Delights From The Duchy

Prince Charles’ 70th birthday offers a perfect opportunity to explore the rich food heritage of the Duchy of Cornwall…

Dishes from Cornwall

1 Preheat oven to 180°C, fan oven 160°C, Gas Mark 4. Grease two 23cm sandwich tins and line the bases with non-stick baking paper.

2 In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and caster sugar together with a hand-held electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Stir in the vanilla extract.

3 Fold in flour and salt, using a large metal spoon. Stir in milk gently to form a soft, dropping consistency. Share between the tins, levelling the tops. Bake for 25-30min, when they should be firm yet slightly springy. Cool on a rack for 10min, then turn out. Remove paper and cool.

4 For the frosting: Beat butter until soft and creamy, then gradually add icing sugar, beating well with a wooden spoon or hand-held electric mixer. Spread jam over one sandwich cake. Spread butter icing over underside of the second cake, then sandwich together. Spread butter icing evenly over top and sides of the cake. Leave in a cool place for 2 hours or overnight. 5 For the decoration: Partially roll out regal icing on a work sur face lightly dusted with icing sugar. Add 2-3 drops blue food colouring randomly, fold regal icing over and re-roll until thin to create a marbled effect. Use this to cover the cake, trimming to fit.

6 Using petal paste, model 6-7 fish shapes, cutting straight across the base so they will stand on the cake to look as if they are leaping from it. Leave to set before painting with edible metallic paint. Mark their intended position on the cake. Cut out star shapes and anchor shapes from remaining icing, then paint with gold and silver edible paint.

7 Lightly beat the egg white and add enough icing sugar to make a stiff royal icing. Pipe “waves” along the base of where the fish will be, and add a few tiny edible sprinkles. Put the fish in place and leave to set. Put a dot of icing where you want the stars to be, and position on top. To finish, wrap hessian ribbon and thin rope around the cake and decorate with the anchors.