sugar and decorate with the remaining berries.