Christmas Parcel Cake

Christmas Present stacked cake

I did this cake as part of our work xmas bake-off. I haven't done a cake this big before and was lucky that the base did manage to fit into my cake carrier (when I took the silver board off anyway). It would have been an awkward moment otherwise. 
Fruit or sponge for a Christmas cake?
With this cake being for work I took the decision not to do a fruit cake as it's rather rich and many people are not a fan. Instead I did two types of sponge. The top parcel was vanilla genoise cake with strawberry buttercream filling. I cut the cake so it had four layers of sponge to keep it light and to assist with the height. The silver cardboard board was also iced so to be part of the design. The bottom parcel I used chocolate genoise cake with vanilla buttercream filling. Once again I cut the sponge into four layers. The top parcel was 6 inches square and 3 inches high. The bottom cake was 10 inches square and 3 inches high. 
How do I work out how many portions?
One dessert portion is 1 inch by 2 inches so the top layer provided 18 portions and the bottom layer provided 50 portions, that's 68 portions in total.

Christmas Food Ideas

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Christmas Food Gift Ideas & Recipes

Here's a roundup of all things Christmassy which you can make for friends, family and even yourself!

Make your own:
Christmas Baubles
Christmas Hamper - different hamper ideas
After dinner mints
Edible Christmas Tree Decorations

Sweet Christmas Treats:
Spiced Christmas Biscuits
Alternate Mincepie Recipe
Snowflake Cakepops
Florentines
White Chocolate & Cranberry Fudge

Christmas Chocolates:
Ganache Chocolates
After dinner mints
Peanut Chocolates


Christmas Cupcakes:
Cute Snowman Cupcakes
Sophisticated Festive Cupcakes
Chocolate & Orange Tree Cupcakes
Christmas Parcel Cupcake

Savoury Delights:
Party Sausage Rolls
Jarred Roasted Peppers
Marinated Feta Cheese
Rhubarb Chutney 

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Choose the right bubbly for Christmas

Choose the right bubbly for Christmas
Having bubbly this Christmas doesn't mean you need to splash the cash. No siree! There are other options than Champagne to choose from which don't cost the earth and are rather tasty to boot. May I introduce you to Cava and Prosecco.

What is Prosecco?
Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine. The name Prosecco can only be used if teh wine is made from white Prosecco (Glera) grapes that come from the Valdobbiadene/Conegliano region of Italy.There are two types: spumante and frizzante.

What is Cava?
Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine. It's called Cava after the cellars in which it's produced.


How do I keep my prosecco from going flat once opened?
Prosecco may not keep as well as Champagne once opened. If kept overnight, use an air tight stopper - a teaspoon set into the bottle will not work! You have been warned.

Champagne cocktail ideas
Add fresh peach juice to Prosecco for the perfect Bellini, or add a measure of Creme de Cassis for Kir Royale. Add fresh orange juice to your sparkling wine of choice for a luxurious christmas breakfast or brunch. It goes sooo well with Eggs Royale. 
Prosecco doesn't keep as well as Champagne but don't let that stop you from opening a bottle for the two of you. You can always use some to make yummy champagne cupcakes.
You should follow me on twitter here

You should follow me on twitter here