The Garden of Cakely Delights

This is a little number I whipped up recently.  The chocolate and almond chequered cake inside is super easy to make (see instructions below) and I went a bit mad with the cake decorating using whatever I had in my cake tool box.  I think you'll agree the result is pretty cool though.  It tastes pretty delicious too!

And...here's how you make it: 1. Preheat oven to 180C. 2. Set aside three 8 inch greaseproof cake tins. 

3. Prepare two cake mixtures: (i)Almond: mix together 175g unsalted butter, 175g caster sugar, 3 beaten eggs, 175g self raising flour, 1tspn almond extract, 2 tblsn milk. (ii)Chocolate: mix together 175g unsalted butter, 175g caster sugar, 3 beaten eggs, 175g self raising flour, 50g cocoa powder, 2 tblsn milk.

4. Have two piping bags ready with 1cm nozzles. 5. Fill piping bags with mixture. 6. Starting from the outside edges of one of your cake tins make a bull's eye pattern- with the chocolate mixture on the outside. Repeat this for the second cake tin.  For the third cake tin, start with the almond mixture on the outside edges.  6. Put the three mixtures in the oven for 30 minutes. 7. Leave cakes to cool for 20 minutes. 8. Stick the three cakes together using white chocolate ganache (50g butter, 150g white chocolate, 125g whipping cream melted together in glass bowl over a saucepan of boiling water).

9. Decorate as you please!! (I love the garden theme- lots of flowers and butterflies. It reminds me of Alice in Wonderland!)