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
Ingredients
MetricImperial
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
Method
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.
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
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)
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.
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
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.
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
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.
Re the syrup, I made the syrup as described in the recipe, poured it over the cake but the syrup crystallised and went hard rather than soaking into the cake. Might have to pick the sugar off
