Frosty Forest Cake Asda Good Living Recipes

FROSTY FOREST CAKE

Steps:

• To make the cake, soak the apricots in the brandy while you get everything prepared. Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter then line the sides and base of a deep 20cm round cake tin with greaseproof paper. Mix together the figs, raisins, cherries, nuts and lemon zest.
• Combine the flour with the baking powder, mixed spice and ground almonds. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy, about 2 mins. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cake mixture in two goes, then fold in the fruits and nuts, followed by the apricots and brandy.
• Spoon the mixture into the tin, then smooth the top, making a slight dip in the middle. Bake for 30 mins, then lower the temperature to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2 and bake for another 1 hr 45 mins, laying a sheet of foil loosely over the top for the final 15 mins if it starts to brown too quickly. The cake is done when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave the cake in the tin to cool, then remove the lining paper and wrap well in cling film and foil until ready to decorate (see below or turn the page for another idea).
• To create the frosty forest cake: colour the marzipan pale green with a little of the food colouring. Cut off 250g, then make this a shade darker with more food colouring for the trees. To make the trees, roll out the darker green marzipan on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. Make pointed triangular cardboard tree templates in 3 different sizes (roughly 7.5 x 4cm/6.5 x 3.5cm/5.5 x 3cm). Using these as guides, cut out the tree shapes (see tip, above right). Brush one side lightly with honey, then scatter over silver and coloured dragees, pressing them down lightly to stick. Lay the trees on baking parchment to firm up. This is best done a day or two ahead.
• When ready to decorate, sit the cake on a board or plate. On a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, roll the paler green marzipan into a circle wide enough to cover the cake completely. Brush the cake all over with honey. Using a rolling pin, lift and lower the marzipan onto the cake. Smooth the surface of the marzipan with your palms, then trim off any excess from the bottom with a sharp knife.
• Cut off two-thirds of the ready-to-roll icing, then roll out a strip about 8cm wide and long enough to go over the top and down the sides of the cake. Cut a wavy line down either side to resemble a path. Brush the marzipan with honey where you want the path to go, then lay the path on top. Trim to neaten the ends.
• Take two-thirds of the remaining icing, then roll out 2 long, narrow ropes the same length as the path and about 5mm wide. Dampen the path edges with water and lay the ropes in position. Cut off and roll small pieces from the rest of the icing (and any trimmings), then shape into small snow drifts for the trees to stand in. When the trees are firm, make an indent in the top of each snowdrift with the back of a knife and put each tree into position. Sit the trees on the cake, securing with a little honey underneath. If necessary, cut off some of the rope along the edge of the path to make a flatter surface for the trees. Finally, scatter edible glitter onto the marzipanned cake.

FROSTY FOREST CAKE | ASDA GOOD LIVING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C Fan/Gas 4. Line the bases of 4 x 18cm round sandwich tins with baking paper (do not grease).
• Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarb into a large bowl and stir in 275g of the caster sugar.
• In a separate bowl, beat the butter with an electric whisk until smooth. Add ½ the soured cream and the vanilla extract, then beat again until smooth. Stir through the remaining soured cream. Set aside.
• Clean and dry the beaters thoroughly. Then, in a third bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Turn the whisk to low. Add the remaining caster sugar a little at a time while continuing to whisk. Beat to firm peaks.
• Add the soured cream mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients then mix together. Gently fold through the egg whites, a few tbsp at a time, until no streaks of white remain.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the 4 tins, then smooth and level the tops.
• Bake for 20-25 mins, until the cakes spring back when lightly pressed in the centre. Cool for 20 mins in the tins before turning out to cool completely on wire racks.
• To decorate, put the icing sugar and butter into a large bowl. Beat together into a smooth buttercream.
• Put ⅓ of the buttercream in a separate bowl. Stir in the peppermint extract and food colour until you get a uniform green shade.
• Stir the vanilla extract into the white buttercream.
• Put about ½ of the green buttercream and about ⅓ of the white buttercream into separate piping bags (no nozzles required). Cut 1cm off the tip of each bag.
• Put the bottom cake on the cake stand. Pipe a large ring of white buttercream on top, near to the edge of the cake. Next, pipe a ring of the green buttercream directly inside the white one. Continue to pipe, alternating white and green, until the top of the cake is completely covered.
• Pipe more buttercream rings on a second cake, this time starting with green on the outside. Carefully lift it onto the first cake. Repeat with the third cake, starting with white buttercream. Add it to the stack then top with the fourth cake.
• Cover the top and sides of the cake with the rest of the white buttercream, smoothing with a scraper or palette knife. Chill the cake in the fridge for 15 mins.
• For the Christmas trees, trim 2-3cm from the base of a few of the waffle cones with a sharp breadknife, so they vary in height.
• Slice 2 different-sized cones in half lengthways. Position the halves against the side of the cake, with the wider ends sitting on the cake stand. Push the cut sides into the buttercream to secure in place.
• Fit a piping bag with the star nozzle; fill with the rest of the green buttercream.
• Starting with the halved cones on the side of the cake, pipe on 'kisses' of the green buttercream. Work your way up from the wide base to the tip. Arrange a cluster of 3 different-sized cones on top of the cake and pipe as before to cover.
• Shortly before serving, dust the cake and trees lightly with icing sugar to create a snowy effect.

BLACK FOREST CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans, or spray with baking spray with flour.
• Make and bake cake as directed on box for 8- or 9-inch rounds. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In medium bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until slightly thickened. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in brandy. In another small bowl, mix pie filling and almond extract.
• On serving plate, place 1 cake layer, rounded side down. Spread with half of the whipped cream, then 1 cup cherry mixture to within 1 inch of edge. Top with second layer, rounded side up. Frost top with remaining whipped cream. Spoon remaining cherry mixture over top. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Store covered in refrigerator.