WHAT'S COOKING IN KILDARE: Try these showstopping cakes!

The ultimate showstopper for Christmas. “I first made this cake as a present to the staff of Rotherham Leisure Complex,” says Rahul Mandal.

“They got to taste a lot of pre-Bake Off cakes – it was like a weekly ritual.”

Chocolate, orange and mint candy cane cake

Ingredients

(Serves 6–8)

For the cake:

l 120ml boiling water

l 100g cocoa powder

l Zest and juice of 2 oranges

l 500g caster sugar

l 200g Greek yogurt

l 150g salted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

l 5 medium free-range eggs

l 300g self-raising flour

l ½tsp baking powder

l 3tbsp finely chopped mint leaves (or 1½tbsp dried mint)

l 1tsp peppermint extract

For the peppermint buttercream:

l 250g unsalted butter, at room temperature soft

l 475g icing sugar (sifted)

l 1–2tbsp whole milk

l 1½tsp peppermint extract

l 4–5 candy canes, crushed

For the peppermint drip:

l 75ml double cream

l 100g white chocolate, chopped

l Red food colouring gel

l ½tsp peppermint extract

For assembly and decoration:

l 2–3 red-and-white spiral lollipops

l 20–25 candy canes

Method

1. Make the chocolate, orange and mint cake. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease three 15-centimetre cake tins with butter and line with baking paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the boiling water, cocoa and orange zest and juice using an electric whisk until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining cake ingredients, then whisk for about one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more and whisk for another 30 seconds.

3. Divide the batter equally between the prepared tins and bake for 45–50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

4. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in their tins for 10–15 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Make the peppermint buttercream. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter using an electric whisk for about five to 10 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time. The colour of the butter should transform from yellow to pale cream as you keep whisking.

6. Sift in half of the icing sugar and mix very well for about five minutes, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the rest of the sugar. Whisk well for another five minutes.

7. Add one to two tablespoons of milk, depending on the consistency of the buttercream, and mix well, then add the peppermint extract and whisk to combine.

8. Remove about a third of the buttercream and place in a separate bowl, along with the crushed candy canes. Mix to combine: this will be the filling. The other two-thirds of the peppermint buttercream will be used for coating the cake.

9. Make the peppermint drip. Place the cream and white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high power in 30-second bursts until the chocolate is melted. Add the red food colouring and peppermint extract and mix well. Pour into a piping bag and set aside until needed.

10. To assemble and decorate – use a little of the peppermint buttercream to secure one of the sponges on a 20-centimetre cake board or cake stand and place on a cake turntable. Spread half the candy cane-filled buttercream on top, smoothing it out using a small spatula, then top with the second sponge. Spread this with the remaining candy cane-filled buttercream, then top with the third sponge.

11. Coat the sides and top of the cake with a crumb coating of the peppermint buttercream, then chill in the fridge for about an hour.

12 Remove the cake from the fridge and use the remaining buttercream to give it a final, smooth coating. Return the cake to the fridge for a further 30 minutes.

13. Cut 10–15 of the candy canes into small pieces and arrange them side by side around the base of the cake, pressing them into the icing.

14. Cut a two to three-millimetre hole in the end of the piping bag filled with the drip mixture and pipe some drips down the sides of the cake. Pour the rest of the drip mixture on top of the cake and smooth it out. Return the cake to the fridge for another 30 minutes to set.

15. Once set, remove the cake from the fridge and decorate the top with the remaining candy canes. This can be kept in the fridge for a few days. While storing, take the candy canes off to save some space.

Raspberry and cream Swiss roll

Master the swirl with this classic bake.

Ingredients

(Serves 8–10)

For the vanilla sponge:

l Butter, for greasing

l 3 large free-range eggs

l 1tsp vanilla bean paste

l 90g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting

l 80g plain flour

l For the raspberry jam:

l 250g frozen raspberries

l 180g jam sugar

l Zest of 1 lemon

For the cream filling:

l 100g clotted cream

l 200ml double cream

l 1 1/2tsp vanilla bean paste

For decoration:

l 400g fresh raspberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/gas mark 5. Grease a Swiss roll tin and line with baking paper.

2. Make the vanilla sponge. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and sugar using an electric whisk for five to seven minutes, until tripled in volume and reached ribbon stage.

3. Sift the flour on top, then fold it in using a spatula or metal spoon, working gently but swiftly, to avoid knocking too much air out of the batter.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and spread out using a spatula. Bake for nine to 10 minutes until lightly golden.

5. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool slightly in the tin for five minutes. Lightly dampen a clean tea towel by spraying it with water. Place the tea towel on the work surface, and position a piece of baking paper slightly larger than the tin on top of the towel. Dust the baking paper with some caster sugar.

6. Carefully flip the Swiss roll tin on top of the baking paper, then remove the tin and carefully peel the lining baking paper from the bottom of the sponge.

7. With the help of the dampened tea towel, slowly start to roll the sponge inside the fresh sheet of baking paper, starting at the short end. Once rolled completely, let it cool.

8. Make the jam. Place 200g of the raspberries in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the sugar and cover, then bring to the boil. Once the mixture starts to boil, remove the lid.

9. Once the temperature of the jam reaches about 105°C, boil for a further two to three minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the jam does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

10. Take the pan off the heat and add the remaining raspberries, along with the lemon zest. Mix well.

11. Make the cream filling. In a large bowl, whisk the clotted cream with the double cream and vanilla, using a balloon whisk until you have stiff peaks. Don’t over-whisk.

12. Transfer half the cream to a second bowl and fold in two to three tablespoons of the cooled raspberry jam to create a rippled cream. Place both bowls of cream in the fridge until needed.

13. Assemble and decorate. Unroll the sponge and then spread all the rippled cream over the surface. Drizzle the rest of the jam on top.

14. With the help of the baking paper on the outside of the sponge, roll up the sponge tightly. Cover the Swiss roll with the tea towel and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to one hour to set.

15. Once set, remove from the fridge and remove the tea towel and baking paper. Cut both ends of the Swiss roll to reveal the spiral. Use the non-rippled cream to coat the outside of the sponge.

16. Arrange the raspberries on the Swiss roll as shown in the photo. The roll can be kept in the fridge for about a day.

Showstopping Cakes by Rahul Mandal. Photography by Maja Smend. Available now.