Food / 16 July, 2024 / Ellie Thompson

Sandro Farmhouse’s Signature Splatter Cake

“I first made this cake 10 years ago and haven’t changed a single thing! I absolutely love it.” – Sandro Farmhouse.

Serves 14

Equipment: 3 x 20cm (8in) round cake tins, greased and lined

Ingredients:

FOR THE SPONGE

• 100g (1 cup) cocoa powder
• 1 tsp coffee granules
• 50ml (31/2 tbsp) hot water
• 450g (21/4 cups) golden caster sugar
• 450g (2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
• 8 eggs
• 450g (scant 31/2 cups) self-raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine sea salt

FOR THE SPLATTERS

• 200g (7oz) white chocolate, chopped
• 300ml (1¼ cups) double cream
• 5 different gel or paste food colourings

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4).

Add the cocoa powder, coffee granules, and hot water to a small bowl and whisk to a smooth paste.

Beat the sugar and butter together until lighter in colour, and then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate and coffee mix, and then sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt, and fold through.

Divide amongst the three tins and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until well risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When the cakes are cool, level them with a knife to make them easier to stack. Then, slice each cake in half horizontally to give you six layers in total.

Spread some buttercream onto five of the cakes and stack them, putting the plain layer on top.

Crumb-coat the cake with more buttercream and refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes.

For the chocolate splatters, add the chocolate to a bowl and heat the cream in the microwave for 1–2 minutes until just below boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and leave to stand for 2 minutes, then stir to a smooth ganache.

Divide the ganache amongst five bowls and colour each a different colour with food colouring (go as cute and pastel or as bold and vibrant as you like!), then let cool to room temperature.

Frost the cake with the remaining buttercream, giving it a smooth, sharp finish, and then refrigerate again until the buttercream hardens, around 20–30 minutes. This will give you a great canvas for your

Now to have fun! Use a teaspoon to flick the coloured ganache all over the cake (if it’s a bit thick, you can blast it in the microwave at 10-second intervals to loosen it).

Let the ganache set for 15 minutes on the cake before serving.

FOR THE VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

Ingredients:

• 450g (1lb) unsalted butter, softened
• 900g (71?2 cups) icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tbsp vanilla paste
• 3–4 tbsp milk

Method:

Beat the butter until pale and fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, about 2 minutes. Use a silicone spatula to wipe round the sides of the bowl and bring the butter back into the middle.

Add the icing sugar in batches, and then add the vanilla (or any other flavouring) and beat for 3–5 minutes until super white.

Slowly add the milk until you reach the correct consistency. Cover and leave at room temperature until needed.

NB: For the perfect buttercream frosting, use unsalted block butter (not margarine) at room temperature.

Make sure to sift the icing sugar to ensure there are no lumps. I always recommend using a vanilla bean paste, especially if you’re not using food colouring.

Credit: Good Vibes Baking Sandro Farmhouse. Published by DK, 23 May. £20

Photography © Liz Haarala Hamilton and Max Haarala Hamilton 2024

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