michelle picker cooks

Like the cross section of a tree trunk, this Bavarian baumkuchen or ‘tree cake’ is traditionally painted onto a rotisserie grill in thin layers forming the ‘rings’ of the tree. This version is cooked in a cake tin and the layers are horizontal. This cake is best made one or two days ahead and keeps well.

Separate 4 eggs and set the whites aside. Cream 250g (8½ oz) of butter, 225g (8 oz) of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste (or essence) until light and creamy. Blend in 2 whole eggs, 4 egg yolks and 3 tablespoons of rum. Combine 150g (1¼ oz) of plain flour and 100g (1 oz) of cornflour and sift this mixture into the bowl. Gently fold in until just combined. Lastly, beat the 4 egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the mixture. Preheat the grill to 250℃ (480℉) and line a springform cake tin with baking paper. Spread approximately 2 tablespoons of the cake batter evenly over the bottom of the cake tin and grill for approximately 1½ minutes or until lightly browned. Repeat this process until all the batter is used up. Turn the cake out and before it cools, brush with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of apricot jam thinned with 1 tablespoon of rum. When the cake is cooled melt 100g (1½ oz) of dark chocolate with 2 tablespoons of butter and spread over the cake.