How to Make an Alex Madagascar Lion Birthday Cake

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C (140°C fan/Gas Mark 3). Grease and line three 20cm (8-inch) round cake tins with baking parchment.

2. Cream the softened butter and caster sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer until pale, light, and fluffy. This usually takes about 5 minutes on a medium-high setting.

3. Beat the eggs in a jug and add them to the butter mixture a little at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture starts to curdle, fold in a tablespoon of the flour.

4. Gently fold in the self-raising flour and vanilla bean paste using a large metal spoon or spatula until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared tins.

5. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sponges are golden, well-risen, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

6. For the mane ganache, heat the double cream in a small saucepan until just simmering. Pour over the finely chopped dark chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes before stirring into a glossy emulsion. Allow to cool and thicken to a pipeable consistency.

7. Prepare the buttercream by beating 500g of butter with the icing sugar and yellow food colouring. Level the cooled sponges and stack them with layers of yellow buttercream.

8. Apply a thin 'crumb coat' of buttercream over the entire cake and chill for 30 minutes. Once set, apply a final smooth layer of yellow buttercream.

9. Using the thickened chocolate ganache and a star nozzle, pipe a textured 'mane' around the outer edge of the cake top and down the sides to frame Alex's face. Use the brown fondant to hand-sculpt the ears, muzzle, and distinctive pink nose, positioning them in the centre of the mane for the final character reveal.

Notes

Questions