“In The Pink” Layer Cake

Preparation time: 1hr 15min plus cooling Cooking time: 30min Serves: 16

INGREDIENTS ◆ 350g baking margarine ◆ 350g caster sugar ◆ 6 medium eggs, beaten ◆ 400g self raising flour ◆ 1 tsp rose flavour ◆ Pink food colour gel ◆ 1 tsp good quality vanilla extract ◆ 1.4kg vanilla butter icing ◆ 75g mini marshmallows ◆ Pink rose petals to decorate

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan Oven 160°C/Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease 4 x 18cm Victoria sandwich tins. Put the margarine in a mixing bowl with the caster sugar and whisk together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs until well blended. Sift the flour into the bowl and carefully fold the flour into the whisked ingredients.

2 Divide the mixture in half and add the rose flavour and pink food gel to one half, and add the vanilla extract to the other. Divide the mixture equally between the tins and smooth over the tops. Bake for about 30min until risen, golden brown and just firm to the touch. Cool for 5min then turn out onto a wire racks to cool completely.

3 Carefully cut an 8cm round from the centre of 1 plain and 1 pink cake. Colour 900g of the icing with pink food gel and use some to lightly spread over 1 uncut sponge and the 2 cut sponges. Layer alternately on top of each other and transfer to a serving plate or board.

4 Spread a little more pink icing on top and fill the centre with the mini marshmallows. Place the remaining cake layer on top and press down gently. Spread a thin layer of the pink icing over the top and sides of the cake.

5 Put a large closed star nozzle in the bottom of a large piping bag and roll down the bag edge to halfway. Carefully put in a heaped tablespoonful of the uncoloured icing down one side of the bag, and then spoon in an equal amount of the pink down the other side. Roll the sides of the bag up and gently press and squeeze the icings down the bag evenly until they reach the nozzle. Twist and seal the bag in the usual way.

6 Holding the bag horizontally to the side of the cake, starting at the top edge, pipe the icing in clockwise swirls evenly around the side of the cake – aim for rows of 3 rosettes. Top up the icing bag as above when necessary. Cover the top in rosettes in the same way. Scatter rose petals on the top to serve.