Autumnal Birthday Cake

This is a cake from Nigella Lawson's How To Be a Domestic Goddess.

It took us about three hours to make and ice this cake. Just a warning, the maple syrup is quite expensive and we only used 90g of chopped pecans which seemed more than enough. It tasted very sweet although the nuts balance it out quite well. It looks impressive and went down a treat at our house!

Ingredients

for cake

175g soft butter

100g golden caster sugar

3 large eggs

350ml maple syrup

500g self-raising flour

175ml hot water

for icing

2 large egg whites

125ml maple syrup

125g golden caster sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

75g pecans

Method

- Preheat oven to 180 c.

- Beat butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.

- Add eggs one at a time, beating in well.

- Gradually add the maple syrup to make a smooth mixture.

- Spoon in the flour alternately with the hot water, beating till smooth.

- Divide between two 21cm sandwich tins, buttered and lined.

- Cook for 40 minutes.

- Remove from tins and leave to cool.

- Put everything except pecans and vanilla into a bowl over saucepan.

- Fill saucepan with water so just below the bowl.

- Bring the water to a boil.

-Beat mixture vigorously with electric hand-held whisk for 5-7 minutes until it peaks like meringue mixture.

- Remove bowl from heat.

- Add extracts and beat for a minute.

- Ice entire cake giving a swirly effect.

- Chop pecans finely.

- Sprinkle over top of cake.

- Throw at sides of cake.

Tip: Best eaten the same day.