Del Monte®Fruit Cocktail Confetti Cake
This stunning celebration cake would make a brilliant centrepiece for any gathering. Add a couple of festive decorations or cake toppers for an extra special touch!
Serves: 24
Preparation time: 1hr
Cooking time: 45min
You will need: 2 X 20cm square, lined cake tins; candymaker’s thermometer. If using round tins, you will need 2 x 22/23cm (9”) tin.
Cake ingredients:
- 500g soft butter
- 500g caster sugar
- 1tbsp vanilla extract
- 300g plain flour
- 200g ground almonds
- ½tsp salt
- 4tsp baking powder
- 8 medium eggs
Ingredients for decorating:
- 3 large egg whites
- 200g caster sugar
- 75ml water
- 300g soft butter, diced
- 2 cans (415g) Del Monte® Fruit Cocktail in Juice, drained
- Silver lustre spray (optional)
To Make:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, Fan Oven 160°C, Gas Mark 4. Line two (or just one if you are making half the recipe) cake tins with baking parchment.
- In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer, add the butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, almonds, salt and baking powder.
- Add one egg to the butter mix along with a spoonful of the flour mix and beat in. Repeat with the remaining eggs and at the end fold in the remaining flour.
- Tip into the prepared tins and spread out. Bake for about 45min, until risen and firm and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin before removing.
- To make the meringue buttercream, put the egg whites into a stand mixer and whip until they hold firm peaks. At the same time, dissolve the sugar in the water in a small pan and bring up to the boil. Boil until it reaches 121°C. Pour the hot syrup into the mixer in a thin, steady stream, with the whisk still going so it gets beaten into the egg white. Keep beating until the outside of the bowl has cooled to room temperature – up to 10min. Now beat in the soft, diced butter, one chunk at a time, until you have a smooth, creamy mix.
- Transfer one cake to a board and top with a third of the Italian meringue buttercream. Sandwich the second cake on top. Now use the remaining buttercream to ice the sides of the cake.
- To finish the cake, spread the drained Del Monte® Fruit Cocktail over the top of the cake. You can embellish with silver lustre spray if you like, and add seasonal cake toppers.
Cook’s tip: Preserve the juice from the Del Monte® Fruit Cocktail as it’s great for making homemade ice lollies, cordials and more.
Pick up Your Best Ever Christmas magazine, in shops now. Take a look at what’s inside the pages, it’s packed with everything you’ll need for a magical Christmas including brilliant recipes for edible gifts, luscious nibbles, cheesy feasts and dreamy desserts! The magazine comes with a free crafting mini-mag, too!
