Fairy Tale Princess Cake Recipes

PRINSESSTåRTA (PRINCESS CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare 3 baking sheets, greased and lined with baking parchment.
• Beat together the eggs and sugar on high speed in a stand mixer or using a hand-held electric whisk. Beat until the mixture reaches ribbon stage-you will be able to see the traces of the mixture when you move the whisk.
• Use a 8-inch diameter plate to draw three circles on baking parchment. Cut these out and place one parchment circle on each of the three baking sheets. Set aside.
• Combine the flour, salt and vanilla in a separate bowl. Sift into the egg mixture, bit by bit, carefully folding using a figure-of-eight movement until incorporated. Pour the cooled melted butter down the side of the bowl and fold carefully again, trying not to knock out air.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the parchment circles on the baking sheets spreading right to the edges of each circle with the back of a spoon. If they go over a bit, don't worry, you can cut these bits off afterwards.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing the baking parchment. If the parchment sticks, slightly dampen the paper side with cold water and the paper will come off easily. Trim any untidy edges using a sharp knife.
• In a saucepan, heat the milk with the scraped out seeds from the vanilla bean.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar and add the cornstarch.
• When the milk has just reached boiling point, take off the heat and pour one third into the egg mixture while whisking continuously.
• Once whisked through, pour the egg mixture back into the remaining hot milk. Return to the stove and bring to the boil, carefully. Whisk continuously as the mixture thickens, for just under a minute, then remove from the heat and stir in the salt and butter.
• Pour into a cold bowl and place a sheet of baking parchment on top to prevent the cream from forming a crust as it cools. The mixture will keep well in the refrigerator for a few days.
• If using homemade marzipan instead of store-bought, blend the ingredients together in a food processor until you have a smooth marzipan.
• Roll the mixture into a log and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before using.
• Whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar until stiff. Spoon two thirds into a separate bowl. Mix the remaining one third of the whipped cream with the prepared pastry cream.
• Make sure your prepared layer cake bases are completely even in size. If not, trim to fit. Place the bottom layer on your chosen serving plate; you won't be able to move the cake once assembled.
• Spread the raspberry jam/jelly evenly onto the base layer of the cake, then add half of the pastry cream mixture. Top with the second cake layer. Repeat with the remaining jam/jelly and second helping of the pastry cream mixture. Add the top cake layer.
• Using a cake spatula, spread three quarters of the remaining stiffly whipped cream in a thick layer on the top and the sides of the cake. Make sure the cake is covered evenly all over to prevent jam/jelly from seeping out. Some people prefer to shape the cream into a dome; I quite like more of a level top on my princess cake, but it is up to you.
• Next, roll out the green marzipan on a surface lightly dusted with confectioners' sugar or over the top of baking parchment (to prevent sticking). Roll out into a large, even circle, big enough to cover the top and sides of the cake (around 14 inches in diameter).
• Carefully drape the marzipan on top of the cake and peel back the baking parchment, if using. Pull gently around the edges to bring the marzipan down to cover the cake, taking care not to overstretch. Once the marzipan is smoothed over and touching the base all the way around, trim away the excess. Press the edges gently in at the base.
• To make the rose decorations, mold the pink royal icing or marzipan into ¾-inch tall teardrop shapes for the inside buds. Then roll out small round petal-shaped pieces of icing around ¾ x ¾-inch and wrap each one around the bud in layers. Cut the base off and fix the roses on top of the cake. Lastly, roll out the green royal icing or marzipan and cut out leaf shapes to fix by the sides of the rose. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

PRETTY PRINCESS CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a deep 15cm round cake tin, making sure the lining is higher than the top of the tin. Grease and base line a 1 litre ovenproof glass pudding basin.
• Using electric beaters or a tabletop mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and ¼ tsp salt together until pale and fluffy, then pour in the eggs, one at a time, giving the mix a really good beating before adding the next. Add 1 tbsp of the plain flour if the mix starts to look slimy rather than fluffy. Beat in the yogurt.
• Mix the flours; then, using a large metal spoon, fold them into the batter, and spoon into the prepared tin and bowl. The mixture will come almost to the top. Place the bowl and cake tin on a baking tray. Cook in the oven for about 1 hour 40 to 1hour 50 mins. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
• To make the butter icing, put the butter into a bowl and beat well until softened. Gradually beat in the icing sugar. Trim the tops of the cakes level. Slice the pudding basin cake in three and the 15cm cake in half. Using a 5cm round cutter, stamp out the centre of each piece of cake.
• Place one half of the 15cm cake on a cake board. Spread with a little butter icing and place the other half on top. Spread a little icing on this layer and top with the widest layer of the basin cake. Repeat with the other layers. Spread the remaining butter icing all over the assembled cake.
• Take 250g white fondant icing and roll out into a long strip about 7cm wide. Press the edge gently with a teaspoon to give a frilled effect or use a ball tool. Attach to the base of the cake, pushing gently onto the icing.
• Roll out the pink icing to a large circle about 36cm in diameter. Cut a hole from the centre using the 5cm cutter. Cut away just under an eighth section of the icing. Drape the icing over the cake, making the join at the back. At even intervals push up the pink fondant to create a swagged look.
• Spray the cake lightly with the edible lustre. Take the doll and wrap the legs in plastic film. Place the doll in the cake. The top of the cake should come to hip not waist level. Using the trimmings, roll out an oblong of pink icing and wrap around the body of the doll to make the bodice. Smooth the bottom of the bodice onto the top of the skirt.
• Roll out some white fondant and cut out a 9cm circle using a fluted or flower cutter. Cut a small circle from the centre of this and then split one side and place around the waist of the doll, cutting away any excess. Use the remaining white icing to make a large bow and place at the back of the dolls waist.
• Make up the royal icing according to pack instructions. Using a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle (or use a strong plastic bag and cut off the tip), pipe around the edge of the pink skirt. Attach a rose to the top of each swag. Pipe three lines of dots just above the roses going up the dress.
• Pipe across the top of the bodice and half way down the front. Using the icing attach a sugar butterfly to the top of the bodice and one large sugar rose at the waist.