Hand-Sculpted Morris Minor Van Birthday Cake Recipe

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Grease and line two deep 20cm square cake tins.

2. Cream the butter and caster sugar together until very pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour if the mixture begins to curdle.

3. Fold in the remaining self-raising and plain flours, then stir in the milk and vanilla until smooth. Divide the batter between the tins and bake for 60-70 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool completely, then wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge overnight—this makes carving much easier.

4. Prepare the buttercream by beating the softened butter with icing sugar and vanilla until light.

5. Stack the two sponges with a layer of buttercream. Use a serrated knife to carve the basic 'van' shape: create the rounded bonnet at the front and the boxy rear compartment. Trim the sides to create the distinctive curved profile of the Morris Minor.

6. Cover the entire carved cake in a thin 'crumb coat' of buttercream. Chill for 30 minutes until firm.

7. Knead the coloured sugarpaste until pliable. Roll it out thinly on a surface dusted with icing sugar and carefully drape over the cake. Smooth down the sides with cake smoothers, paying attention to the van's contours.

8. Use black sugarpaste to create four wheels and attach them to the base. Use white or light grey sugarpaste for the windows and 'split' windscreen.

9. Mix silver lustre dust with a drop of clear alcohol (like vodka) to create an edible paint. Paint on the chrome bumpers, door handles, and the iconic front grille.

10. Add final details like tiny orange indicators and red tail lights to finish.

Notes

Questions