My Signature Splatter Cake

Serves: 14

INGREDIENTS

• EQUIPMENT: 3 x 20cm (8in) round cake tins, greased and lined

For the sponge:

• 100g (1 cup) cocoa powder
• 1 tsp coffee granules
• 50ml (3½ tbsp) hot water
• 450g (2¼ cups) golden caster sugar
• 450g (2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
• 8 eggs
• 450g (scant 3½ cups)
• self-raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
  
  

For the buttercream:

• 1 batch Vanilla Buttercream (see pg 196) or buy your own
  
  

For the splatters:

• 200g (7oz) white chocolate, chopped
• 300ml (1¼ cups) double cream
• 5 different gel or paste food

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4).

2. Add the cocoa powder, coffee granules, and hot water to a small bowl and whisk to a smooth paste.

3. Beat the sugar and butter together until lighter in colour, and then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate and coffee mix, and then sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt, and fold through.

4. Divide amongst the three tins and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until well risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5. When the cakes are cool, level them with a knife to make them easier to stack. Then, slice each cake in half horizontally to give you six layers in total.

6. Spread some buttercream onto five of the cakes and stack them, putting the plain layer on top.

7. Crumb-coat the cake with more buttercream and refrigerate for30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes.

8. For the chocolate splatters, add the chocolate to a bowl and heat the cream in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until just below boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and leave to stand for 2 minutes, then stir to a smooth ganache.

9. Divide the ganache amongst five bowls and colour each a different colour with food colouring (go as cute and pastel or as bold and vibrant as you like!), then let cool to room temperature.

10. Frost the cake with the remaining buttercream, giving it a smooth, sharp finish, and then refrigerate again until the buttercream hardens, around 20-30 minutes. This will give you a great canvas for your artistic splatters.

11. Now to have fun! Use a teaspoon to flick the coloured ganache all over the cake (if it's a bit thick, you can blast it in the microwave at 10-second intervals to loosen it).