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.
2 Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl and then add the beaten egg to combine. Gently fold in the flour and vanilla bean paste and mix until a dough forms. Wrap the dough in cling film/sarin wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
3 Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough to a thickness of 5mm (¼ inch).
4 Cut out 2 sets of each of your chosen numerals (or letters) and place on the prepared baking sheet, spaced well apart.
5 Bake for 15–18 minutes or until pale golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
6 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.
7 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.
8 Place the lid of shortcake carefully on top and repeat with another covering of hand-piped cream pearls.
9 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:
- Croquembouche Wedding Cake Recipe by Hannah Miles
- Malted Chocolate Cake with Bailey’s Irish Cream Ganache
- The Perfect Drip Cake Tutorial
- Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Terrazzo Frosting
- Easy Summer Fruit Tart Recipe
- Wildflower Wedding Cake Tutorial
- Buttercream Flower Tutorial
- Decorated Swiss Roll/Jelly Roll Tutorial
- Floral Buttercream Hatbox Cake Tutorial by Valeri Valeriano & Christina Ong
- Vintage Floral Buttercream Cake Tutorial by Carey Madden
