Key Lime & Vanilla Cake

This key lime sponge cake is so easy and requires no skill at all. You need a weighing scale and an oven which majority of you own already. The ingredients will already be in your pantry, if not, then an excuse to go shopping :) This recipe can be customised to any flavour you like too; we thought we'd give it a spring/summer twist using fresh lime juice and the zest, for the extra kick. Equipment: x3 6 inch round cake tins, lined and greased with a thin layer of flour. Cake Ingredients:

• 500g self-raising flour
• 360g caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 limes - zested and juiced
• 180ml vegetable oil
• 365ml cold water

Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180c fan, line, grease and flour three round 6-inch tins. 2. Sift the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. You can sieve in your freestanding mixing bowl if using. 3. Whisk the wet ingredients together in one bowl. Once all appropriately combined, add the wet to the dry and mix into a smooth batter. 4. Divide the mixture between the tins. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. 5. Remove from the oven once the cakes are baked. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and continue to cool at room temperature. For more sharpness in taste, you can brush it with lime syrup. Lime Syrup:

• 2 limes - zested and juiced
• 85g caster sugar
• 30ml water

Method: 1. Mix the lime juice, water and sugar in a pan. Over medium heat, allow the syrup to thicken slowly. Allow the sugar to melt and slowly bring the mixture to the boil. 2. Once it has thickened, remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool. Add in the lime zest and mix. 3. Once the sponges have cooled, poke holes using a skewer and brush the syrup on gently. The sponges can be served as they are with the brushed syrup, or layer them up and decorate them with buttercream. Buttercream:

• 500g unsalted butter - softened at room temperature
• 1kg icing sugar
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 1.5 tbsp vanilla paste (you can use extract too)

Equipment:

• Lazy susan/Turntable
• Disposable piping bags
• Nozzles of your choice (we used Wilton: 1M & 2D)
• Fuschia gel paste
• Melon gel paste
• x2 Offset palette knife
• x1 flat palette knife
• Wooden toothpicks
• Bench scraper
• x1 8 inch Cake board

Method: 1. In a freestanding mixer bowl with a paddle attachment, whisk the butter at high speed for 5 minutes. It should turn paler. 2. Add the sieved icing sugar in two stages. Be sure to cover the bowl with a cloth, as it will go everywhere like snow! 3. Add the vanilla paste and cold water. The buttercream should be smooth but not too soft otherwise it will fall off the cake when crumb coating and decorating. 4. Smear a little bit of buttercream on a cake board and place one sponge on top it. Smooth buttercream on top of the sponge using an offset palette knife and continue stacking smearing till you have a tower. 5. For the sides, use an offset palette knife and smear buttercream. It doesn't need to be perfect, just enough to lock in the crumbs. Chill in the refrigerator till buttercream is set. 6. Divide the leftover buttercream. Using a toothpick, colour one fuschia and the other melon. Start small, if you want it to be a deeper colour add more using new toothpicks each time. 7. Decorate as you wish, if you want to create a pastel tone, smear and scrape using the bench scraper. Or you can decorate with the nozzles. Entirely up to you. Tips:

• Ensure the buttercream is soft, if you think it's dry, give it a massage while it's in the piping bag. This will also remove any air bubbles.
• For a two-toned colour effect: lay out a large piece of cling film. Spoon the yellow buttercream in a straight line and the same with the fuchsia, side by side. Roll the cling film tightly like a sausage. Snip off one end and place in the piping bag with a nozzle. Squeeze some out to get the desired colour.

Chocolate drip:

• 150g dark chocolate
• 150g double cream

Method: 1. Over a bain-marie melt the dark chocolate and double cream together 2. Pour in a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle or a squeezy tube. Be sure the cake is cold, and the chocolate is cool. You don't want it warm otherwise the buttercream will seize and melt. 3. Do section at a time, and adjust your squeeze if you need to. Add sprinkles carefully to the drip. Best eaten on the day. Slice up and store in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator. It will keep well for five days. There you have it, your own baked and fully decorated cake. Tastes extra delish and looks fancy. Make it for a birthday, wedding or party — pairs nicely with strawberry sorbet.