Home
Recipes
Number birthday cake

A number '3' birthday cake

Number birthday cake

Name: Number birthday cake
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 350g unsalted butter softened, plus extra for the tin; 350g golden caster sugar; 6 eggs; 350g self-raising flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 2 lemons zested; 50ml milk; 4 tbsp caster sugar; 2 lemons juiced (use the zested lemons); 175g unsalted butter softened; 350g icing sugar sieved; 4 tbsp jam of your choice; mini meringues biscuits, macarons and raspberries (or any toppings you like)

Katie Marshall

Save recipe

Serves 12

More effort

Prep: 40 mins

Cook: 40 mins

plus cooling

A star rating of 5 out of 5.3 ratingsRate

loading...

Make a child's birthday special with this number cake decorated with mini meringues, biscuits, macarons and raspberries - and any other treats they like!

Vegetarian

Skip to ingredients

Alternatives

Complete the dish

Showing items 1 to 3 of 3

Party animal cake

A star rating of 5 out of 5.1 rating

Birthday cupcakes

A star rating of 4.9 out of 5.6 ratings

Caterpillar cake

A star rating of 3 out of 5.2 ratings

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

350g unsalted butter

softened, plus extra for the tin
350g golden caster sugar
6 eggs
350g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 lemons

zested
50ml milk

For the buttercream and decorations

4 tbsp caster sugar
2 lemons

juiced (use the zested lemons)
175g unsalted butter

softened
350g icing sugar

sieved
4 tbsp jam

of your choice
mini meringues

biscuits, macarons and raspberries (or any toppings you like)

Keep the screen awake with cook mode on the Good Food app.

Nutrition: Per serving

kcal751
fat39g
saturates24g
carbs91g
sugars69g
fibre1g
protein7g
salt0.5g

Method

step 1

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Butter a deep 30 x 23cm rectangular tin. Beat the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until pale, about 5 mins. Add the eggs, one at a time. Sift in the flour and baking powder, and add the lemon zest and milk. Fold in using a large metal spoon. Spoon into the tin. Bake for 35-40 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 mins in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
step 2

Transfer the cake to a board and cut in half through the equator. Put one half on a baking tray. Mix the caster sugar with the lemon juice, then brush this over the cut sides of the cake halves. For the buttercream, beat the butter in a stand mixer to loosen. Slowly add the icing sugar and a splash
of water and continue to beat until pale. Spread the jam over the base cake layer, then carefully spread a third of the buttercream on top. Sandwich with the other cake layer, then cut the cake into the shape of your desired number using a serrated knife, trying to waste as little of the cake as possible (offcuts can be eaten as a small treat). Spoon the remaining buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe swirls on the cake. Decorate with your chosen toppings. Will keep chilled for up to three days.

Recipe tip

Draw the number on a sheet of baking parchment, which is the same size as the cake, to use as a template for shaping it.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2022

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?1 star out of 52 stars out of 53 stars out of 54 stars out of 55 stars out of 5

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

CommentQuestionTip

Overall rating

A star rating of 5 out of 5.3 ratings

Get 3 months of Good Food All Access

Get 3 months of Good Food All Access for just £6. Find triple-tested recipes that take the stress out of deciding what to cook, spend less time planning, and more time enjoying the season.

Subscribe now