My nearly nine year old son Ted has been undergoing preparations for his first communion over the past six months. The big day was two weeks ago and I made a suitably ecclesiastical cake to celebrate.
Not being one to keep life simple I wanted to try out the hidden surprise inside technique and aimed to get a chocolate sponge crucifix element neatly in the centre of the cake.
Well I’m not sure if being Ascension Day had anything to do with this (most likely not) but the sponge crucifix shape rose through the vanilla sponge cake and caused much amusement when we sliced it open. The effect was enhanced by my use of strawberry jam to stick the chocolate pieces together meaning it oozed out of the slices.
I am told that a Madeira style sponge renders this floating movement less likely to happen although without experimentation not sure whether both components should be Madeira sponge or not. Watch this space for further experiments.
Other than the apparition inside this was a standard vanilla sponge cake covered with marzipan and icing. Being pushed for time I decorated it ultra simply using gold lustre liquid and some gold leaf I’d had stashed away waiting for a special occasion.
Don’t ask me whether you can eat the gold leaf. I have no idea. Google it if you need to know. We kept our sugar paste sacred heart as a little souvenir!
Have you baked a cake with a surprise inside?
This week’s Bake of the Week entries follow the recipe.
First Communion Cake with Surprise Inside
Ingredients
- <em>for the chocolate sponge</em>
- 180 g softened butter
- 180 g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 150 g self raising flour
- 30 g cocoa powder
- <em>for the chocolate sponge</em>
- 180 g softened butter
- 180 g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 180 g self raising flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- <em>for the covering and decoration</em>
- 500 g white sugarpaste
- 500 g marzipan
- Jam or apricot glaze to stick icings down.
- edible gold lustre liquid
- cake gold leaf decoration
- small amount of royal icing see instructions
Instructions
- First for the chocolate sponge, beat the butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs and then fold in the flour and cocoa powder.
- Bake the sponge mix in a swiss roll tin approx 25 x 15cm for around 15 minutes. Beware of over cooking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile mix the vanilla batter ingredients. When the chocolate cake is cool, trim long chocolate oblongs to make the cross shape through the cake. You'll need pieces around 2 x 2cm, 2 x 3cm and 2 x 4cm (each the same length as your loaf tin)
- Line a medium loaf tin with paper and spoon vanilla batter into the bottom. Lay the smallest chocolate sponge length on the bottom, then the widest one then the last one positioned vertically. Fill the remaining vanilla batter around the pieces.
- Bake for around 30 minutes. If the top is getting overdone you might want to cover the loaf tin with foil for the last half of the bake time.
- Remove the cooked loaf cake from the oven and place on a rack to cool.
- When the cake is cooled, roll out the marzipan to 5mm thickness and large enough to cover the cake. Paint the cake with melted jam (a few seconds in the microwave will achieve this) and drape over the marzipan layer. Repeat with the white sugarpaste.
- For the host decoration cut a small circle out of white sugarpaste. Paint a sun ray effect onto the middle of the cake and stick the white circle on top. Use a sugarcraft tool to make cross marks. Cut out a tiny white sugarpaste heart and cover with gold leaf. Stick down with a blob of icing (a tablespoon of royal icing powder mixed with scant drops of water will be plenty).
Bake of the Week entries from May 17th to 23rd
Thank you everyone for their Bake of the Week entries last week. If you would like to submit your bake this week, the linky widget is below. For everyone who takes part myself and co-host do lots of social sharing on Twitter, Pinterest, Yummly etc.
Helen will be rounding up entries next Tuesday at Casa Costello before handing back to me in two weeks’ time.
Police Car Birthday Cake by Casa Costello
Chocolate Layer Cake by Jibber Jabber UK
Celebration Chocolate Cake by Hijacked by Twins
Aunt Ree’s Chocolate Cake by Don’t Sweat the Recipe
Focaccia in a stand mixer by Maison Cupcake
Norfolk Treacle Tart by Coffee and Vanilla
Chocolate and soured cream bundt cake by Baked to Imperfection
Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake by Mummy Mishaps
Mint choc chip daisy cupcakes by Only Crumbs Remain
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Scones by Gluten Free Alchemist
Lemon Curd Cupcakes by Coriander Queen
Treacle Tart by Foodie Quine
Isabella says
What a gorgeous looking cake, your wandering cross did make me chuckle! Thank you so much for hosting #bakeoftheweek
Sarah, Maison Cupcake says
Thank you! I was just glad there was some semblance of a cross left inside it!
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
Your cake to celebrate your son’s first communion is fantastic Sarah. I’ve not as yet tried making a cake with a secret surprise inside but intend to at some point (it’s on my ‘want to try list’) and if it comes out anywhere as near as good as yours has I’ll be very happy.
Angela x
Sarah, Maison Cupcake says
You’re too kind! I thought it was a disaster on the inside!
Margot says
I’m always amazed when someone is putting design inside the cake! This is such a great idea… I’m sure Ted loved it 🙂
And thank you for lovely round-up and including my treacle tart.
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
What a pretty cake. I made a hidden Mickey Mouse cake for the twins first birthday cake. I was a fun cake to make! Thank you for hosting and sharing x
Jenny Paulin says
such a clever idea for a communion cake! i love hidden surprises inside cakes too. What a wonderful cake for a special day for your son x
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
Great round up Sarah and LOVELY First Communion cake. So clever!! x
Helen at Casa Costello says
I LOVE the cross in the centre of your cake – Bet you have a very pleased son. Many congratulations to Ted on his special day – Hope you all had a fantastic day x #BakeoftheWeek