INGREDIENTS:

CAKE

• 345g flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 10g natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 115g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 400g granulated sugar
• 240mlvegetable oil
• 4 large eggs, room temperature and separated
• 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• Liquid or gel red food colouring
• 240ml buttermilk, room temperature

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 450g full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 115g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 480g icing sugar
• 2-3 Tablespoons cream or milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 177°C. Spray lightly JD bottle shape baking tin (I bought mine from Amazon)
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
3. Beat the butter until smooth and creamy – about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until creamed together fairly well. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the oil and beat for 2 minutes.
4. Add four egg yolks and the vanilla. (Set the egg whites aside.) Beat until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the vinegar and the food colouring– until you reach your desired colour. I used 3 and 1/2 Tablespoons. Add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. Vigorously whisk or beat the 4 egg whites until thick and foamy as pictured above, about 3 minutes. Fold into cake batter with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
5. Pour batter into JD cake tin filling 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 40 minutes or until the tops of the cakes spring back when gently touched and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow cakes to cool in the pans set on a wire rack. Cool them completely.
6. Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and 2 Tablespoons of cream. Beat for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and 1 more Tablespoon cream if needed to thin out. Beat on high for 2 full minutes. Taste the frosting and add a pinch of salt if it is too sweet.
7. Assemble and frost: First, using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the top of the cake to create a flat surface. With the serrated knife cut the JD cake into two layers. Place the one layer on the cake board, with a pallet knife spread the frosting and top with 2nd layer. Heat the jam with a splash of water and push it through a sieve.
8. Brush this all over the sides and top of the cake in an even, thin layer.
9. Dust the work surface and your rolling pin with icing sugar. Take some ready-to-roll icing, which has been kneaded to make it more pliable and dust that with icing sugar. Roll the icing to about 1/2cm thick.
10. Start by laying the icing at the back of the cake and lower it down to the front.
11. Use the flats of your hands to smooth the icing over the cake.
12. Neatly trim away any excess icing. The cake is now ready to decorate.
13. Using yellow and hint of red food colour with few drops of water, paint the icing. Dabbing in some area to make it look like shades.
14. Stick the JD top & JD label (I purchased mine from Amazon).

ENJOY!!!