IN THE COUNTRY & TOWN MAGAZINE APRIL 2023 DIGITAL

Pinch of salt, to taste

Kim-Joy’s happy purrthday cake recipe By Katie Wrights, PA “This cake is full of warming ginger, sweet and salty caramel, and addictive Biscoff – a combination that both kids and adults won’t be able to resist,” says former Bake Off star Kim-Joy. “The decoration on top is like doing a simple oil painting, but in buttercream that you can eat – and remember that asymmetrical faces are all part of the charm, so there’s no need to be too exact.”

For the buttercream:

250g butter, at room temperature, cubed (or vegan butter – use one that’s close to 80% fat content)

500g icing sugar

A little milk or plant-based milk

1tbsp vanilla bean paste

100g Biscoff spread (this is added to a third of the buttercream; omit this if making the recipe gluten-free)

Your choice of sprinkles and gel food dyes

Happy purrthday cake Ingredients (Serves 10-12):

Method:

For the spiced ginger cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Grease the bases and sides of two 18cm cake tins with butter and line with a circle of baking paper. 2.Add the milk and white wine vinegar to a large bowl and whisk together.Add the treacle, oil, salt and vanilla, then whisk again until combined. 3. In a separate large bowl, combine the self-raising flour (plus xanthan gum, if gluten-free), caster sugar, dark brown sugar, baking powder, ginger and cinnamon.Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Divide straight away between the two prepared tins and bake for 30-35 minutes (don’t open the oven in the middle of baking as it may sink), until springy on top and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave the cakes in their tins for five minutes, then carefully run a knife around the edges and turn out onto wire racks. Peel off the baking paper and leave to cool completely. 4. Meanwhile, make the caramel.Add the water and caster sugar to a saucepan and swirl the pan to make sure all the sugar is hydrated with the water. Once the mixture starts to bubble (do not stir at all, otherwise the sugar will crystallise), increase the heat and wait until the sugar turns an amber colour.You can swill the pan around to even out the colour towards the end.Add the coconut cream to a small separate bowl.When the sugar syrup has turned a deep amber colour, remove the pan from the heat and add all the coconut cream in one go. Stir constantly with a balloon whisk.The sauce will bubble up, so be careful at this stage. Continue stirring until it is a smooth and creamy sauce.Add the butter and stir until dissolved. Pour the sauce into a medium bowl and sprinkle with a little salt to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for around 30 minutes. It will thicken as it cools.

Softened butter, for greasing

360ml milk (or plant-based milk)

2tsp white wine vinegar

40g (2tbsp) black treacle

150ml sunflower oil (or other neutral-tasting oil)

½tsp salt

½tbsp vanilla bean paste

330g self-raising flour (to make gluten-free, substitute with a gluten-free self-raising flour blend that contains added xanthan gum, plus ½tsp xanthan gum)

55g caster or granulated sugar

250g soft dark brown sugar (or muscovado)

1tbsp baking powder (or use gluten-free baking powder)

2½tbsp ground ginger

¾tbsp ground cinnamon

For the caramel:

25ml water

80g caster or granulated sugar

40g coconut cream (use just the thick part on top)

10g butter

5. Next, make the buttercream.Add the butter and icing

52 | mccarthyholden.co.uk

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