Number Cake Tutorial/Cream Tart Recipe by Mich Turner

Today’s number cake tutorial/cream tart recipe is extracted from baking supremo, Mich Turner’s latest book – Everyday Bakes to Showstopper Cakes.

This treasure trove of a book does exactly as its title says: it turns classic everyday recipes into wow centrepieces by decorating them with fabulous finishing touches.

Whether you’re a beginner or advanced baker, Mich’s newest offering will take your baking to the next level and make your cakes and bakes truly Instagram worthy!

Over to Mich: “I love the WOW factor of this cake! It is amazingly impressive, colourful and spectacular. A true showstopper – yet relatively simple to create. It is much less time-consuming than some of the other recipes, but because everything has to be made and prepared fresh, it leaves less time for any errors – not that there will be!

(Makes a set of double digits)

Ingredients for the shortcake numbers:

200g (7oz) unsalted butter
200g (7oz) golden caster sugar
1 medium egg, beaten
400g (14oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 tsp baking powder
grated zest of 2 lemons and 1 orange,
2 tsp crushed lavender or 1 tsp rose water (optional)

Ingredients for the filling:

1 litre (13⁄4 pints) double cream
200g (7oz) caster sugar
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
300g (11oz) strawberry preserve

To decorate:

sliced strawberries and raspberries
fresh edible flowers
finely blitzed dried rose petals

Number Cake Tutorial: Method

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C/400°F/Gas 6) and line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper. Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough to a thickness of 5mm (¼ inch).

2 Cut out 2 sets of each of your chosen numerals (or letters) and place on the prepared baking sheet, spaced well apart.

3 Bake for 15–18 minutes or until pale golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

4 When you are ready to fill the numerals, whisk the cream with the sugar and vanilla until softly whipped and holding its shape. Fit a large piping bag with a plain nozzle and spoon in the cream.

5 Place the base numerals/letters in position and pipe beautiful large pearls of cream around the outer edges of the shortcake. Repeat on the inner edge or centre and then spoon or drizzle a little strawberry preserve between the pearls, keeping it contained on the inside.

6 Place the lid of shortcake carefully on top and repeat with another covering of hand-piped cream pearls.

7 Decorate with sliced strawberries, raspberries and fresh edible flowers and finish with a sprinkle of blitzed dried rose leaves.

The undecorated shortcakes can be kept in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Filled and decorated, they are best eaten on the day they are made – not suitable for freezing.

Readers might also be interested in the following: