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Ultimate Vanilla Celebration Cake

Published: Updated:

10 Reviews

Total Time
4h 5m
Prep Time
1h 30m
Bake Time
2h 35m
Serves 16
Serves 16
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A challenge

About our Ultimate Vanilla Celebration Cake recipe

There's cake then there is the Nielsen Massey Ultimate Vanilla Celebration Cake. A classic 4 layer Vanilla sponge cake, infused with a Vanilla syrup to make it extra moist, filled and covered with an indulgent Vanilla Bean buttercream. The pièce de résistance are the Rose Water Meringue Kisses and Macaron decorations. Whilst this cake looks like a real showstopper it actually isn't as complicated as you would think (but your guests don't need to know that!) 

12 ingredients9 steps
  • Nut Free
  • Vegetarian

Method

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 5). Put some water in a cake tin or roasting tin and set in the bottom of the oven. Prepare four 7" sandwich tins by lining with baking parchment.

  2. Step 2

    Cream together the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon or electric hand whisk, until pale and fluffy.

    Ingredients for this step

    • 400gUnsalted butter (softened)
    • 400gBillington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
  3. Step 3

    Add the eggs in 3 parts, beating well after each addition so that the egg is well incorporated. Add the vanilla. Sift the flour into the mixture and fold in lightly with a metal spoon, until the mixture is even. Add the milk and mix.

    Ingredients for this step

    • 6Free range large eggs
    • 2 tspNielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract
    • 400gAllinson's Self-Raising White Flour
    • 3 tbspMilk (whole)
  4. Step 4

    Spoon the mix into tins and bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

  5. Step 5

    Whilst the cake is cooling make the vanilla syrup by heating together the sugar and vanilla in a pan until all of the sugar has dissolved. 

    Ingredients for this step

    • 100gBillington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
    • 1.5 tbspNielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste
  6. Step 6

    Carefully poke holes in the top of your sponges and pour over some of the syrup allowing the sponge to soak it up.

  7. Step 7

    To make the buttercream; beat together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla bean paste until soft and fluffy. You can add a drop of milk to loosen the buttercream if needed.

    Ingredients for this step

    • 300gUnsalted butter (softened)
    • 600gSilver Spoon Icing Sugar
    • 1.5 tspNielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste
  8. Step 8

    Layer the sponge with jam and buttercream, then coat the whole cake in buttercream. Pop in the fridge to chill before adding an additional layer of buttercream. To get a smooth finish, run a pallet knife under boiling water before smoothing round the cake. 

    Ingredients for this step

    • 1Raspberry jam (jar)
  9. Step 9

    Decorate the cake with Rose Water Meringues Kisses and vanilla Macarons.

Ingredients

  • For the Sponge

    • 400gUnsalted butter (softened) 
    • 400gBillington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar 
    • 6Free range large eggs 
    • 400gAllinson's Self-Raising White Flour 
    • 2 tspNielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract 
    • 3 tbspMilk (whole) 
  • For the Vanilla Syrup

    • 100gBillington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar 
    • 1.5 tspNielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste 
  • For the Buttercream

    • 300gUnsalted butter (softened) 
    • 600gSilver Spoon Icing Sugar 
    • 1.5 tbspNielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste 
  • For the Filling

    • 1Raspberry jam (jar) 

Utensils

  • 3x 7in sandwich tin
  • Mixing bowl

Nutritional information per 170g serving

  • Energy 805cal
  • Fat 39g
  • of which Saturates 24g
  • Carbohydrates 107g
  • of which Sugars 89g
  • Protein 5.7g
  • Salt 0.36g

10 Baker Ratings

Really good cake how do you make the buttercream light and fluffy ?

Baking Mad

For the fluffiest buttercream we always use Silver Spoon icing sugar, we also use room temperature/softened butter and beat it a little before adding the icing sugar. Once all the buttercream ingredients have been mixed with continue to beat until light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. The longer that you beat the buttercream the fluffier it will get. 

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I am making this cake and wondered if i could add a drip icing on top

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