BBC Food: Mary Berry makes a 'sunshine cake'
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The Platinum Jubilee weekend is fast approaching and budding chefs across the country are putting on glamorous spreads for their nearest and dearest. Mary Berry’s sunshine cake is a great crowdpleaser for such an occasion. This is her special recipe.
This sponge cake variation is a wonderful alternative to a classic Victoria Sponge.
Both kitchen novices and cooking aficionados alike can try out this uncomplicated recipe.
Mary Berry’s Sunshine Cake takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.
The cooking time for this sweet treat is between 10 and 30 minutes.
This means that Jubilee party throwers need not spend all day in the kitchen, and can enjoy their own festivities.
The recipe serves eight people.
And packed with veggie goodness, it is suitable for vegetarians.
What better way to celebrate such a momentous occasion in history than a Sunshine Cake?
Ingredients
For the cake
225g/eight ounces of self-raising flour
175g/six ounces of caster sugar
One tsp baking powder
Four large free-range eggs
225ml/eight fluid ounces of sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
100g/three and a half ounces of carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
100g/three and a half ounces of overripe banana, mashed
100g/three and a half ounces of courgettes, coarsely grated
75g/two and three quarter ounces of chewy dried banana slices, broken into pieces
For the icing
100g/three and a half ounces of butter, softened
100g/three and a half ounces of full-fat cream cheese
One tsp vanilla extract
225g/eight ounces of icing sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas four. Grease two loose-bottomed 20cm/eight inch sandwich cake tins before lining the bases with baking paper.
Cakes
Add the flour, sugar and baking powder to a large bowl. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, before adding the oil, carrot, banana and courgettes. Stir these ingredients into the eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together using an electric whisk until fully mixed.
Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until well risen and lightly golden. Leave the mixture in the tins to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely. As the cakes cool, they will shrink a little in appearance.
Icing
Place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until mixed fully. Add the vanilla and half of the icing sugar and whisk again. Then, add the remainder of the icing sugar and whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Carefully spread half of the icing over one cake. This can be done with a spatula or knife. Place the cakes together to form a sandwich, then spread the remaining icing on the top and swirl for decoration. Add the dried banana slices in a ring or spiral on top of the cake. Finally, cut the cake into slices and enjoy.
The chef offered a top tip for chefs who want to get started on their baking early.
Bakers can make the Sunshine Cake a day before and iced on the day of serving.
The un-iced cake also freezes well.
Speaking about her sunny recipe, Mary Berry said: “This cake is a joy – banana, courgette and carrot are the hidden gems that children will not realise are there!”
“It really does remind you of summer and sun,” she told BBC Good Food.
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