Welcome baby cake

 

 

Celebrate the arrival of a new bub with this sophisticated white coated buttercake, peppered with colourful little footprints.

 

Ingredients

• 2 quantities Homemade buttercake (see below)
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam, warmed, strained
• Pure icing sugar, sifted, for dusting
• 3 x 500g packets ready-made white icing pink, blue, green and yellow food colourings

Homemade buttercake

• 125g butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup milk

Method

1. Step 1
   Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Lightly grease a 9.6cm-deep, 20cm (base) round cake pan. Line base and side with baking paper.
2. Step 2
   Prepare Homemade buttercake: Using an electric mixer, beat butter, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add flour and milk. Stir to combine.
3. Step 3
   Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Step 4
   Using a serrated knife, level top of cake. Place, cut-side down, on a board. Brush all over with jam.
5. Step 5
   Dust a flat surface with icing sugar. Knead 1.3kg icing until smooth. Using a rolling pin, roll icing out until 7mm thick and 35cm round. Using a rolling pin, gently roll icing over cake. Dust hands with icing sugar. Smooth icing over cake. Push in and around base. Using a sharp knife, trim excess.
6. Step 6
   Re-dust flat surface with icing sugar. Knead half the remaining icing. Roll icing into 1cm balls (you'll need around 46 balls). Press balls around base of cake. Cover cake loosely with a clean tea towel.
7. Step 7
   Divide remaining icing into quarters. Tint 1 portion yellow. Knead until combined. Wrap in plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining icing and food colouring.
8. Step 8
   Roll 1/2 teaspoon yellow icing into two 1cm balls. Using the palm of your hand, flatten balls into 2.5cm ovals. Shape each to form a foot. Roll pieces of yellow icing into 10 small balls. Press onto feet, flattening slightly to form toes. Place on a tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with remaining icing portions. Stand cake and feet overnight.
9. Step 9
   Brush underneath feet lightly with jam. Arrange footprints on cake. Secure ribbon around cake with a pin. Trim ribbon. Tie remaining ribbon into a bow. Secure with pin at front of cake. Serve. (taste.com.au)