Prosecco Spiked Festive Cakes

Makes 6

  You will need:

• 1 x AGA Portmeirion Yorkshire Pudding Tray

• 115g (4 oz) butter, softened
• 115g (4 oz) caster sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 115g (4 oz) self raising flour

For the Prosecco syrup:

• 50ml (2 fl oz) Prosecco
• 50g (1¾ oz) caster sugar
• Pink food colouring

For the Buttercream:

• 175g (6 oz) softened butter
• 250g (9 oz) sieved icing sugar
• 1-2 tbsp Prosecco
• Decoration:
• Gold stars
• Gold dust, edible

Method

Place the butter, caster sugar, eggs and flour into a large bowl and beat together. Place muffin cake cases into the tray and divide the cake mixture equally between them.

3, 4 and 5 oven AGA:  Slide the Portmeirion tray onto the second set of runners down in the Baking Oven and bake for 20 minutes, turn the tray around and return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes until cooked and golden.

2 oven AGA:  Slide the Portmeirion tray onto the lowest set of runners down in the Roasting Oven and slide the cold plain shelf above, on the second runners down and bake for 15-20 minutes, turn the tray around and return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes until cooked and golden.

Meanwhile make the syrup by placing the Prosecco and sugar into an AGA saucepan, place on the Simmering Plate to dissolve the sugar then bring to the boil for 1 minute, when it will have thickened.  Add pink colouring to an intensity of your liking.  Place this syrup into a jug.

When the cakes are cooked, remove from the oven.  Using a thick skewer, or straw,  make 5 or 6 holes in the warm cakes then pour the warm syrup down each hole.  Leave to cool and carefully remove the cakes. (Any remaining syrup can be used to drizzle over the cake when eating.)

Make up the buttercream by mixing the butter and icing sugar, add enough Prosecco to make piping manageable and pipe swirls onto each cake.  Sprinkle with edible gold dust and/or gold stars.

Conventional cooking:  Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC, fan oven 160ºC, Gas Mark 4 and bake in the centre for 20-25 minutes, until risen, cooked and golden

Dawn Roads

AGA Specialist