This post is sponsored by Kenwood.
During the festive season, one of my favourite things to do is some Christmas baking. There is something so cosy and inviting about the scent of cakes or cookies baking in the oven at this time of year – it’s almost better than getting to eat them!
So today I thought I’d share a festive cake recipe that is both simple to make and delicious. It’s my Spiced Sponge Cake – something I’ve been making with both my gran and my mum since I was a child. I have such great memories of baking at Christmas when I was younger, and making this spiced cake always makes me feel so nostalgic.
One of my most vivid memories is doing Christmas baking with my gran with her really old Kenwood food mixer – she had been using it when my mum was a child in the 1960s and it was still going strong when she was baking with me in the 1990s. It was a huge, sturdy mixer that likely made thousands of cakes over the years.
Of course, nowadays Kenwood have an amazing range of modern food mixers with all sorts of features – you can check out their range here. It would make the perfect Christmas gift for anyone who loves baking – my gran’s lasted for over 30 years, so you can trust me when I say they are worth the investment!
Festive Spiced Sponge Cake
Ingredients
For the sponge
8oz unsalted butter or margarine
8oz caster sugar
80z self-raising flour
3 large eggs
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp mixed spice
For the icing
5oz unsalted butter
10oz icing sugar
1 tbsp milk
2 tsp ground cinnamon
For the garnish
3 sprigs of rosemary
a handful of pomegranate seeds
Method
1. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl.
2. Add eggs and flour gradually, mixing through until you get a thick batter.
3. Add in baking powder and mixed spice. Taste mixture to see if it has enough spice – this is down to personal preference!
4. Divide mixture into 3 sandwich tins.
5. Pop into the oven for 15-20 mins at 200 degrees (180 for fan assisted).
6. While the cakes are baking, make a start on the buttercream. Cut butter into small blocks and add into a bowl. Gradually add icing sugar and mix together. Add in milk if it the mixture is too thick.
7. Add in cinnamon and mix through. Again, taste mixture to see if it has enough spice!
8. After the cakes are baked and cooled, spread icing in-between layers.
9. Spread icing over the top of the cake, making sure it is even. Then start to spread the icing down the sides of the cake, using a knife to make sure it is smooth.
10. For the ‘nearly naked’ icing effect, add only a small amount of icing to the sides of the cake and use a knife to spread out the icing, rotating the cake as you go.
11. Garnish the top of the cake with some rosemary sprigs and pomegranate seeds – it’ll look like a wreath!
There you have it! That is my super-simple recipe for this festive spiced sponge cake. I’d love to hear about your experiences with Christmas baking and what you like to make during the festive season. Also – if anyone does attempt this recipe please to let me know! I’d love to hear how you get on with it.
