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Vanilla Bunting Cake
Soft layers of vanilla sponge meet sweet buttercream and fruity jam in this celebratory showstopper. Wrapped in a smooth layer of white fondant, the clean exterior provides a blank canvas for colorful, edible bunting decorations. You can easily customize the fondant flags to match your party theme or spell out a special message. It's a rewarding baking project that'll make any birthday feel truly extraordinary.
Ingredients
- 2 x 350g unsalted butter
- 2 x 350g caster sugar
- 2 x 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 x 6 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 x 300g plain flour
- 2 x 50g cornflour
- 2 x 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 x pinch of salt
- 2 x 4 tablespoons milk
- 400g seedless raspberry or apricot jam or lemon curd
- 250g unsalted butter
- 500g icing sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- 1kg ready-roll white fondant icing
- 200g sugarpaste or fondant icing
- 100g royal icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 2 x 23cm round cake tins
- 2 x 15cm round cake tins
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan or gas mark 4). Arrange the oven shelves near the middle so the cakes have plenty of room to rise.
- 2Grease two 23cm round cake tins and line the bottoms with buttered baking parchment.
- 3Prepare the first batch of vanilla sponge batter using half of the listed butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs, flour, cornflour, baking powder, salt, and milk.
- 4Divide the first batch of batter evenly between the two prepared 23cm tins. Smooth the tops into an even layer using a palette knife or the back of a spoon.
- 5Bake the cakes for 30 to 35 minutes until the tops are golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- 6Let the baked cakes rest in their tins for 3 to 4 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack. Cooling them slightly in the tin prevents the delicate crumb from breaking.
- 7Wash and dry one of the 23cm tins, then grease and line it along with two 15cm round cake tins.
- 8Mix the second batch of sponge batter with the remaining cake ingredients and divide it among the newly prepared tins. Bake the 23cm cake for 30 minutes and the 15cm cakes for 20 to 25 minutes.
- 9Transfer the finished cakes to a wire rack to cool completely before assembling with your buttercream, jam, and fondant icing.
Notes
- Decoration: Customize the fondant bunting to match your party colors or spell out a name using edible markers or piped icing.
- Cooling: Ensure the cakes are completely cool before applying the buttercream and fondant so the frosting doesn't melt and slide off.
- Make ahead: Bake the sponge layers up to a day in advance. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap once cooled and store at room temperature.
- Filling: Whip the 250g butter, 500g icing sugar, vanilla, and 2-3 tablespoons of milk to create the buttercream filling.