Watermelon Daiquiri Cake with Ermine Frosting

Ermine frosting has recently peaked my interest. Also known as Butter Roux frosting, this old fashion icing was commonly used in the 19th century as a staple icing (these days we would opt for cream cheese frosting over ermine).

Therefore I started experimenting with cakes that I thought would be a great basis for this frosting to be featured in.

Being a Sunday morning and having cocktails the night before I took inspiration from a few of my favs.

Out of this my days experimenting the watermelon daiquiri cake was born. To really connect the icing with the cake I replaced some of the milk with rum to make the daiquiri shine.

The outcome, a lovely luscious lime cake with a beautifully moreish watermelon syrup topped with rum inspired ermine.

 

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 90g butter, room temperature
• 1/2 tsn vanilla essence
• 2 tsn lime zest
• 1 tsn orange zest
• 110g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 150g self-raising flour
• 20ml milk
• 30ml lime juice

Watermelon syrup:

• 900g watermelon flesh
• 80g sugar

Frosting:

• 15g flour
• 70ml milk
• 30ml rum
• 90g butter
• 100g sugar

 

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175c degrees and line 2 15cmx30cm cake tins with baking paper.
2. Place the butter, vanilla, zest and sugar in a bowl and beat with electric beaters for 2 minutes or until this mix is light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each addition until well combine.
4. Add the flour, milk and juice and beat on low until just combine.
5. Pour the mix into the cake tins evenly and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean, leave aside in the tin.
6. Meanwhile, to make the syrup blitz 900g of watermelon flesh in a food processor.
7. Pass the watermelon juice through a sieve and place into a saucepan.
8. Place the saucepan on a medium heat and simmer until it reduces to 220ml.
9. Add the 80g of sugar to the watermelon syrup and cook on a high heat until the mix resembles a syrupy consistency (180ml in total).
10. Poke holes in the cooled cakes with a skewer then pour the syrup over the top of the cakes evenly, leave aside for 1 hour for the syrup to soak through the cakes.
11. Meanwhile make the icing by placing the flour, milk and rum in a saucepan and whisk with a hand whisk on a medium heat until a thick paste forms, take off the heat and leave aside until cooled.
12. Place the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat with electric beaters until the mix is fluffy and smooth.
13. Add the rum flour mix to the butter mix and beat until creamy and well combine.
14. To assemble the cake, place one layer of cake onto a plate, syrup side up.
15. Top with half of the icing, top with the second cake layer syrup side up.
16. Finish with the remaining icing and some pieces of fresh watermelon.
17. Enjoy.

 

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