CHOCOLATE COLLAR CASTLE CAKE

This cake is a showstopper for fairy tale fans. The chocolate collar becomes the turrets of a castle and the cake is topped with a sugarcraft prince and princess – but you could easily substitute a kissable frog, a magical wizard or a gallant knight.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED 3 x 20cm diameter cake tins, greased and base-lined with baking paper; a baking tray; a shallow container lined with kitchen paper; a sugar thermometer; a small cake-decorating paintbrush; 70 x 18cm acetate sheet (from craft shops or online), cut in the shape of a turret; a pastry comb (available online)

Serves 12

For the sponges

450g (1lb) self-raising flour

1tsp baking powder

450g (1lb) unsalted butter, softened 450g (1lb) caster sugar

7 eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

2tbsp orgeat syrup (an almond syrup available from specialist shops or online) Pink edible glitter, for sprinkling

For the almond crème diplomat

75g (2¾oz) caster sugar

3 egg yolks

10g (¼oz) plain flour, sifted

10g (¼oz) cornflour, sifted

250ml (9fl oz) whole milk

75g (2¾oz) ground almonds 1tbsp white rum (optional)

100ml (3½fl oz) whipping cream, whipped until thick

For the rhubarb

400g (14oz) rhubarb, finely sliced 75g (2¾oz) caster sugar

1½tsp vanilla extract

1tbsp white rum (optional)

For the meringue buttercream

225g (8oz) caster sugar

2 egg whites

350g (12oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced

1tsp vanilla paste

For the prince and princess

50g (1¾oz) each blue, violet, skin-tone and yellow rolling fondant (see box, right)

Black food-colouring gel

For the chocolate collar

200g (7oz) 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate, broken into pieces

STEP 1 For the sponges, heat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl. Place the butter and sugar in a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth.

STEP 2 Divide the mixture equally between the 3 tins, smoothing the top of each. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cakes are firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack, remove the paper and allow to cool completely (see tip, below right).

STEP 3 For the almond crème diplomat, which is a light pastry cream, whisk the sugar and egg yolks together until pale, then stir in the plain flour and cornflour. Heat the milk to just below boiling point, then gradually whisk into the sugar and egg mixture. Pour back into the pan, and whisk over a medium heat until thick. Stir in the almonds and the rum (if using). Pour into the baking tray and cover the surface with clingfilm. Chill until firm, then fold in the whipped cream. Chill again until needed.

STEP 4 For the rhubarb, place the rhubarb, sugar, vanilla and rum (if using) in a pan and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes. Drain and discard the liquid. Tip the rhubarb into a shallow container lined with kitchen paper and allow to cool completely.

STEP 5 For the meringue buttercream, boil the sugar and 75ml water in a pan until it reaches 110°C on a sugar thermometer. Place the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk until stiff. Gradually pour in the sugar syrup, whisking. Beat in the butter, a cube at a time, then beat in the vanilla paste. Allow to cool, then chill until ready to use.

STEP 6 For the prince and the princess, use violet and blue fondant for the bodies, skin-tone fondant for the heads, arms and legs, blue and violet for the shoes, and yellow for the hair and crowns. Dip the paintbrush in water and use to assemble the figures, then dip the paintbrush in black food-colouring gel and paint on the features.

STEP 7 To assemble the cake, brush the sponges with orgeat syrup. Place a sponge on a cake board, top-side down, and spread with half the almond crème diplomat (see picture A) and half the rhubarb (B). Repeat with another sponge and the remaining almond crème diplomat and rhubarb. Top with the third sponge, top-side down (C).

STEP 8 Spread the meringue buttercream around the sides and over the top of the cake and smooth with a palette knife (D). Sprinkle with the edible glitter (E).

STEP 9 For the chocolate collar, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (see tip, page 43). Remove from the heat and cool for 5-10 minutes. Place the turret-shaped acetate on a sheet of baking paper and spread the chocolate over it (F and G). Pull the acetate towards you after spreading, so that you can see the turret shape and leave behind any spillages on the baking paper.

STEP 10 Set aside for a few minutes to set slightly, then use the pastry comb to scrape horizontal lines in the chocolate, to make it more malleable and bendable.

STEP 11 Allow the collar to set until it is pliable, then slowly wrap it around the cake, sticking it to the buttercream (H). Set aside until the chocolate is set, then carefully peel away the acetate. Place the cake on your serving board and position the prince and princess on the top.