White Chocolate Buttercream For Lamb Cake Food

WHITE-CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FOR LAMB CAKE

Steps:

• Put egg whites, sugar, and salt in a heatproof mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat, whisking, until sugar is dissolved and mixture registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
• Transfer bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed 5 minutes. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and mixture is glossy and cooled. Reduce speed to medium; beat in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat in white chocolate.
• Tint 1/2 cup buttercream brown. Tint remaining buttercream pale yellow to match white-chocolate curls.

DOUBLE-THE-LOVE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base and sides of deep, round 20cm and 15cm cake tins with baking parchment - making sure the paper comes a few cms above the sides.
• Boil the kettle. Put half the butter and chocolate in a pan and gently melt, stirring. Mix together half of the flour, sugar, cocoa and bicarb with a pinch of salt. Whisk 2 of the eggs and 200ml buttermilk together. Scrape the melted chocolate mixture and egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Add 150ml boiling water and whizz everything together with an electric whisk until lump-free. Divide between the tins and bake for 40-45 mins, swapping round after 30 mins if they're on different shelves (the 15cm one should be done after 40 mins). To test they're cooked, push in a skewer and check it comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their tins.
• Repeat steps 1 and 2 again, so you end up with 2 x 20cm cakes and 2 x 15cm cakes.
• Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Beat together the butter and icing sugar, then beat in the white chocolate. When the cakes are cool, split each one in half. Use the icing to sandwich back together so you end up with 2 x four-layered cakes. Sit the 20cm cake on your serving plate and spread some more icing over the top. Sit the smaller cake on top of that, and completely cover with icing. Decorate with the chocolate buttons.
• If you want to add some flowers choose something edible, like roses. Make a posy, wrapping the stems in a little damp kitchen paper then some cling film, add a ribbon and add to the cake on the day of the wedding.

LAMB CAKE WITH WHITE-CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter both halves of an 8-cup lamb-shaped cake mold. Dust with flour; tap out excess.
• Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add egg and yolk, 3/4 cup warm water, the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until smooth.
• Pour batter into halves of molds. Bake until a tester comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in molds on wire racks 30 minutes. Unmold; let cool completely.
• Trim flat side of each. Trim excess from edges. Cover flat side of 1 cake with jam. Turn halves upright; stick together.
• Spread a thin layer of pale-yellow buttercream over cake, sealing edges. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Spread with a second layer, smoothing around head.
• Cover with chocolate curls (exclude head). Put brown buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip; pipe eyes and mouth. Refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Beat confectioners' sugar and butter together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy. Add in white chocolate and whipping cream, adding more cream if needed to achieve desired consistency.
• Beat frosting on high speed, stopping the mixer and scraping the bowl using a spatula as needed, 3 to 4 minutes.