Kite in the Clouds Cake

This week a very good friend of mine was leaving her current job to move on to something new. She wanted me to make a cake to celebrate all the good times and wonderful people she has been working with over the last few years. We discussed all the options for what would make up the delicious core of the cake and decided on a luscious lemon madeira with lemon butter-cream icing. The cake itself is a 9 inch square cake, which I covered in delicious lemon butter-cream before covering it neatly in 'cloudy' fondant icing. The kite is actually one of Enable Ireland's logo which my friend really wanted to incorporate into the cake. The result is a bright and colourful cake which looked quite the treat for her coffee morning! 

Lemon Madeira Cake

Ingredients (for a 9 inch square cake)

340g sugar

340g butter

520g self-raising flour

6 eggs (beaten)

3 lemons (juice and zest)

Method

1. Beat together the sugar and butter until pale and creamy.

2. Add the beaten egg a little at a time.

3. Add the lemon juice and zest of 2 lemons and mix well.

4. Finally fold in the flour and mix gently until all the ingredients are combined.

5. Spoon the mixture into a lined tin and cook in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes at 180C. 

    To check the cake is ready, dip a sharp knife into the centre of the cake and continue to cook 

    until the knife comes out clean.

Lemon Buttercream Icing

Ingredients

140g butter

300g icing sugar

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Method

Mix all ingredients togther using a handheld mixer until light and fluffy.

The Decoration

- The cake features a colourful kite which I modelled out of fondant icing. Colouring fondant can 

   be quite time consuming, but I always leave left over colours in sealed bags for odds and 

   ends on different cakes. Once the icing isn't exposed to air it will keep for some time, and 

   save you a lot of time!

-  I achieved the 'cloudy' or marbled effect on the cake by twisting a blue and white sausage of 

   fondant together repeatedly until achieving the desired effect

- The lettering was achieved by cutting out a selection of different coloured circles and choosing 

   complimenting colours and letter cutters to write the message.