A simple first communion cake with a surprise chocolate crucifix shape hidden inside.
Prep Time1 hourhr
Cook Time1 hourhr
Total Time2 hourshrs
Course: Baking
Cuisine: British
Servings: 10-12 slices
Author: Sarah Trivuncic
Ingredients
<em>for the chocolate sponge</em>
180gsoftened butter
180gcaster sugar (superfine baking sugar)
3large eggs
150gself raising flour
30gcocoa powder
<em>for the chocolate sponge</em>
180gsoftened butter
180gcaster sugar (superfine baking sugar)
3large eggs
180gself raising flour
1tspvanilla extract
<em>for the covering and decoration</em>
500gwhite sugar paste (fondant icing block)
500gmarzipan
Jam or apricot glaze to stick icings down.
edible gold lustre liquid
cake gold leaf decoration
small amount of royal icingsee 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).