Banoffee Nest Cake

METHOD

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 4 and line two 15x7cm deep cake tins with baking paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until it's light and smooth.
3. One by one, add the eggs with 1 tbsp of flour in between each addition to avoid the mixture curdling. Add the vanilla extract, the remaining flour and Banoffee Pie Flavour Hot Chocolate and mix until well combined.
4. Stir through the white chocolate chips, then add 2 tbsp of milk to loosen the mixture.
5. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared cake tins and bake for 40–45 minutes until golden and springy to touch. Once cooked, leave to cool in the tins for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Caramel Buttercream

1. Combine the butter and icing sugar until smooth, pale and fluffy.
2. Add 2 tbsp of milk and 4 tbsp of caramel sauce and mix it through.

To Assemble the Cake

1. Cut both your sponge cakes in half horizontally so you have four layers in total.
2. Fit a piping bag with an open star nozzle and fill the bag with your caramel buttercream. Pipe a small blob onto a cake board and position your first layer onto the board to secure it in place. Pipe blobs of buttercream around the sponge layer, so it's completely covered. Repeat this step with each layer until all layers have been stacked, then pipe a final round of buttercream across the top of the cake.
3. Alix has decorated her cake with sliced banana and a chocolate nest using vermicelli noodles and melted chocolate. Head to mykitchensdrawer.com for the full recipe, including how to make the nest.