Kit Kat M&M Cake

For this cake, I stacked up six layers of white cake with vanilla buttercream and covered the outside with ganache- the recipes for these are the same as the ones I used for the Creme Egg Cake. I then simply broke up a lot of regular-sized KitKats (about 2 packs) and arranged them around the outside, and poured M&Ms over the top.

Tragically, I was about one Kit Kat away from being able to cover the entire circumference (no one seemed to notice the difference... after all, how could you criticise a cake slathered in ganache, laden with Kit Kats and M&Ms and dusted with copious amounts of glitter?).

The Kit Kats comfortably stayed in place because the ganache wasn't too thin but you could also tie a ribbon around the outside for extra support and decoration.

Golden Syrup Loaf Cake

Recipe from The Domestic Princess

Golden Syrup Loaf Cake

Ingredients:75g light muscovado sugar
75g unsalted butter, softened
150g golden syrup
75ml water
75ml milk
200g plain flour, sifted
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
To glaze:1-2tbsp golden syrup

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/mark 3 and grease and line a 1lb loaf pan.

2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and set aside.

3. Add the milk and water to a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Slowly add the hot milk and water to the butter and sugar mixture, whisking continuously. Add the golden syrup and whisk until combined.

4. Add the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and mix together until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

5. Brush 1-2 tablespoons of golden syrup over the top of the cake and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate & Caramel Layer Cake

Recipe from The Little Loaf

Chocolate Caramel Layer Cake

Ingredients:
For the vanilla and chocolate sponges:
150g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
100g plain yogurt
120g self-raising flour
60g ground almonds
2/3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
For the caramel and chocolate caramel sponges:
150g unsalted butter
100g light brown muscovado sugar
50g dark brown muscovado sugar
2 eggs, beaten
50 ml milk
120g self-raising flour
60g ground almonds
2/3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
For the ganache:
100g dark chocolate, chopped
100g milk chocolate, chopped
220ml double cream
To assemble:
300g salted caramel

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/mark 4 and grease and line two 18cm (7 inch) cake pans.

2. For the vanilla and chocolate sponges, sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside. Cream together the butter ans sugar, then add the eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated. Fold in the yogurt, flour, ground almonds, baking powder and vanilla extract until combined. Transfer half the mixture into one of the prepared pans and mix the cocoa powder into the remaining batter, then add to another one of the prepared pans.. Bake for 20 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middles of the cakes comes away clean.

3. For the caramel and chocolate caramel sponges, sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside. Cream together the butter ans sugars, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Fold in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and vanilla extract until combined. Mix in the milk and transfer half the mixture into one of the prepared pans. Mix the cocoa powder into the remaining batter, then add to another one of the prepared pans.. Bake for 20 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middles of the cakes comes away clean.

4. For the ganache, break up the chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a gentle simmer and pour over the chocolate, then stir until the chocolate has completely melted. 

7. Once the cakes have cooled, place the vanilla sponge on a plate and spread about a third of the caramel over the top. Sandwich the caramel sponger on top and spread over another third of the caramel. Place the chocolate caramel sponge on top and spread the remaining caramel over the top, then layer on the chocolate sponge.

8. Once the ganache had cooled, spread it in a thin layer over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate for about an hour, until the ganache has set, and use the remaining ganache to add another, thicker layer to the cake.