Name of baker:  Kelly Davis

Name of cake:  Oreo cake

How did you make the cake:
I have a couple of Oreo cake recipes that I use – depending on whether I can find buttermilk easily or not.  This time, I could so used this one. You can find it here: http://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/2015/02/04/chocolate-oreo-cake/*

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got in to baking/ why you chose to volunteer with Free Cakes for Kids Hackney:
I have developed a bit of a reputation for baking kooky-looking, bright coloured cakes for friends and family.  I’ve been volunteering for Free Cakes for Kids Hackney for 3 ½ years. It’s a great opportunity to try out all kinds of cake-making skills. I prefer open briefs, where I can make one of the cakes on my long wishlist of cakes I want to try one day.  I still hold out hope I’ll get to make a train cake, bag cake, and a peacock cake some time.

Cake decorating can be stressful and I confess there have been times I wonder why I push myself so hard.  Then I’ll hear a story from one of the charities that receive the cakes, telling me that the birthday cakes really do make a difference to the people who receive them.  To be honest, that is all the motivation I need.

* Some extra tips for recreating Kelly’s Oreo cake
Set oven to 150c. Grease 9” baking tins. I quite like Wilton’s Cake Release.  Some people divide this mixture among 3 tins, some 2, others use one huge tin and cut the resulting cake in two.  To play it safe, use 2 tins.

• Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix together.
• Add eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Add vanilla to boiling water and add to the mixture. Mix well.
• Pour into cake tins and bake until a skewer comes out clean. This could be up to an hour so keep an eye on it.  When my kitchen starts to smell like chocolate cake, I know it’s nearly done.
• Remove cakes from oven and leave to cool in tins for 10 minutes.
• Cool completely on cake racks.

Make icing

• Beat butter and shortening together until smooth.
• Slowly add 4c of the icing sugar and mix until smooth. Add another 4-5c of icing sugar and mix until smooth. Add a little water to get a smooth consistency if you need it.  At this stage it will be CRAZY hard and stiff, like concrete for laying bricks.  You will be glad of this, trust me.

Decorate

• Level off the cakes by cutting off tops or any bits you don’t need.
• Spread a thick layer of icing between the cakes.
• Ice the top and sides of the cake. The icing is so stiff that if you want to create thick layers of icing and nice sharp edges on the top of the cake, you can.
• Top with piped rosettes of leftover icing and Oreo quarters.