A Kilmarnock baker has won a top industry prize after creating a new cake fit for a Queen.
Lindsay Cairns took the crown in a national competition to craft a new sweet treat to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
Lindsay, from Southcraig, beat bakers from across the country with her recipe for a cake honouring Queen Elizabeth.
Inspired by the Victoria sponge, the new coconut themed cake has been dubbed the 'Elizabeth sponge'.
After being made redundant from her job in sales in 2019, Lindsay turned to cake-making and now runs Cairns Cakes full-time from home.
Lindsay said: "I was inspired by the Victoria sponge which is the most simple, but the most popular cake, so I wanted to create something equally simple, but super-tasty, that involves ingredients that you would be likely to have in the cupboard, or that you could buy easily."
The competition was organised by Delicious magazine and hosted by international gourmet ingredient company Nielsen-Massey Vanillas and saw Lindsey walk away with over £500 of baking goodies.
Lindsay added: "Whatever everyone has planned for the Jubilee, they get to spend time with their loved ones, enjoying some special treats."
The competition was judged by Delicious magazine editors and Nielsen-Massey representatives, who awarded Lindsay the fantastic prize of a retro-inspired, versatile SMEG stand food mixer worth more than £400, and a Jubilee hamper containing a range of baking equipment, including Nielsen-Massey’s favourite vanilla, lemon and orange extracts.
To experience Lindsay’s delicious Jubilee Elizabeth cake, follow the recipe:
Lindsay Cairns’ Coconut Sponge Elizabeth Cake
This simple, yet delicious cake is sandwiched with vanilla buttercream and raspberry jam.
Ingredients
FOR THE SPONGES
- 260g margarine at room temperature
- 260g granulated sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 100ml canned coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey premium vanilla extract
- 25g desiccated coconut
- 300g self-raising flour
- ¼ teaspoon of baking powder
FOR THE FILLING AND COATING
- 200g butter
- 400g icing sugar
- 2 teaspoons gourmet Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract
- Seedless raspberry jam
- Desiccated coconut to taste
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 155 ˚ c (135˚c fan oven)
- Cream the margarine and sugar in a food mixer for five minutes until light and fluffy (scrape around the edge of the bowl half-way through, to make sure everything is incorporated)
- Meanwhile, grease two 6”/15cm cake tins (Lindsay wraps her with baking strips and sprays the tins with cake-release)
- Break the four eggs into a bowl, then add the coconut milk and Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract and whisk together
- Sieve the flour and baking powder in a bowl and add the desiccated coconut
- With the margarine and sugar still mixing, add the egg mixture a little at a time
- When all the egg is incorporated, take off the mixer and slowly mix the flour, baking powder and coconut by hand until the batter is nice and smooth
- Divide the mixture between the two tins and put in the oven
- Bake for around 50 minutes (depending on oven).
- Once cooked though, take the sponges out of the oven and leave for 15 minutes, then turn out on a rack to cool.
- While the cakes are cooling, beat the butter in the mixer for 5-10 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract and icing sugar and mix for a further 2 minutes, until the icing sugar is incorporated and the buttercream is smooth
- When the sponges are completely cool, level the tops of them and cut each one in half horizontally, giving 4 layers
- Sandwich the layers with a good dollop of buttercream and a big spoonful of jam
- Once stacked, coat the entire cake in another layer of buttercream and coat with desiccated coconut
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