Lime & Vodka Syrup Russian Doll Cakes

These lovely ladies are my inaugral entry into new baking challenge, Calendar Cakes. It's a monthly challenge hosted by yours truly and Rachel from Dolly Bakes. Each month we'll be giving you a theme based on an event or the season. This month it's Euro 2012, Rachel and I are hosting alternately, so if you want to find out more about this month's challenge then check it out over at Dolly Bakes. Rachel has already made a fab football stadium as her entry too!

So with the theme of Euro 2012 in mind I chose to make a set of Russian Doll cakes as Russia are competing at Euro 2012...in fact they're playing tonight!

This is yet another fabulous cake from the Birthday Cake Book by Fiona Cairns. I've already made Alice's Teapot Cake and a Butterscotch Whisp Cake and all have turned out beautifully...Fiona Cairns has some fabulously inventive ideas!

My favourite is definitely doll number two...she looks much more dainty and serene than the other two who look rather anxious...perhaps they know that they are soon to be eaten!

To make the cakes I made some doll templates out of card and then cut them out of cake. Using a sharp knife they were then carved into something like a Russian Doll. The cakes were then covered in vodka and lime buttercream before being covered in sugarpaste.

Then the decoration is painted on with the paint being made out of a mix of paste food colouring and alcohol. Outline the design in the black first and then fill in with the other colours. Just a note here, the Squires Kitchen colours didn't work at all for this, if you're going to try then I'd recommend using Sugarflair. Alternatively, the book also suggests that you can use edible pens to create the designs.

If you'd like to make a lime and vodka syrup cake you could use a regular sponge or madeira and then add the finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime to the cake mixture. The cake was then brushed with the syrup which was a heated mixture of 30g golden caster sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of vodka and the zest and juice from half a lime. This was heated until the sugar dissolved and then it was brought to the boil before being set aside to cool. Finally, to make the buttercream it is just a regular buttercream recipe with the addition of 1 tablespoon of vodka (or more if you like!) and the zest of half a lime.

I do hope you can join us for some fun with our Calendar Cakes challenge. This month is all about Euro 2012 but your bake could be inspired by any European country taking part...such as Russia or it could be a football bake...or even an anti-football bake or a cake fit for a WAG...you can interpret it however you like! :-)

This is also my second entry into this month's AlphaBakes hosted by Ros at the More Than Occasional Baker and Caroline at Caroline Makes...do check them out as there's always loads of fabulous entries! :-) The challenge this month is to come up with a bake beginning with 'V' or containing a 'V' ingredient...so these Vodka and lime cakes should do the trick.

These dolls don't acutally look much like cakes...and they may be too cute to eat...so perhaps dolls one and three can look a little less anxious...they may have just been granted a reprieve!