Alice’s secret garden cake
Serves: 10 generously
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
Photograph by Martin Poole
Alice’s secret garden cake
Recipe by Kim Morphew
Serves: 10 generously
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
848Kcal
Fat
48gr
Saturates
29gr
Carbs
95gr
Sugars
73gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
7gr
Salt
1.4gr
Kim Morphew
London-based food stylist and writer Kim Morphew has been contributing to Sainsbury's magazine since 2008. She is creator of the children's cookery book and baking range, The Kookey Chefs.
Kim Morphew
London-based food stylist and writer Kim Morphew has been contributing to Sainsbury's magazine since 2008. She is creator of the children's cookery book and baking range, The Kookey Chefs.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 60g cocoa
- 300g very soft butter
- 300g caster sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 300g self-raising flour
- 3 large eggs
- 150ml soured cream
For the treacle buttercream:
- 200g softened butter
- 400g icing sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp black treacle
- 1 x 18g pack Dr Oetker wafer butterflies, for decoration
Step by step
Get ahead
Bake the cakes up to a day ahead. Cool, then store in an airtight container. Make the buttercream and assemble just before serving (or the buttercream can be made up to a few hours ahead and stored in a cool place, but not the fridge). The uniced cakes can also be frozen.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Grease and base-line 2 x 18cm round cake tins (at least 7.5cm deep). Put the cocoa into a small bowl and stir in 6 tablespoons boiling water to make a smooth paste.
- Put the butter, sugar, baking powder, flour, eggs, soured cream and the cocoa paste into a food processor or food mixer and whiz until it forms a smooth batter. Pause the food processor to scrape the mixture down and ensure all the ingredients are incorporated.
-
Divide the mixture equally between the prepared tins; level the tops and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn the two cakes out onto a wire rack to cool.TipDip your tablespoon in a jug of kettle-hot water – the heat will make measuring out sticky treacle much easier.
- Meanwhile, make the buttercream. In a bowl, whisk the butter with an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the icing sugar until combined. Add the treacle and whisk again.
- When the cakes are cool, remove the paper bases and discard. If piping, put about a quarter of the buttercream into a disposable piping bag with a large star nozzle (alternatively, you can spread the buttercream on with a palette knife). Put one cake on a plate and pipe or spread swirls of buttercream over the top (refill the piping bag in small amounts, as needed). Top with the remaining cake, and again pipe or spread the buttercream over the top of the cake. Decorate with a few wafer butterflies before serving.
Chef quote
This light chocolate cake is topped with treacle buttercream for added yumminess.
