Number 0 cake tin recipe

Shaped number cakes can make a great focal point for a birthday or anniversary celebration but what do you do when the tin arrives with no recipe? As I'm helping out at the 90^th Anniversary Weekend Opening for the National Garden Scheme I've got a list of cakes to make. One of us has the 9 tin and I've got the zero! I thought I had better test it out before the big baking day happens.

For this cake I've gone classic with a Victoria Sponge. The mixture quantities I have used are for what I would use for a 7'' Victoria Sandwich cake so if you wanted to make another type of cake I would go for one for a 7'' round cake. Usually I would bake a Victoria Sandwich cake for around 25 minutes but this needed 5 minutes longer as it is baked as a single layer. I did cut it in two with no problems and then filled it with jam.

Equipment: Number 0 cake tin made by Eurotins measuring 10'' (25cm) tall x 8'' (20cm) wide x 2.5'' (6cm) deep, baking parchment, large bowl, electric whisk/beaters, wire rack.

Ingredients

6oz (170g) Unsalted butter, softened or baking spread plus extra for greasing

6oz (170g) Caster sugar

6oz (170g) Self-raising flour

1½ tsp (7.5ml) Baking powder

½ tsp (2.5ml) Vanilla extract

3 Eggs

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.

2. Cut out three strips of baking parchment around 2.5'' (6cm) wide. Lay the tin on the baking parchment and draw round the outer and inside of the tin. Cut out.

3. Grease the sides and bottom of the tin and then put the parchment in place. Two strips should fit round the outer side and the other one the inside.

4. In a large bowl put all the ingredients and then whisk together for several minutes until it is all mixed together well.

5. Transfer the mixture to the tin and evenly spread around. It should only reach about halfway up.

6. Put the tin in the oven and gently shut the door (closing it too fast can cause the sponge to sink).

7. Cook for around 30 minutes and test it is cooked by checking that a skewer comes out clean.

8. Carefully turn the sponge out onto a wire rack and remove the baking parchment before turning the right way up.

9. Leave to cool completely before cutting in two to fill with jam and/or cream. You may also want to dust the top with icing sugar.