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Ombré cake

Here is another of my friend Pam Black’s creations. The ombré effect for icing is a simple idea but it makes an impressive-looking cake. If you are already nifty with a palette knife to ice cakes, this one is not too much of a stretch further. A turning icing table comes in handy, but alternatively you can use an upturned plate to put the cake on while you ice it. Pick whichever colours you like: go bright and pretty for a child’s birthday, or keep to chocolates, caramels and vanillas for a more sophisticated look.

Serves 10–12.

225g (8oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

225g (8oz) caster sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

225g (8oz) plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp milk, if needed

For the filling and topping

2 × quantity Classic Buttercream Icing

your choice of food colouring

your choice of fresh edible flowers or edible decorations

four 20cm (8in) sandwich tins

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas mark 4. Grease the sides of the tins, and dust lightly with flour, then line each base with baking parchment. Put the butter in a large bowl and cream it with a wooden spoon until soft, or use an electric beater on slow or a food processor. Add the sugar and beat it until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract a little at a time, adding 1 tablespoon flour each time and beating well after each addition.

3. Sift in the remaining flour and the baking powder and fold in to combine, then add a little milk if needed to give a dropping consistency.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared tins and spread evenly. Bake for 20–25 minutes until well risen, golden brown and springy to the touch. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn them out on the rack to cool completely. Once cool, trim the tops off the cakes so that they are level.

5. Split the buttercream icing into four bowls. Use the food colouring to tint three of the bowls: one a pale colour, one medium and one a deep shade of the same colour.

6. Sandwich the cake layers on top of one another using the plain icing. Use a palette knife to cover the sides of the bottom third of the cake using the deepest colour icing. Cover the centre third with the medium icing, then spread the top third and the top of the cake with the pale icing.

7. Warm a clean, palette knife in boiling water, then run it around the cake sides to smooth out and blend the colours. Decorate the cake with flowers or as you prefer.