Alex Luck//Hearst Owned

Celebration Geode Cake

Name: Celebration Geode Cake
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 1 h 40 min
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Yield: 30 serving(s)
Ingredients: 600 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease; 600 g caster sugar; 9 medium eggs, beaten; 650 g self-raising flour; Finely grated zest 2 large oranges; 150 mL good quality elderflower cordial, we used Belvoir; 125 g unsalted butter, softened; 125 g caster sugar; 2 medium eggs, beaten; 125 g flour; Finely grated zest ½ large orange; 40 mL elderflower cordial; 500 g unsalted butter, softened; 900 g icing sugar, sifted, plus extra to dust; Finely grated zest ½ large orange; 75 mL elderflower cordial; 1 .5kg white sugar paste/fondant icing; 200 g light grey sugar paste/fondant icing, see GH Tips; Gold edible paint; Deep purple, light purple and white candy sugar crystals, large and small, see GH Tips; 20 .5cm cake drum; A fine paintbrush

Far easier to make than you think and mightily impressive to look at. We think this would make a stunning wedding cake for a smaller gathering.

By The Good Housekeeping Cookery TeamPublished: 14 June 2021

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This showstopper cake is a brilliant way to celebrate any special occasion!

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Yields:

30 serving(s)

Prep Time:

2 hrs

Cook Time:

1 hr 40 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 40 mins

Cal/Serv:

881

Ingredients

For the 20.5cm cakes

600 g
unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
600 g
caster sugar
9
medium eggs, beaten
650 g
self-raising flour
Finely grated zest 2 large oranges
150 ml
good quality elderflower cordial, we used Belvoir

For the 15cm cake

125 g
unsalted butter, softened
125 g
caster sugar
2
medium eggs, beaten
125 g
flour
Finely grated zest ½ large orange
40 ml
elderflower cordial

For the buttercream

500 g
unsalted butter, softened
900 g
icing sugar, sifted, plus extra to dust
Finely grated zest ½ large orange
75 ml
elderflower cordial

For the icing

1
.5kg white sugar paste/fondant icing
200 g
light grey sugar paste/fondant icing, see GH Tips

Gold edible paint
Deep purple, light purple and white candy sugar crystals, large and small, see GH Tips

You will also need

20
.5cm cake drum
A fine paintbrush

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Grease and line the base and sides of 2 x 20.5cm round, 8.5cm deep cake tins and 1 x 15cm round, 8.5cm deep cake tin with baking parchment.
2. Step 2For the 20.5cm cakes, using a freestanding mixer or handheld electric whisk and a very large bowl, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a spoonful of flour if the mixture looks like it’s about to curdle.
3. Step 3Beat in orange zest. Using a large metal spoon, fold in (remaining) flour, followed by the elderflower cordial. Divide between the 20.5cm tins and smooth to level. Bake for 55min-1hr, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean (cover tins with foil after 40min if cakes are browning too quickly). Cool in tins for 10min, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Step 4Repeat batter making the 15cm cake, baking for 35-40min, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool as above.
5. Step 5To make the buttercream, using a freestanding mixer or handheld electric whisk and a large bowl, beat butter until pale and creamy. Add half the icing sugar and, starting slowly, beat to incorporate. Add remaining icing sugar, orange zest and elderflower cordial and beat until light and fluffy, about 2min.
6. Step 6Slice all 3 cakes in half horizontally. Sandwich back together with a layer of buttercream. Spread a thin smear of buttercream on the cake drum, then stack on the 20.5cm cakes, sandwiched together with a layer of buttercream. Spread the top with some more buttercream and then sit the 15cm cake on top. Spread top and sides of stacked cake with a scant layer of buttercream, smoothing as neatly as possible for a cleaner finish. Reserve remaining buttercream.
7. Step 7For the icing, squeeze the white sugar paste/fondant into a large, fat sausage. Roll grey sugar paste/fondant into 2 thin sausages the same length as the white and stick on either side. Now twist, roll out, break in half and stick back together until you get a marbled appearance. Shape into a disc.
8. Step 8Lightly dust a work surface with icing sugar and roll out the marbled fondant until it’s large enough to cover the whole of the cake (see GH Tips). Lightly dust the top of the sugar paste/fondant with icing sugar, then loosely roll it up on the rolling pin. Quickly transfer on to the cake, unrolling from the base of one side of the cake and over the top. Using your hands, smooth the sugar paste/fondant on to the cake and drum, working from the top down and paying attention to the angles. Trim excess and transfer to a cake stand or plate.
9. Step 9Next cut a slight diagonal, tapered crack into the cake from top to bottom, at its widest about 11cm, and 4cm at its deepest. Neatly spread a thin layer of buttercream inside the crack. Using a fine paintbrush, paint a thin line of edible gold paint on to the icing around the crack.
10. Step 10Working from the centre of the crack out, and using the darkest, largest rock sugar candy first, stick them at irregular angles into the buttercream. As you work outwards, choose lighter and smaller pieces, ending with white around the edges. You can also gently bash the larger pieces with a rolling pin to make smaller, irregular pieces to stick on. The aim is to have no buttercream visible and to make it look like an amethyst.
11. Step 11 Serve and get ready for the astonishment!

Get ahead

Make and cool cakes up to a day ahead. Wrap well in clingfilm. Assemble up to a day ahead. Store at cool room temperature.

GH Tips

• You can also use a different colour to marble into the white icing. Or if you can’t find light grey sugar paste/fondant, you can dye your own using black food colouring gel or paste.

• An easy way to check whether your sugar paste/fondant is large enough is to use a piece of string to measure up the side, over the top and down the opposite side of the stacked cake. Cut the string to this length, then lay it on to the rolled-out sugar paste/fondant to check.

• You can buy a variety of coloured and white candy sugar crystals on amazon and eBay, including lots of different shades. Avoid getting them too small as they’ll be fiddly to stick. You can knock them with a rolling pin to crack into more realistic crystal shards.

• You’ll need about 175g in total of varying shades and sizes of candy sugar crystals. If you can’t find the purple-coloured shades, decorate all in clear and then paint with purple colouring gel/paste thinned down with water or vodka.