Mini Christmas Cakes & Win cake decorating goodies with Dr Oetker

If you're a fan of home baking, then you're probably more than aware that Dr Oetker do a pretty fab range of icings, colours, sprinkles and embellishments. Certainly my own baking cupboard is over-flowing with shimmer pearls and polka dots!  

Today I have a little giveaway for you as the nice people at Dr Oetker have given me some supplies to share with you.  The pack I've got to share with you is pretty much perfect for Christmas and is worth around £32.

The selection will include cake release spray, two bright food gels, gold and silver shimmer spray, soft gold and soft silver pearls, vanilla cupcake easy swirl, white regal-ice ready to roll icing and white, milk and dark fine cooks chocolate.

If you're planning any Christmas baking this would certainly help you on your way!

Before I get on with the giveaway, I want to share a recipe from Dr Oetker and an example of how you could use these products!

Mini Christmas Cakes

(Makes 9)

Ingredients

Dr. Oetker Cake Release Spray

500g (1lb 2oz) dried fruit

10ml (2tsp) Dr. Oetker Natural Lemon Extract

30ml (2tbsp) orange flavour liqueur

75g (3oz) unsalted butter, softened

75g (3oz) dark brown sugar

15ml (1tbsp) treacle

2 medium eggs, beaten

115g (4oz) plain flour

3.75ml (3/4tsp) Dr. Oetker Baking Powder

10ml (2 tsp) ground cinnamon

225g (8oz) Dr. Oetker Marzipan

30ml (2 tbsp) Dr. Oetker Apricot Glaze or clear honey

A little icing sugar for dusting

225g (8oz) Dr. Oetker White Regal-Ice

Ready to Roll Icing

To Decorate:

Dr. Oetker Gold and Silver Shimmer Sprays

Dr. Oetker Soft Silver Pearls

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan assisted oven, 325°F, gas mark 3). Lightly spray 9 x 115ml (4fl.oz) baking moulds or muffin tins with Cake Release Spray. Mix the dried fruit with the Natural Lemon Extract and orange liqueur, and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar and treacle together until soft and creamy then beat in the eggs. Sift the flour, Baking Powder and spice on top and add the fruit mixture. Carefully mix all of the ingredients together and then spoon half the mixture into the prepared tins to half fill them.

Divide the Marzipan into 9 pieces and form each into discs to cover the cake mixture in the tins. Spoon over the remaining mixture and smooth the tops. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then loosen with a knife and turn on to a wire rack to cool. Wrap up the cakes well and store for at least 24 hours before decorating.

When ready to serve the cakes, brush the cake tops with Dr. Oetker Apricot Glaze or a little honey. Lightly dust the work surface with icing sugar and roll out the Regal-Ice Ready to Roll Icing to a thickness of 5mm (1/4inch) thick. Cut out discs of icing the same size as the top of your cakes, re-rolling as necessary, and secure on top of each cake. Reserve the Regal-Ice Ready to Roll Icing trimmings. Alternatively, leave the tops uniced.

Finishing - To decorate, roll out the trimmings thinly and cut out stars and snowflakes using small cutters. Spray the stars with Gold or Silver Shimmer Spray, place onto the top of the cakes and decorate with Soft Silver Pearls as desired. Decorate the cakes with ribbon to serve.

Tip - These cakes are ready to eat within a couple of days of days of baking, but will keep, well wrapped and stored in an airtight container for about a month.

How to win...

If you want to get your hands on this great selection of products from Dr Oetker all you have to do is leave a comment below telling me what your favourite Christmas food is. (Mine's easy - mince pies every time! With lashings of cream obviously...)  Please also send a quick email to hello@athomewithmrsm.com so that I am able to contact the winner.  

The giveaway closes on Friday 26th October 2012 and the winner will be chosen at random. 

After the giveaway as ended your email address will be deleted and not used for any other purposes. The prize will be sent direct from the PR company and contents may change slightly depending on availability.

Good luck!