Christmas Baking - Nutcraker 'Land Of Sweets' Inspired Cake

Hello lovelies!

I can't believe Christmas is so close! I love seeing the beautiful fairy lights surrounding houses and all the festive cheer around. It's starting to feel extra magical, the more we approach the special day!

One of my favourite things is festive baking, last year I saw Sophie from 'The Frosting Fairy' do her own interpretation of a Nutcracker style cake, which inspired me to make my own.

Here is how I made my 'Nutcracker- Land of Sweets' inspired cake.

Sponge Cake Ingredients -

4 Free range eggs

225g/8oz Caster sugar

225g/8oz Self raising flour

2 Teaspoons of baking powder

225g/8oz Butter at room temperature

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

2 teaspoons of strawberry flavouring

Frosting Ingredients -

600g Icing Sugar

300g Unsalted softened butter

2 Teaspoons of strawberry flavouring

3 teaspoons of pink colouring

Step 1- Line your cake tins with greaseproof paper and pre heat your oven to gas mark 5.

Step 2 - Put your caster sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl and cream together, once creamed add eggs, flour, baking power, vanilla and strawberry flavouring and mix together.

Step 3 - Place an even amount of mixture into each cake tin and pop in the oven for 25-30 mins, at this point, take a knife and place a tiny slit in your cake, if your knife comes out of the cake clean, it's ready to come out of the oven.

Step 4 - Place you cakes on a cooling rack and leave to cool.

Step 5 - Whilst your cakes are cooling it's time to prep the buttercream icing! Cream together your butter and icing sugar, once combined add pink food colouring and strawberry flavouring.

Step 6 - Once you cake has completely cooled down, it's time for the best part, decorating! I put a thick buttercream layer inbetween both cakes and a thick layer on top. To decorate I used mini meringues, mini mint flavoured candy canes, teeny, tiny snowflakes and three sugar mice in white and pink to finish off my 'Land of Sweets'.

Here are a couple more photos of my creation...