Angel layer cake slices

Angel layer cake was my go-to when I was younger and had a few extra pennies. I would take myself to the corner shop and buy those familiar branded packets of angel cake slices. I still love the subtle colours and flavours of this cake and I wanted to create a homemade version, but I think the idea of baking multiple layers can be daunting, so I’ve devised a simple recipe that gives us layers without needing separate tins. Hardly any of the work but all of the beauty.

Credit: Penguin Books

• serves

  8

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Cake

• 250 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the tin
• 250 g caster sugar
• 5 medium eggs
• 250 g plain flour, sifted
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract
• a few drops of pink gel food colouring

Icing

• 200 g fondant icing sugar (see Note)
• About 2 tbsp (30-45 ml) water
• pink and yellow gel food colouring

Cooling time: at least 1 hour.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan 170°C or gas mark 5) and grease and line a 20 x 30cm Swiss roll tin.
2. Start by putting the butter and sugar in a bowl and whisking till the mixture is light and creamy. Add the eggs in, one by one, till each one is incorporated well. Add the flour and mix for 2 minutes till you have a smooth batter.
3. Add half the batter into the base of the cake tin and level off into a thin layer. Give the tin a few sharp taps to really level off the surface and remove any air bubbles.
4. To the rest of the batter, add the vanilla and almond extracts and a few drops of the pink food colouring and mix till it’s an even pink colour. Spoon into a piping bag.
5. Pipe evenly over the white cake layer and spread gently to level off the top, making sure not to ripple or mix with the batter underneath. Tap the tin a few times on the work surface to release any air bubbles.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. Take out and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. Put the fondant icing sugar in a jug with the water and keep mixing till you have a thick mixture that drips slowly and coats the back of a spoon.
8. Pop a drop of yellow food colouring onto one side and pink on the other, leaving the middle bit white.
9. Using a skewer, mix in each of the colours, keeping them as separate as possible.
10. Set something underneath the cooling rack to catch the excess icing. Pour the mixture onto the cake and see what happens – you should see the colours blend and swirl to make a mesmerising, coloured pattern. Once the icing has stopped running, pop onto a serving dish and slice up your simple angel cake.

 

NOTE

• Fondant icing sugar contains dried glucose syrup. This keeps icings soft and glossy (e.g. on sponges and Bakewell tarts). It is not commonly available in Australia, but you can use icing sugar instead in this recipe.

Recipe and image from Nadiya’s Everyday Baking by Nadiya Hussain (HB$55, Michael Joseph / Penguin Books).  

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.