CARR’S FLOUR LAUNCH UK’S FIRST RANGE OF LUXURY BAKE AT HOME CAKE MIXES
To make the best cakes, you need the best flour, which is why heritage brand, Carr’s Flour, are launching a range of fabulously simple but incredibly tasty cake mixes. With five superb on-trend flavours, you’ll be able to tuck into a Sumptuous Salted Caramel Cake, Decadent Chocolate Cake, Heavenly Victoria Sponge, Luscious Lemon Cake or Delicious Carrot Cake in no time!
Made in the UK, the new collection means anyone can whip up a stress-free bake or indulgent cake at home, whether you’re baking for a special occasion or a cheeky treat! The premium range of moreish mixes has been designed to be embellished by the baker at home, with each box showcasing recipes and handy hints, suggesting ways consumers can decorate their cake to maximise the mixes’ potential. The boxes also feature QR codes that pull through to additional recipes on how to transform the mix for muffins, cupcakes and traybakes. The cake mixes are available to buy from the Carr’s online shop and Amazon, RRP £2.50.
Carr’s have partnered with UK baking icon & TV personality Juliet Sear to promote the Cake Mixes, so keep an eye out for recipes, videos as well as decorating tips and tricks to be released over the next few months!
With jazzy packaging that draws the eye, the mixes are your shortcut to cake heaven, with fool-proof bakes guaranteed every time!
Cake Mix flavours: Sumptuous Salted Caramel Cake, Decadent Chocolate Cake, Heavenly Victoria Sponge, Luscious Lemon Cake or Delicious Carrot Cake
RRP: £2.50
Juliet Sear’s Strawberry & Prosecco Showstopper Cake
This delicious sponge cake is a real showstopper, but so easy to make with the Carr’s Victoria Sponge Cake Mix. You can even cheat if you like, by using some shop bought frosting to save time and leave out the prosecco syrup.
This type of covering is called a ‘naked’ finish which is really simple to achieve, all you need to do is spread the frosting over the cake layers to sandwich then spread a thin layer all over the top and sides and scrape the excess off to leave some of the sponge showing through.
Serves: 16-20
Equipment:
3 x 8” round cake tins, lined with baking paper on the bottom and sides (or bake in batches)
Baking parchment
Bowl and wooden spoon (or you can use an electric hand whisk or stand mixer if you prefer for making the frosting)
A cake turn table (super helpful to get the coating smooth as you can spin the cake around or simply do it on a cake plate)
Medium sized palette knife
Pastry brush
Small saucepan
Cake plate or stand
Ingredients:
For the sponge:
2 x packs Carr’s Heavenly Victoria Sponge Mix 425g
6 Eggs
200ml Oil or 200g Butter
200ml Water
for the prosecco syrup (optional)
300ml Prosecco
150g Caster Sugar
for the frosting:
250g Soft Unsalted Butter
2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
500g Icing Sugar, sifted
for the filling:
150g Strawberry Jam
To decorate:
Decorations for the cake are all optional – you can leave it simply plain or just dress with fresh strawberries, or if you want to add extra pizzazz, I’ve used 100g melted white chocolate to dip my strawberries in and finished the cake off with gold leaf.
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 190C (170C Fan/Gas Mark 5).
2. Mix the cake mixes according to the pack instructions.
3. Divide the batter into three and pop into the cake tins.
4. Bake for around 20-25 mins until the sponges are light and springy, light golden and cooked in the centre completely.
5. While these are baking, make the syrup. Gently heat the prosecco in a saucepan and stir in the sugar until dissolved, then simmer gently for 4 to 5 minutes or until it has reduced to around ½ the volume and thickened slightly. Leave to cool.
6. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 5 mins, then turn out onto a cooling rack, remove the paper, brush the sponges generously with some of the cooled syrup and allow to cool.
7. While the cakes are cooling, make your frosting. Beat the butter until very creamy and smooth, for a minute or so. Gradually add the icing sugar, about a quarter at a time, beating each addition slowly at first so the icing sugar doesn’t puff up everywhere, and then once mixed, beat well for a minute or so each time. Continue until you have a light and fluffy butter cream. Lastly, beat in a couple of tablespoons of the prosecco syrup to loosen a little.
8. Once you have all your layers cooled, check they are flat and level, if any have small humps where they have risen, trim a little off the top of each cake so it’s flat. Save the trim for cake pops, truffles or trifle.
9. Place the first layer onto your plate or stand add a splodge of buttercream to stick it in place, making sure the side that was in the bottom of the tin is stuck to the plate and the top/trimmed side is upwards to take in the syrup. Drizzle all over the layer with syrup and then spread over with half of the jam.
10. Spread over a layer of buttercream, using about 150g of it.
11. Add the second layer, the part that was in the tin bottom side down, and repeat with more syrup, the rest of the jam and a further 150g of frosting.
12. For the last layer, brush over the top of the cake, then invert it onto the first two layers, so the smooth, flat part that was at the bottom of the tin is uppermost. Firmly press the cake layers together and check they are all in line and as neat as possible.
13. With a palette knife, dollop the rest of the frosting on top of the cake, spread over the top and sides until it’s all covered and the gaps between the cake layers are filled. Use a gentle pressure against the side of the cake with the palette knife and use a back and forth spreading motion to spread the frosting over the top and sides. Don’t worry about being too fussy as the cake is meant to look naked, just spread it as well as you can and then use the palette knife to flatten off the coating and spread around the sides to scrape off a little excess frosting to give you straight (ish)edges. Any leftover frosting or syrup can be kept in the fridge or freezer (or use it to serve alongside slices of the cake with the strawberries.) Keep the cake in the fridge until ready to serve, it is best to let it come to room temperature before serving.
14. If using chocolate dipped strawberries, simply melt white chocolate and dip strawberries into the chocolate and set to dry on some baking or parchment paper. Add to the top of the cake as shown and if you want to be extra fancy, use a little edible gold leaf around the cake and on the strawberries.
Available from the Carr’s online shop and Amazon.
Millers by name, bakers by nature, Carr’s know that the foundation of any good cake is the flour. That’s why Carr’s’ team of expert millers have blended their knowledge, pride, expertise and the very best flour into every mix they produce. Known in baking circles as the flour that’s tried and trusted by Britain’s best artisan and trade bakers right through to home cooks, the Carr’s’ range of flours and mixes have been giving bakers confidence for nearly 200 years.
#MakingGreatBakingMoments
Twitter and Instagram: @carrs_flour
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carrsflour
Carr’s Flour has been creating its range of tried and trusted British flours for artisan and trade bakers for nearly 200 years.
Carr’s Flour’s retail range is available in Sainsbury’s, Booths, Lakeland and Amazon
Carr’s Online Store
No min order quantity
Can order just a single bag to a mixed case
£3 delivery charge per case
Flours
• Strong White Flour 1.5kg
• Wholemeal Flour 1.5kg
• Strong Brown Flour 1.5kg
• Very Strong Canadian White Flour 1kg
• Self Raising Flour 1kg
• Plain Flour 1kg
• Malty Seeded Flour 1kg
• Sauce Flour 500g
Bread Mixes
• Premium Bread Mix Strong White 500g
• Premium Bread Mix Wholemeal 500g
• Premium Bread Mix Sourdough 500g
• Premium Bread Mix Malted Grain 500g
• Premium Bread Mix Six Seed 500g
• Premium Bread Mix Sundried Tomato and Chilli 500g
