Jubilee bundt cake
Create a showstopping centrepiece for your street party or special occasion. The homemade jam is flavoured with a wine-based aperitif, said to be a favourite drink of Queen Elizabeth II. If you’re short on time, you can replace the homemade jam with 300g/10½oz ready-made raspberry jam.
For this recipe you will need a 20cm/8in silicone bundt mould, a 23cm/9in springform cake tin,1 small and 1 large star-shaped piping nozzle and piping bags.
Ingredients
For the bundt cake
- 285g/10oz butter, softened
- 285g/10oz caster sugar
- 5 large free-range eggs
- 285g/10oz self-raising flour
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp full-fat milk
For the sponge
- 225g/8oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 225g/8oz caster sugar
- 4 large free-range eggs
- 225g/8oz self-raising flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp full-fat milk
For the jam
- 115g/4oz strawberries
- 115g/4oz raspberries
- 100ml/3½fl oz Dubonnet
- 225g/8oz granulated sugar
For the buttercream
- 285g/10oz butter, softened
- 500g/1lb 2oz icing sugar, sieved
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp full-fat milk
To decorate
- approximately 18 glacé cherries, halved
- 8 raspberries
- 8 blueberries
- icing sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. To make the bundt cake, in a mixer or large bowl mix together the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time with one tablespoon of flour. Mix until the egg is only just incorporated into the mix. Using a metal spoon, fold in the remaining flour a third at a time and finally fold through the vanilla and milk.
Transfer the mix to the bundt mould and cook for 45 minutes. Insert a skewer into the middle of the cake to check it is cooked. Use kitchen foil to cover the top should it need a little longer and to avoid it turning too brown on top. Leave to cool to room temperature then turn out of the mould and set aside.
To make the sponge, follow the same steps as for the bundt cake but using the measurements for the sponge. Grease a 23cm/9in springform cake tin and line with baking paper. Pour the mixture into the tin and cook for 30 minutes. Insert a skewer into the middle of the cake to check it is cooked. Use kitchen foil to cover the top should it need a little longer and to avoid it turning too brown on top. Leave to cool to room temperature then turn out of the tin and set aside.
To make the jam, chop the strawberries into quarters and put them in a bowl. Cover with the Dubonnet and let them soak for 10 minutes.
Strain the fruit, reserving the Dubonnet, and add them to a saucepan along with the raspberries, granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of the reserved Dubonnet. Increase the heat to medium–high until the mixture has a full rolling boil. Reduce the heat to medium, stirring continuously, and simmer away for approximately 25 minutes or until the jam has thickened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
To make the buttercream, use an electric mixer or whisk to beat the butter until light. Add a third of the icing sugar and continue to beat until well incorporated. Add the vanilla extract, milk and remaining icing sugar and mix until the buttercream is light and fluffy. This will take approximately 3 minutes.
To assemble, slice the sponge cake in half and spread all but 3 tablespoons of the jam on the bottom half of the sponge. Using a piping bag, pipe two thirds of the buttercream on top of the jam using a large star-shaped nozzle then place the other half of the sponge cake on top.
Trim the base of the bundt cake to ensure it is flat. Place the remaining jam into the centre top of the sponge cake and place the bundt cake on top. Using the small star-shaped nozzle, pipe the reserved buttercream decoratively around the exposed sponge and place the halved cherries on top to cover the join between the sponge and the bundt. Use the remaining buttercream to stick the raspberries and blueberries in place – a raspberry on the very top of each bundt peak and the blueberries around the outside. Dust with icing sugar.