Have you ever heard of a cake smash? If you have a little tyke, you probably would have. It’s a uniquely American, though now a much more ubiquitous concept, of presenting a child with a cake on his/her birthday that can be smashed to their hearts content. The more mess, the better.  Owing to the diets of most little people these days this is usually the first time many of them have had proper, purposeful, sugar…..ahh!

I decided to make a traditional Sri Lankan buttercake for Callum’s cake smash, which was done on his actual birthday. It had proper sugar on the inside but whipped cream with maple syrup as icing. Strange child that he is, he just  preferred to lick the icing.

This is the first cake I learned to make from my mum and it’s incredibly versatile. Easily doubled or tripled and best eaten warm with nothing but a cup of tea (Ceylon of course).

Ingredients

• 200g unsalted butter (softened)
• 200 g white sugar
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 200 g self raising (rising) flour sifted
• 50ml milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla essense
• sprinkle of salt (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350F /180C and line an 8 inch round tin with baking paper.

In the bowl of a mixer cream together butter and sugar until nice and fluffy. Stop the mixer once or twice to scrape the bottom and sides of the mixer bowl.

Add the eggs to the creamed mixture one at a time. If you rush it, the mixture might separate so take your time. Remember to scrape your bowl.

When all the eggs are in, add 1/2 the flour and half the milk and gently fold them into the mixture. Then add the other half of the flour and milk, folding that in gently too.

Pour the mix into the prepared baking tin and place in the oven until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Usually about 45 minutes.