So tonight we're looking at some cake recipes that are fab for baking when you have a cake to decorate.

When I am baking for a birthday or a special occasion I like a cake that's quite dense, because it needs to be able to be iced without being crumbly.

I have to admit - for the first time publicly that I have often bought a packet vanilla cake mix and added the juice and rind of an orange to give it flavour. There is something about packet cakes that lend themselves well to being iced. Essential is using the baking paper to line the tin because it gives nice clean lines to the cake. If I needed a large cake I baked it in a roasting dish, which usually required 3 packets - 3x cake batter.

For those who want a more traditional recipe here's an nummy orange cake recipe:

180g butter
150g castor sugar
170g self-raising flour
pinch of salt
1/4 t baking powder
3 eggs
3T orange juice
grated zest of 2 oranges

will make a 20 cm cake tin (approx) If wanting bigger double or triple the recipe.

Preheat oven to 180oC

Beat butter and sugar till soft and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt 3 times. Fold in the sifted ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with orange juice, starting and ending with flour. Finally add in grated orange rind and combine well.

Pour batter into a prepared cake tin - lined with baking paper. Bake for 35 - 40 mins till a skewer inserted comes out clean (cooking times will vary if you increase the batter, use a bigger tin so the mix is more shallow etc)

Leave cake to cool completely before decorating.

This cake is moist and very orange-y and YUM!

Well I have hunted the house down and can't find my recipe - have had it for YEARS in the same place and nobody has touched it, but go to get it now and it's gone, typical! I have done a bit of research though and I think this cake may just fit the bill - give it a whirl...

Mile-high chocolate cake

This four-layer stunner may just render all your other chocolate-cake recipes obsolete. A generous amount of sour cream keeps the cake layers tender and moist, and the frosting is a glossy triumph. It's a natural fit for practically any get-together—from a simple family birthday celebration to an elaborate dinner party.

Ingredients
For cake:

150g fine-quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped 
225g unsalted butter, softened
2 and 3/4 cups sifted flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature for at least 30 minutes
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups sour cream

For frosting:
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
100g fine-quality unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped 
750g unsalted butter, at room temperature

Equipment: 2, 22cm round cake pans

Preparation
Make cake:

Preheat oven to 180°C with rack in middle. Butter cake pans, then line bottom of each with a round of baking paper.

Melt chocolate with butter, then cool.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Beat eggs and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and thick, 3 to 5 minutes. At low speed, mix in melted chocolate until incorporated, then add flour mixture in 3 batches alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until each addition is just incorporated. Spread batter evenly in pans and rap pans several times on counter to eliminate air bubbles.

Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans and a wooden pick inserted in center of each comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. 

Cool in pans on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges of pans. Invert onto racks and discard paper, then cool completely, about 1 hour.

 
Make frosting and assemble cake:

 
Whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, then add milk and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture boils and is smooth and thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate until smooth. Transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature, covering surface with baking paper to prevent a skin from forming. 

Once cool, beat in butter in small amounts at a time with an electric mix till whipped and creamy frosting.

Happy Cooking,

K