Golden Wedding Cake
10 oz. (22 cups) self-raising flour
1/4 level teaspoon salt
8 oz. (1 cup) butter or margarine, softened 8 oz. (1 cup) castor (granulated) sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla essence (extract) 1 level teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
(optional)
4 standard eggs
3 tablespoons (3 3/4 T) milk
Golden Butter Cream
8 oz. (1 cup) butter
1 lb. (2 1/2 cups) icing (confectioners') sugar
3 teaspoons lemon juice
Yellow food colouring
Apricot jam (preserves)
Glace Icing
2 lb. (7 cups) icing (confectioners') sugar
Strained juice of 1 lemon
Warm water
Pre-heat oven to moderate (350°F, Gas Mark 4). Brush one 9 in., one 8 in. and one 7 in. round sandwich tin (cake pan) with melted margarine. Line the bases with rounds of greased, grease¬proof (waxed) paper.
Sift together the flour and salt.
Cream the butter or margarine with sugar, vanilla essence and lemon peel until light and fluffy. Beat in the whole eggs, one at a time, adding a tablespoon flour mixture with each. Using a large metal spoon, fold in the remaining flour mixture alternately with the milk.
Transfer to the prepared tins (pans) and bake in the centre and one shelf below centre of the oven for 15 minutes. Reverse the position of the cakes and continue to bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until well risen and golden. Leave in the tins (pans) for 5 minutes then turn out and cool on wire (cake) racks. Peel away the paper.
To make Butter Cream: beat the butter until soft then gradually beat in the sugar and lemon juice. Continue beating until light and fluffy. Heighten colour by beating in the colouring.
Split each cake in half horizontally and sandwich together with apricot jam (preserves) and a little butter cream. Stand the cakes one on top of the other (largest at the base) and hold in position with a little butter cream. Put on a large rack.
To make glace icing: sift the sugar into a large bowl and gradually mix to a smooth, semi-stiff icing with lemon juice and water. Pour over the top of the tiered cake and allow it to fall down the sides and find its own level; any thin patches should, however, be covered with icing by spreading it on with a knife (spatula).
When the icing has set firmly, carefully transfer the cake to a silver board and pipe lines of butter cream along the lower edge of the bottom cake and also where the tiers join. Decorate with yellow and gold ornaments, flowers, etc.
