Pimms Layer Cake Food

PIMM'S CAKE

Steps:

• Put the sliced and halved strawberries for the filling and decoration into a small bowl and pour over the Pimm's. Leave to soak in for at least one hour or overnight. Heat oven to 190C /170C fan/gas 5. Line 3 x 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment and grease with butter.
• Cut the whole cucumber in half lengthways and using a teaspoon scrape out and discard the seeds. Roughly chop the rest of the cucumber and puree in a blender with the lemon juice.
• In a large bowl and using electric beaters whisk up the softened butter with the sugar until pale and light. Continue whisking as you add the eggs, one at a time, whisking in between additions. Once all the eggs have been added pour in the cucumber purée, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Don't worry if the mixture splits - it will come back together when you add the flour.
• Fold in the flour and baking powder and whisk once again briefly until there are no lumps of flour remaining then divide the mixture between the three tins. Bake in the oven for 30-35mins or until a skewer pushed into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Take the cakes out of the oven and leave to cool in their tins for five minutes then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
• While the cakes are cooking and cooling make the buttercreams. To make the strawberry buttercream, mash the strawberries in a small bowl with a fork until mushy. In a larger bowl whisk up the butter and half the icing sugar until smooth, then whisk in the mashed strawberries followed by the remaining icing sugar. Whisk until smooth and pale pink and place in the fridge until needed. Repeat the process with the lemon buttercream.
• Once the cakes are completely cold, put one of the cakes onto a cake turntable and add about one third of the lemon buttercream, spread over the surface evenly then top with half of the soaked strawberry slices. Next, spread one third of the strawberry buttercream onto another of the cakes and top with the remaining strawberry slices. Carefully stack the two filled layers with the final cake on top.
• Transfer the remaining buttercreams to disposable piping bags and snip off the ends. Pipe the strawberry buttercream in rings around the outside of the cake, starting at the base. Once you reach three quarters of the way up, switch to the lemon buttercream and continue piping onto the top of the cake. Smooth over the top using a palette knife then smooth the sides with either a large palette knife or, better still a pastry scraper. Use long sweeping movements and gently turn the cake turntable so that you get a smooth finish but a subtle gradient effect where the two colours meet. Scrape any excess icing into a bowl.
• To finish, top with the remaining soaked strawberry halves and the slices of cucumber.

PIMMS CAKE

Steps:

• Grease 3 x 7″ round sandwich tins (or 2 x 8″).
• Preheat the oven to 180C.
• Cream your room temperature butter with your sugar until it's pale, light and fluffy.
• Mix in the eggs, one at a time, beating really well after each egg. Don't worry if it starts to look a bit curdled, it'll all come good.
• Mix in your flour and lemon zest. If you've been using a mixer, do this bit by hand. It helps to keep the sponge light.
• Spoon into a your tins, smooth out with the back of a spoon. Make a bit of a dip in the middle to account for rising.
• Bake for about 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. You might need to adjust the time by 5 minutes either way depending on your oven.

PIMM'S LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Equipment: Mixer, 2 x 20cm round sandwich cake tins, greased and lined. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Using a mixer, whisk together the butter and caster sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs and whisk again. Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, chopped ginger and ginger ale, using a spatula. Spoon the cake mixture into the two cake tins and bake for 45 minutes -1 hour, until the cakes are firmto touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, with no cake batter on it. When you have removed the cakes from the oven, make small holes over the top of each one using a skewer and drizzle over the Pimm's so that it soaks into the holes. Leave to cool in the tins. For the icing, whisk together the icing sugar, butter and enough milk to make a smooth, stiff frosting. Divide the mixture between 4 bowls, one for each of the flavoured icings. Add the finely chopped cucumber skin and the cucumber purée to the first bowl, with a few drops of green food colouring. Add a splash of Pimm's and mix well. Add the strawberry essence and a few drops of pink food colouring to the second bowl. Add a splash of Pimm's and mix well. Add the mint, mint essence and a few drops of green food colouring to the third bowl. Add a splash of Pimm's and mix well. Finally, add the orange zest and rind, orange essence and a few drops of orange food colouring to the fourth bowl. Add a splash of Pimm's and mix well. After the cakes have cooled and are soaked in Pimm's, cut each one in half to make 4 cake layers. Using a knife, spread a thick layer of buttercream between the layers so that each layer has a different flavour: cucumber, strawberry, mint. Spread the orange icing over the top and round the sides of the cake and decorate with strawberries, cucumber, mint leaves and orange slices. Serve straight away, with a glass oPimm's on the side.

PIMMS CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC / 160ºC fan / 356ºF / gas mark 4.
• Grease and line two 8-inch cake tins with parchment paper.
• Cream together the butter and the sugar until smooth.
• Mix in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
• Sieve in the flour, pinch of salt and half a teaspoon of baking powder.
• Gently stir in the milk.
• Divide the mixture between the two cake tins and bake for around 45-minutes until golden brown. Use a cake tester to make sure the middle is baked through.
• Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins.
• Trim to level the tops and slice the two pieces to make 4 equal layers.
• In a mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar together to make a smooth buttercream.
• Drain off any excess water in the cream cheese and add it to the buttercream mix along with the vanilla extract.
• Beat again until smooth and pop it in the fridge to set slightly (this is essential if it's a particularly warm day).
• Add the Pimm's , sugar and water to a saucepan set on a medium heat. Allow the mixture it to bubble and thicken slightly (it should only take a few minutes). Keep stirring, and remember to give it your full attention as it could bubble over if the saucepan gets too hot.
• Once thickened, remove from the heat and set aside.
• To assemble, take a cake stand or plate and position the first cake layer. Using a pastry brush quickly brush over the Pimm's drizzle. Be careful to not add too much, this should only be light drizzle.
• Either pipe with a large circular nozzle, the buttercream onto the cake, or use a knife to covering the sponge with a thick layer it on thickly with a knife. You will need a quarter of the buttercream for each layer. Repeat with the remaining layers finishing with a buttercream cream cheese layer on top.
• Pop it somewhere cool or in the fridge until ready to serve (don't leave it in the fridge for more than a few hours. If it's a hot day the fridge will help keep the icing from melting too much before it's served).
• Remove from the fridge for an hour to bring the cake to room temperature.
• Complete the cake, simply add the iconic Pimm's toppings - strawberries, orange slices, cucumber and some fresh mint leaves.