Michelle Darmody: Easy to make celebration layer cakes and my secret to perfect icing

The cake recipes you need to make any occasion special 

With these recipes you won't order in a cake again

I always think of layer cakes as decadent, they are a real treat for a special occasion. They usually look great as well as tasting good with layers stacked up and filled with either icing, whipped cream, or jam. You can decorate them as elaborately as you wish with edible flowers or fruit or simply pallet buttercream icing all over.

A heavy sponge-type cake is generally best for layering — one that is not too light and airy or too dense. When cutting a cooled cake into discs it is best done with care. Hold the cake steady with one hand and use a long serrated knife, such as a bread knife, to cut the cake, gently turning it as you do.

Try to cut as straight as possible to have an even surface to sandwich back together, making sure the cake is cooled first will help. To get a really even cut you can measure the side of your cake with a ruler and place cocktail sticks where you need to cut.

To smooth the buttercream it is easiest to use a palette knife if you have one.

Most professional bakeries will use a turntable so the cake is easy to turn as you smooth the icing. A cheaper tool to purchase is a cake scraper. This is a thin piece of plastic that will allow you smooth out the icing evenly.

Earl grey butter sponge

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Earl grey tea adds a gentle citrus flavour to this delicious cake

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 35 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 5 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 120g soft butter

• 180g golden caster sugar

• 2 eggs and add this to the mixture.

• 190g plain flour

• 1 tsp baking powder, sieved

• 1 tbsp earl grey tea leaves, liquidised to a rough powder

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 120mls milk

• 45g dark chocolate

• For the icing:

• 80mls milk

• 12g earl grey tea leaves

• 220g soft butter

• 200g cream cheese

• 390g icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a 7-inch round cake tin with parchment.

2. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the eggs until combined.

3. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and tea leaves and add this to the cake mixture. Slowly beat in the milk.

4. Scoop the mixture into your prepared tin and flatten on top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Once cool enough to handle transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5. To make the icing add the milk and earl grey into a heavy based saucepan and simmer over a low heat for about five minutes. Set aside to infuse for about an hour them strain.

6. Beat the butter, sugar, and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add in the infused milk and beat until combined. If it is too soft to pallete you can either place in the fridge for a while or add a little more icing sugar.

7. Cut the cake into three discs. Spread icing onto two of the discs and stack them on top of each other. Put the third disc on top and pallette the remaining icing all over the cake.

8. Decorate as you wish

Pecan cake with soft chocolate icing

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Full of autumn flavours, this grown up cake will suit tea or after dinner

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 35 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 5 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 225g soft butter

• 200g golden caster sugar

• 225g self-raising flour

• 2 tsp of baking powder, sieved

• 100g pecan nuts, finely chopped

• 3 eggs

• 20mls maple syrup

• 20mls strong coffee

• For the icing:

• 150g soft butter

• 250g icing sugar

• 50g cocoa powder

• 2 tbsp cold strong coffee

• 1 tsp vanilla

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a 9-inch round tin with baking parchment. A springform or loose-based tin works best.

2. Beat the softened butter and the sugar attachment until it is light and fluffy. In another bowl combine your other ingredients.

3. Add these to your butter and sugar mix and mix slowly until everything is combined.

4. Bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

5. To make the icing, whip the butter and sugar in a large bowl until very soft, pale, and fluffy. Add the vanilla and coffee and continue beating.

6. Once the cake has cooled, cut it into two even discs.

7. Spread a layer of the icing in the centre and sandwich the discs back together.

8. Cover the cake in a layer of the icing. Decorate as you wish.

Vanilla and raspberry jam cake with coconut

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

This is a real showstopper, using old-school flavours that are always crowd-pleasers

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 30 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 260g golden caster sugar

• 270g soft butter

• 5 eggs

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 3 tbsp coconut milk

• 350g self-raising flour, sieved

• 45g desiccated coconut

• To decorate:

• 100g good quality raspberry jam and a tablespoon extra for coating the cake

• 450g solid coconut cream, chilled

• 1.5 tbsp icing sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 15g toasted coconut flakes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C and line a 7-inch springform tin with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

2. Mix the eggs and vanilla with the coconut milk. Add the egg mixture slowly and if it begins to separate add some flour.

3. Once the eggs are combined stir in the flour and coconut with a spatula and make sure they become completely mixed into the other ingredients.

4. Scoop the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for an hour and a half or until a skewer comes out clean. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool fully.

5. Once cooled cut the cake through the centre so that you have two even discs.

6. Spread the jam in the centre and sandwich the discs back together. Take an extra tablespoon of jam and melt it with half a tablespoon of warm water.

7. Brush this over the entire cake to make it easier to ice, it will stop crumbs getting into the icing.

8. To make the icing, make sure to discard the runny liquid and only use the solid coconut cream. It is also important to have it chilled as it whips up better. With the whisk attachment in a mixer whisk the coconut cream and vanilla with the icing sugar until and stiff enough to spread on the cake.

9. Spread it on top and around the sides of the cake with a spatula. Press the coconut flakes into the icing while it is still soft