Embark on a baking adventure with this enchanting Sandcastle Birthday Cake recipe! It’s a charming way to bring a bit of the seaside to your celebration, complete with whimsical decorations that are sure to captivate and delight.
Ingredients:
- 560g unsalted butter, softened
- 450g caster sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 eggs
- 3 cups (450g) self-raising flour
- 2 cups (300g) plain flour
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) milk
- Chocolate shells, coloured sprinkles, to garnish
For the glaze:
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 250g powdered sugar, sifted
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Prepare your cake tins by greasing and lining with baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar:
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Sift the self-raising and plain flours together.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in batches, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared trays. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Once baked, allow the cakes to cool in the cake tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
In a clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites and lemon juice until stiff. Gradually add the sifted icing sugar, whisking until smooth and shiny.
When the cakes have cooled, trim the tops to level them if necessary. Stack the cakes with a layer of icing in between.
Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of icing, smoothing it out with a spatula. This is your crumb coating, which will help prevent crumbs from getting into the final layer of icing.
Apply a final layer of icing over the crumb coat. While the icing is still wet, press the chocolate shells and coloured sprinkles onto the cake to create a sandcastle effect.
For added texture, crush some biscuits to resemble sand and sprinkle them over the cake.
Use the rest of the icing to pipe details such as windows or doors onto your sandcastle cake.
Allow the icing to set before serving.
