Galactic Mirror Glaze Cake

Heat the oven to 180C, 160C fan, gas mark 4. Grease and then line 3 x 7” round cake tins with baking parchment. Beat the butter with the brown sugar and caster sugar until creamy and pale. Gradually beat in the eggs, and then mix in the Vanilla Extract. Mix the flour, Baking Powder, cinnamon and ginger then sieve into the bowl with the butter mixture, gently fold together. When almost combined add the milk and continue to fold until smooth. 

Divide the mixture equally between the tins, smoothing the tops, bake for 25mins or until an inserted skewer comes out clean and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.

Place the butter in a mixer and beat until smooth and glossy. Add the icing sugar in 4 intervals ensuring the icing sugar is incorporated after each addition. 

Add the lime zest and Lemon Extract and beat the buttercream until whipped and light, if the buttercream is too firm beat in a few tsps. of milk to loosen.

Using a serrated knife cut the peaked tops off the sponge layers to flatten. Place one sponge layer on a cake board the same size as the cake (7” diameter). Smooth a layer of buttercream on top of the sponge and sandwich with another sponge layer, smooth another layer of buttercream on top and add the final sponge layer. Cover the top and side of cake in a crumb coat of buttercream and smooth. Place the cake in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. 

Once the cake has chilled add another coat of buttercream on the top and sides of the cake ensuring it is smooth. Place the cake back in the fridge to chill and set the buttercream.

Whilst the cake is chilling make the glaze. Place the 4 leaves of gelatine in a bowl of cold water and leave to soften for 5 minutes. 

Add the cream, water, sugar, Liquid Glucose and Cocoa Powder to a heavy based pan and gently bring to the boil stirring constantly. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2 minutes stirring continuously. Remove the gelatine from the water and add to the glaze stirring until it has dissolved. Put the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl and leave to cool for 10 minutes. 

Add a tube of Black Colour Gel and stir into the glaze. Sieve the mixture again and place in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes until still fluid but thickened. Stir the glaze every 5 minutes to prevent a skin from forming. 

Break the White Chocolate into pieces and place into a jug and set aside. Put the Gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water and leave to soften for 5 minutes. 

11. Put the caster sugar in a small saucepan with 50ml of water, mix together and then put on a low heat to dissolve. Bring to the boil and then allow to bubble for about 1 minute (it should be just over 100C).

Take off the heat, squeeze the excess water from the Gelatine then stir into the sugar mixture, and then mix in the cream until smooth. Pour this over the White Chocolate then carefully mix until very smooth. 

Strain through a sieve then divide between three bowls. Stir a few drops of Pink Colour Gel into one bowl, Blue Colour Gel into another and then Violet Colour Gel into the other. 

Set aside to cool and firm up, stirring now and again to prevent a skin forming. - if the glaze goes too solid just pop in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen.

Once both glazes are cool and have slightly thickened, remove the cake from the fridge and place on a over turned bowl (ensuring the base is smaller than the cake board) over a baking tray (this collects any excess glaze). 

Pour the dark chocolate glaze over the cake and down the side ensuring all the cake is covered, use a pallet knife to gently cover any gaps in the glaze. Using a spoon drizzle over the coloured glazes to create a galactic effect in the glaze.

Once set, use a large palette knife to remove any excess drips of glaze from the base of the cake and transfer to your serving plate.