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Jungle birthday cake

Serves 14-16  
Prep 1hr 10 mins plus cooling and chilling  
Cook 30 mins  
Difficulty More effort

Want to make your little one a birthday cake they’ll remember for years to come? This jungle-themed sponge cake has the fun factor and tastes as good as it looks

What you'll need
  • 210ml soured cream
  • ¼ tsp Dr. Oetker Bicarbonate of Soda
  • 180g butter, at room temperature
  • 230g caster sugar
  • 100g soft brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Dr. Oetker Vanilla Extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 325g plain flour
  • 50g Dr. Oetker Fine Dark Cocoa Powder
  • 1½ tsp Dr. Oetker Baking Powder
  • For the buttercream
  • 400g icing sugar
  • 250g unsalted butter
  • 6 tbsp malt drink powder
  • 1½ tsp Dr. Oetker Vanilla Extract
  • Dr. Oetker Yellow Food Colour Gel
  • 2 tbsp milk, optional
  • For the decoration
  • Dr. Oetker Coloured Fondant Icing
  • Dr. Oekter Bright & Bold Sprinkle Mix
  • 4 plastic animal figures
Method

1.  To make hats for the animal figures, roll small amounts of Dr. Oetker Coloured Fondant Icing into cone shapes and press dots of alternative colours into the icing. Add a pompom on top for extra decoration, if you like, and leave to set.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
This recipe is great if you aren’t too confident about modelling fondant figures. Best of all you can also use any plastic figures, so if your child has a favourite character why not add that to the cake with a party hat? They’ll love it!

2.  Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line two 20cm sandwich cake tins with baking parchment. In a bowl, combine the soured cream and Dr. Oetker Bicarbonate of Soda and set aside. In another bowl, cream the butter, both sugars and the Dr. Oetker Vanilla Extract until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing to fully incorporate after each addition, then add the soured cream mixture. Whisk to combine.

3.  Sift the flour, Dr. Oetker Fine Dark Cocoa Powder and Dr. Oetker Baking Powder over the cake mixture and gently fold together until it forms a smooth batter. Divide equally between the tins and bake for 30 mins until the cakes have risen and spring back when pressed. Set on a wire rack and leave to cool in the tins.

4.  For the buttercream icing, whisk the icing sugar and butter for 2 mins until smooth, then mix in the malt powder, Dr. Oetker Vanilla Extract and a pinch of salt. Beat for a further 5 mins until light and fluffy. Add a few drops of the Dr. Oetker Yellow Food Colour Gel to colour the icing (if the icing is too thick, add 1 tbsp milk at a time to soften it slightly).

Tip from Dr. Oetker
You can have this cake pretty much any colour you want with Dr. Oetker’s Extra Strong Food Colour Gels.

5.  Remove the cakes from the tins and peel off the baking parchment. Trim the top off the cakes to make a flat surface, if needed. Place one sponge on a plate or board and spread with a large dollop of icing, then sit the second cake on top. Using a pallet knife, spread a thin layer of the icing all over the cake. Chill for 30 mins to firm up.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
Save your sprinkles by putting a large, high-sided baking tray underneath your cake stand or platter to catch them – then you can scoop them back up and scatter them again.

6.  Once the icing on the cake has set, cover the whole cake with the remaining icing, then use a pallet knife to get a smooth, neat finish. Using a spatula, gently press the Dr. Oetker Bright & Bold Sprinkle Mix around the bottom third of the cake, then sprinkle a small amount over the top. Add the animal figures and their hats, then finish with candles and serve. This cake will keep in an airtight container for three days.

  • 210ml soured cream
  • ¼ tsp Dr. Oetker Bicarbonate of Soda
  • 180g butter, at room temperature
  • 230g caster sugar
  • 100g soft brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Dr. Oetker Vanilla Extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 325g plain flour
  • 50g Dr. Oetker Fine Dark Cocoa Powder
  • 1½ tsp Dr. Oetker Baking Powder
  • For the buttercream
  • 400g icing sugar
  • 250g unsalted butter
  • 6 tbsp malt drink powder
  • 1½ tsp Dr. Oetker Vanilla Extract
  • Dr. Oetker Yellow Food Colour Gel
  • 2 tbsp milk, optional
  • For the decoration
  • Dr. Oetker Coloured Fondant Icing
  • Dr. Oekter Bright & Bold Sprinkle Mix
  • 4 plastic animal figures

1.  To make hats for the animal figures, roll small amounts of Dr. Oetker Coloured Fondant Icing into cone shapes and press dots of alternative colours into the icing. Add a pompom on top for extra decoration, if you like, and leave to set.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
This recipe is great if you aren’t too confident about modelling fondant figures. Best of all you can also use any plastic figures, so if your child has a favourite character why not add that to the cake with a party hat? They’ll love it!

2.  Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line two 20cm sandwich cake tins with baking parchment. In a bowl, combine the soured cream and Dr. Oetker Bicarbonate of Soda and set aside. In another bowl, cream the butter, both sugars and the Dr. Oetker Vanilla Extract until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing to fully incorporate after each addition, then add the soured cream mixture. Whisk to combine.

3.  Sift the flour, Dr. Oetker Fine Dark Cocoa Powder and Dr. Oetker Baking Powder over the cake mixture and gently fold together until it forms a smooth batter. Divide equally between the tins and bake for 30 mins until the cakes have risen and spring back when pressed. Set on a wire rack and leave to cool in the tins.

4.  For the buttercream icing, whisk the icing sugar and butter for 2 mins until smooth, then mix in the malt powder, Dr. Oetker Vanilla Extract and a pinch of salt. Beat for a further 5 mins until light and fluffy. Add a few drops of the Dr. Oetker Yellow Food Colour Gel to colour the icing (if the icing is too thick, add 1 tbsp milk at a time to soften it slightly).

Tip from Dr. Oetker
You can have this cake pretty much any colour you want with Dr. Oetker’s Extra Strong Food Colour Gels.

5.  Remove the cakes from the tins and peel off the baking parchment. Trim the top off the cakes to make a flat surface, if needed. Place one sponge on a plate or board and spread with a large dollop of icing, then sit the second cake on top. Using a pallet knife, spread a thin layer of the icing all over the cake. Chill for 30 mins to firm up.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
Save your sprinkles by putting a large, high-sided baking tray underneath your cake stand or platter to catch them – then you can scoop them back up and scatter them again.

6.  Once the icing on the cake has set, cover the whole cake with the remaining icing, then use a pallet knife to get a smooth, neat finish. Using a spatula, gently press the Dr. Oetker Bright & Bold Sprinkle Mix around the bottom third of the cake, then sprinkle a small amount over the top. Add the animal figures and their hats, then finish with candles and serve. This cake will keep in an airtight container for three days.