Pink Raspberry Spice Cake

Last week I made a special cake for a very special lady. Mr Makes' Nan turned 98! She is a truly amazing woman and she deserved an amazing cake. I pinned this Raspberry Spice Cake a while back. Oh yes! It has SIX layers of cake, spiced with cinnamon, ginger and mixed spice (I skipped the cloves), sandwiched together with Tiptree raspberry jam, and covered with creamy cream cheese icing. I left my raspberries in the fridge at home (ooops!), but luckily I had some bright candles and pink sugar hearts to hand.

I tinted my sponge pink for an extra wow factor! I was going for pink ombre, but didn't quite pull it off and ended up with just pink! In case the trend has passed you by, ombre is a french word meaning shaded and ombre cake has layers tinted to go from light to dark.

This is one of the most delicious cakes I've made (even if I say so myself!). It received great reviews and I will most definitely be making again. The spice isn't overpowering and goes oh so well with the jam and cream cheese icing. I must say that the BBCgoodfood recipe made too much icing - I used about half on the cake and the rest to ice 16 chocolate cupcakes! Here's my adapted recipe...

Pink Raspberry Spice Cake

250g unsalted butter, softened

450g plain flour

140g golden caster sugar

140g light soft brown sugar

5 large eggs

4 tbsp honey

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ginger

¼ tsp salt

4 tbsp buttermilk

pink food colouring

For the filling and icing:

200g good quality raspberry jam

120g unsalted butter

120g cream cheese

120g icing sugar

raspberries to decorate (don't leave them in the fridge like I did!) 

1. Preheat oven to 160° (140°fan). Grease and line 3 x 20cm tins.
2. Pop all your ingredients into a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until smooth. 
3. If you want to attempt ombre you can divide your mixture and tint. I used pink food colour paste. 

4. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and bake for 25-35 minutes (mine needed 35 minutes).
5. Cut each cake in half and spread raspberry jam between the layers. 
6. For the icing, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, butter and icing sugar until smooth. 
7. Spread the icing all over. You can make it look pretty with some raspberries and a dusting of icing sugar.

Mini Orange Cupcakes

Orange cake is my favourite. I looove a chunky slab of orange pound cake topped with a rich, silky orange egg yolk icing. For these cupcakes I wanted a light springy sponge and an icing that's quick and easy to make. I settled on orangey cream cheese icing. Oh and of course I had to make them mini! 

Mini Orange Cupcakes 

(makes about 30 - but remember they're only wee!)

100g unsalted butter

120g caster sugar (I used golden caster)

2 medium eggs

20g ground almonds

50g half fat crème fraîche

120g self raising flour

¼ tsp baking powder

zest of one orange

3 tbsp fresh orange juice

Orange Cream Cheese Icing:

75g unsalted butter

75g cream cheese

250g icing sugar

zest of one orange

2 tsp fresh orange juice

Sprinkles (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 170° (150° fan).

2. Mix butter and sugar until light and creamy, then stir in the orange zest.

3. Add eggs, crème fraîche and ground almonds. Mix thoroughly until combined.

4. Sift in the flour and baking powder, stir into the mixture. 

5. Finally mix in the orange juice. 

6. Spoon into mini cupcake cases and bake for 12 minutes on the middle shelf.

7. To make the icing beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. 

8. Add the icing sugar, zest and juice. Pipe or spread on your cupcakes.

Mini Carrot Cupcakes

I decided on carrot cupcakes for this weekends bake and as you can see, my obsession with making all things mini continues! They were my contribution to a family Birthday bash and they went down well. I made a big carrot cake too, but I'll share that with you another time.

These nutty mouthfuls of carroty goodness require a little bit of work, but believe me they are sooo worth it!

Mini Carrot Cupcakes (makes 24)

100g self raising flour

25g plain wholemeal flour
75g caster sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking powder
30 walnuts, finely chopped

100g carrot, grated

zest of one orange

1 large egg

125ml sunflower oil

Cream Cheese Icing:

75g unsalted butter, softened

75g cream cheese

200g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C or 160°C for fan assisted.
2. Place the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the grated carrot and orange zest and stir until the carrot is coated.
3. Add the egg and sunflower oil and mix until thoroughly until you have a reasonably thick batter (WARNING: your mixture will most likely look like cat sick - don't worry it'll taste great, I promise!).

4. Fill 24 mini cupcake cases to two thirds full and bake on the middle shelf for 12 minutes.

5. Meanwhile make the yummy cream cheese icing: using an electric mixer beat together all the ingredients until smooth.

6. Pipe or spread onto your cooled cupcakes. To decorate you could make little fondant carrots like I did or use whole or chopped walnuts or perhaps some bright sprinkles - you decide!