Winter Wonderland Cake

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In partnership with Thermapen

Special occasions and holidays demand a spectacular celebration cake and I have just the recipe for you.

Picture this: moist and fragrant orange and white chocolate cake sandwiched with cranberry Swiss meringue buttercream and decorated with meringue kisses and marbled cookies.

The inspiration for this girly cake came from those slightly kitsch pink plastic Christmas trees that were once popular – and currently making an ironic comeback. Let’s break this Christmas layer cake down to its elements, shall we?

Orange and White Chocolate Cake

This uses my favourite sponge cake recipe which is very easy to make in a food processor or a electric mixer.

This cake uses the reverse creaming method in which the dry ingredients are first mixed with butter before the liquid ingredients are added.

The sponge is flavoured with the zest of two whole oranges and has grated white chocolate folded into the batter.

Cranberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Swiss meringue is quite possibly the most delicious frosting in the world. It is made with egg whites, sugar and lots of butter – quite similar to Italian buttercream but easier to make.

My ally when making this buttercream – and indeed many delicate recipes such as macarons – is my trusty Thermapen Professional.

This versatile gadget is a must-have whether you are making jam, patisserie or roasting meat. It has an auto-rotating display that can be used in any position, in either hand.

The backlit display senses varying light levels and you get an accurate temperature reading in just 3 seconds. This is especially important when making caramel or this buttercream.

Getting the “Winter Wonderland” Look

• White chocolate drip: Yes this is a ‘drip cake’ technically! The drip can be made with white chocolate or white candy melts and cream at a ratio of 2:1.
• Marbled cookies: I love the look of marbled cookies and they are so much fun to make – if a little messy. Mix food colouring into thinned royal icing and dip your cookies to get the look.
• Meringue kisses: I love having some of these handy to add to cakes! You can also buy them ready-made.
• Final touches: pink sprinkles, candy canes and a little grated white chocolate complete the look.

Orange and White Chocolate Cake Step by Step

Step 1. Add all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder/soda and salt) to the bowl of a food processor or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pulse briefly to mix together.

Step 2. Add the cubed butter and pulse/mix again until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Step 3. Mix the eggs and orange zest together. Gradually add the eggs and process for a minute until well incorporated.

Step 4. Gradually add the milk mix together for two minutes until the batter is smooth and evenly mixed. Stop the mixer and use a spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl – especially if using a stand mixer.

Step 5. Fold in the grated chocolate, divide between the cake tins and bake for 30 minutes. Cool before frosting.

Cranberry Buttercream Step by Step

Step 1. Bring water, sugar and cranberries to a boil then simmer until reduced – about 20 minutes. Strain the cranberries and reserve the juice and pulp. Cool before using.

Step 2. Put the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and stir with a balloon whisk to combine.

Step 3. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.

Step 4. Keep whisking until the mixture reaches 70C (160F) on your Thermapen. The mixture will take a little while to come to temperature so keep a watchful eye, you don’t want to scramble the egg whites!

Step 5. Fit the mixing bowl onto the mixer and beat with the whisk attachment at high speed for about 10 minutes, until you have peaks and the bowl has cooled down.

Step 6. Start adding the butter, one big chunk at a time, waiting until each has been mixed in before adding another.

Step 7. Once the butter is incorporated, add the reserved cranberry syrup, turn speed to medium-high and beat until the buttercream is smooth and forms peaks. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.

Assemble the Cake

Step 1. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of the bottom cake layer. Spread the reserved cranberries inside the ring, pipe more buttercream on top of the jam and smooth. Top with the second layer and repeat the process.

Step 2. Pipe or smooth a thin layer of buttercream (crumb coating) over the entire cake. Use a palette knife to smooth the top of the cake letting the buttercream spread over the edges.

Step 3. Use a side scraper to smooth the buttercream on the side of the cake – using a turntable will make this easier.

Step 4. Chill the cake for 30 minutes before applying a second layer of buttercream to cover the cake. Repeat the process to smooth the buttercream for a clean finish.

Step 5. Drizzle the white chocolate around the perimeter of the cake, letting it drip down the side.

Step 6. Tint any extra buttercream with a little pink food colouring (if you like) and pipe on top of the cake.

Step 7. Decorate with marbled cookies, meringue kisses, candy canes, sprinkles and a little of the grated white chocolate.

Have You Made My Winter Wonderland Cake?

Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #Nusde. I can’t wait to see your take on it!

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