Aspiring Bakers #16: CNY Fondant Mandarin Butter Cake

This is a basic butter cake i made for prayers on the 9th day of CNY. Initial plans was to only bake those cupcakes and decorating them with fondant. Since I finish everything the night before and had some free time in the afternoon, I quickly bake the most basic butter pound cake with some mandarin oranges zest and juice.

Decorated the cake with characters from the 恭喜发财 cutter and covering it with fondant. This is my first attempt to cover a whole cake with fondant. I spread a layer of marmalade jam on top the cake and the sides then i roll my fondant out thinly and cover the cake. The only mistake i did was i should level the cake out first before spreading those jam. Not leveling resulted in a cake that have portholes all over!

I will be submitting this recipe to Aspiring Bakers #16: Fun with Fondant! hosted by Yvonne of iceamericanos. 

CNY Mandarin Butter Cake

Ingredients:
250gm Butter (I love SCS Salted butter)
160gm Castor Sugar
4 Whole Eggs (Room Temperature)
210gm Self Raising Flour (Sifted)
2 Tbsp Mandarin Orange Juice
2 tsp Mandaring Orange Zest


Method:
1. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the mandarin orange zest.
3. Under low speed, add in flour alternating with the mandarin orange juice in 3 batches.
4. Pour batter into an 8" round cake tin and bake in a preheated oven at 160c for about 45 minutes to an hour.
5. Leave to cool completely in the cake tin before decorating.