How to Bake a Painted Flower Cake

To bake

Pre-heat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3.

Grease and line an 8 inch round cake tin with baking paper.

Place the unsalted butter and caster sugar in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the beaten egg a little at a time, beating thoroughly between each addition.

Sift the self-raising, plain flour and ground almonds together.

Fold into the mixture with the orange rind and juice to make a soft dropping consistency.

Turn the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake until golden brown and a skewer come out clean.

Leave in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out on to a cooling wire.

To decorate

Split the cake using a sharp knife and sandwich with jam and buttercream.

Place the sponge cake on a 10 in cake board and cover the cake with a thin layer of the remaining buttercream.

Knead 1 kg Renshaw White Ready to Roll Icing until pliable before rolling out. Lightly dust your work surface with icing sugar and roll out the icing to the desired thickness. Gently lift and smooth the icing down the sides and over the cake board with the palm of your hand.

Trim the excess icing from the edge of the cake board. To give sheen to the surface, smooth with the palm of your hand. Leave to set for 24 hours

Find a pretty flower pattern you would like to paint on top of your cake. If you cannot draw free hand, trace the picture onto greaseproof paper.

Place the pattern on top of the cake and gently emboss the pattern onto the icing. Alternatively if you find a flower cutter you like gently press this into the icing when the icing is soft.

Add super white powder to the food colour paste of your choice to get different shades of colour and to slightly dry up the food colouring so it is not to wet when you paint onto your cake.

A little water can be added to adjust the consistency of the edible paint. Follow the pattern you have embossed onto your cake as a guide.