{happy friday} it's Jubilee cake time!

Who doesn't love a good cake and what better time to get baking than to celebrate Liz's Diamond Jubilee?! Today {I've


 just finished it!} I baked this 3 layered beauty! Isn't it a peach?


I created my cake recipe using


 recipe as a base of reference. I'm not much of a fan of artificial colourings so for the colours I used blackberries for red and blueberries for blue. It makes an otherwise


 indulgent cake somewhat healthier and totally gives you one of your five-a-day!

If you'd like to know how to make it, well, read on!


OH NO Rachio! Jubilee Red, White and Blueberry Cake


{the cake}

375g Margarine

375g Caster Sugar

375g Self-raising Flour

6 Big Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla Essence

Blue and Red Food Colouring

A Splash of Milk

1 Small Punnet Blueberries

1 Small Punnet Blackberries

{the icing}

300g Caster Sugar

Pinch of Salt

5 Big Eggs Whites

500g Butter (unsalted) - cubed

1 tsp Vanilla Essence

1. Preheat the oven to 180C {fan}. Grease the base and line three (if you have them, or one at a time if like me you only have one!) circular cake tins - mine are approx. 19cm.

2. Cream the sugar and the butter together in a bowl until soft and fluffy - there should be no gritty feel of sugar granules. Beat in the eggs, one at a time and add the 2 tsps of vanilla essence. Then fold in the flour a little at a time (if the mixture seems to thick add a splash of milk).

3. Divide the mixture between three bowls as equally as possible and add a punnet of each fruit to two of the bowls, leaving the last one plain - you can add a teaspoon of almond extract if you want to jazz it up a bit! Mix in the fruit and squish it about until the batter has an even colour and there are no chunks of berry left.

4. Pour the three cake mixtures into your three tins (or pour in one and cover the others until needed) and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top {tip}: stick a skewer or cocktail stick into the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean the cake is cooked!

5.  Once the cakes are cooked, take out of the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes {this part is really important!}. Then remove from the tin and take off the paper from the bottom..place on a wire rack if you have one and allow to cool


{the icing}

1. Fill a big bowl (or the sink) with cold water. Pour 100ml of water into a pan and add 250g of the caster sugar. Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves then bring the mix to the boil. Use a damp pastry brush or silicon implement to push down any sugar crystals from the sides of the pan. Boil the mixture on a very high heat without stirring until it reaches 120C - use a kitchen thermometer to test.

2. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until stiff - I use an electric hand whisk, but it is do-able by hand! When the egg whites form stiff little peaks add in the last 50g of the caster sugar and continue to whisk until the mixture seems smooth.

3. As soon as the syrup reaches 120C take the pan and plunge the base of it into cold water to stop the mixture from continuing to heat - just for a few seconds.

4. Pour the syrup into the centre of the egg white mixture slowly with the electric whisk on


 speed and continue to whisk for 8-10 minutes {tip}: if the syrup gets to thick to pour, briefly put it back onto the hob to reheat.

{note: this making buttercream is a messy business - I managed to coat the kitchen in it so electric whisk it with some caution - oops.}

5. Gradually whisk in the butter and add the salt and vanilla essence - keep whisking - it might look a little gross or curdled but be persistent, it should soon turn to smooth buttercream!

Finally - take your three cakes and spread with a thin layer of your favourite jam to stick them together. If the cakes are a little wonky, don't worry, just try to patch them together level with buttercream {see below!}. Pop in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes and when done, take from the fridge and begin to slather on and spread evenly the buttercream icing! {I did one layer, then refrigerated it for 10 mins the did another layer}.

et voila...you have an AWESOME Jubilee cake!