Business & Tech

A Royal Wedding Dream Cake

Eden Gourmet's resident cake designer reveals what she would serve to Prince William and Kate Middleton

Wedding plans for Prince William and his bride Kate have been underway and under wraps for months, despite global speculation about the details of the day. Heather Barranco of has done her homework on the royal couple.

“I found that Kate's favorite dessert is Sticky Toffee pudding which complements the Prince's favorite Banana Flan,” says Barranco. “Kate's favorite color is blue. Weddings are all about combining the personality and style of both the bride and groom. The guests should come away with an experience that highlights the couple's nuances that make them unique.”

If she had the opportunity to bake the royal cake, Barranco would serve a special cake flavor crafted with William and Kate’s favorites in mind. "Royal Banana Toffee Flan,” is made with “a deliciously moist, sticky toffee cake filled banana flan, fresh bananas, then drizzled with creme toffee sauce,” according to Barranco.

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Of course, the royal wedding draws a large crowd, notes Barranco, so “to make each of their guests feel special, we would make individual mini-tiered cakes, each one slightly different with cakes in various shapes; covered white fondant cakes with sugar flowers in various shades of blue and white spring flowers. We would hand-paint unique designs on each cake, so that every guest has a customized work of art.”

This wedding calls for the big moment, of course, when bride and groom cut a first slice and pose. In addition to the individual cakes, Barranco envisions  “a large, traditional wedding cake with 10 tiers, symbolizing the 10 years since the first date they met. It would be covered top to bottom in sugar flowers, reminiscent of traditional English gardens in shades of whites and blues.”

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After the photos have been taken, explains Barranco, “The top tier of the cake would be saved for the royal couple to have the next day. The remainder would be sliced up at the end of the evening and given to the crowds waiting outside the palace.”

Barranco laughs. “This is all in my cake dreams, of course!”

Heather Barranco’s recipe for Kate's favorite sweet:

 

Sticky Toffee Pudding

(Serves 6-8) 

8 oz. pitted dates, chopped 
1¼ cups boiling water 
½ cup softened buttered (3½ tbsp. for batter, use the rest to butter the pan 
1 cup dark brown sugar 
2 eggs 
2 tbsp. black treacle or dark molasses 
1 tbsp. Lyle's Golden Syrup 
1 tsp. vanilla 
2 cups self-rising cake flour 
1 tbsp. baking soda 

For Toffee Sauce

½ cup superfine sugar 
7 tbsp. butter 
6 oz. English double cream 


1. In a bowl, cover dates with boiling water. Set aside. 
2. Preheat oven to 375. Place a roasting pan filled with about 1 inch of water into the oven. 
3. Butter a 9"x9" pan. Dust with flour. In a bowl, with an electric mixer, beat 3½ tbsp. butter with sugar until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add treacle, Golden Syrup and vanilla. Mix until just combined. On low speed, add the flour. 
4. In a food processor, puree the dates. Stir in the baking soda and stir the mixture into the batter. Pour into the prepared pan. Place in roasting pan and bake about 35 minutes until top is just firm. Remove from oven and cool slightly. 
5. Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt sugar and butter until mixture turns a deep amber color. Watch closely so it does not burn. Slowly mix in the double cream. Be careful: It will bubble up at first. Once all the cream is added, cook mixture until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Cut cake into squares and serve with sauce and vanilla ice cream. 


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