2 eggs
150g (5oz) plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder
For the filling
100ml (3½fl oz) raspberry or strawberry jam (or make your own)
200ml (7fl oz) crème chantilly) or vanilla buttercream icing
Icing sugar, for dusting
Dragées (metallic sugared balls), to decorate (optional)
12-hole fairy cake tin
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas mark 5. Line a 12-hole fairy cake tin, or a 24-hole tin for mini cakes, with 12 (or 24) paper cases.
2 Cream the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
3 Add the eggs, one at time, beating continuously, then sift in the flour and baking powder. (If you are pushed for time, and the butter is sufficiently soft, put the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour and baking powder into an electric food mixer and briefly whiz just until the mixture comes together.)
4 Divide the mixture evenly between the paper cases using two teaspoons for mini cakes or two dessertspoons for larger ones. Cook in the oven for 8-12 minutes, or until golden and springy to the touch. (The mini cakes may take just 5 minutes.) Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool.
5 When cooled, cut the top off each cake, then cut the tops in half to make the butterfly wings. Set aside. Spread half a teaspoon or so of jam on the top of the cut cake, then spoon or pipe the crème chantilly or buttercream on top of the jam. Arrange two butterfly wings at an angle on top of each cake. Dust generously with icing sugar and decorate with dragées, if using.
VIENNESE BISCUITS
Sometimes called ‘whirls’, these little rosette-shaped biscuits are made with icing sugar and cornflour to give a wonderful melt-in-the mouth texture. You’ll need a piping bag to shape them.
MAKES ABOUT 15 BISCUITS OR 30-35 MINI BITE-SIZED ONES
110g (4oz) butter, softened
50g (2oz) icing sugar, sifted
1 egg yolk
½-1 tsp vanilla extract
150g (5oz) plain flour
25g (1oz) cornflour
Pinch of salt
Piping bag
1-1.5cm (½-⅝in) star nozzle
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4.
2 Cream the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the icing sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until combined.
3 Sift in the flours and salt and mix well to form a dough.
4 Spoon the dough into a cloth piping bag fitted with the star nozzle and onto a lined baking tray pipe 5cm (2in) ‘S’ shapes, or circles or rosettes for bite-sized ones, spaced 5cm (2in) apart to allow them to spread. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until pale golden brown.
5 Leave on the baking tray for 2 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool.
VARIATION
Paired biscuits: Sandwich similar shapes together with butter icing or buttercream or apricot jam; or dip in melted chocolate.
BUTTER-FREE SPONGE CAKE
This is a good lesson in cake-making for the novice baker: how to combine eggs, water and sugar into the perfect light fluffy ‘mousse’ before folding in the flour. Once you have mastered the basic cake recipe, the decorations and the filling are up to you, but I’ve given a classic combination here.
SERVES 6-8
3 eggs, separated
225g (8oz) caster sugar
90ml (3fl oz) water
150g (5oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp icing sugar, for dusting
For the filling
250ml (9fl oz) whipped cream
100g (3½oz) fresh fruit, such as sliced strawberries, whole raspberries or blackberries
Two 20cm (8in) diameter sandwich tins
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Butter and flour the sides of the sandwich tins and line the bases with greaseproof paper.
2 Place the egg yolks and sugar in an electric food mixer and beat for 2 minutes. Pour in the water and whisk for approximately 10 minutes or until the mixture is firm and creamy.
3 Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold in gently with a metal spoon or spatula.
4 In a separate, spotlessly clean bowl, beat the egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks, then fold them into the flour mixture very gently, again using a metal spoon or spatula.
5 Divide the mixture between the two prepared tins, smooth the surface and bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until just set in the centre.
6 Remove the cakes from the tins by loosening the edges and allow to cool on a wire rack, then sandwich with the whipped cream and fruit. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
