TIGER CAKE BATTER

2 ¼ cup self-raising flour

2 ¼ teaspoon baking powder

¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature

1 ½ cup sugar

3 eggs

1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup whole milk

Orange gel food dye or red and yellow food colouring.
 

CHOCOLATE BATTER

⅓ cup cocoa powder

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons milk
 

VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

1 ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature

5 cup icing sugar

⅓ cup double cream

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD

For this tiger cake to work you’ll need to make two different batters, one chocolate and one orange. These will then need to be layered correctly in order to create a beautiful tiger stripe effect. So here’s what to do.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 170 degrees centigrade. Then combine the flour and baking powder. Set aside.

Step 2: Beat the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy. You can then add the vanilla and eggs slowly until the mixture is silky.

Step 3: Add the flour and baking power mixture, then add the milk in batches to ensure everything mixes together well. Use an electric whisk to combine the ingredients for one minute. The batter should be smooth and shiny without any lumps. If you don’t have an electric mixer, it’s fine to use a hand whisk or a wooden spoon.

Step 4: Divide the mixture into two batches, these will become the two colours you need for your tiger cake. For the orange batter, add ¼ teaspoon of orange food colouring – or more if you want a darker shade. For the chocolate batter, add the cocoa powder, sugar and milk, and whisk.

Step 5: The next step is very important as it’ll help create the stripes of your cake. Grease your two shallow cake tins and add a layer of orange batter with an ice cream scoop. The add a scoop of chocolate batter directly on top. Repeat several times then wiggle the tins to spread the mixture. Keep going until all the mixture has been used. Pop your batter in the oven for 30 minutes – or between 20-25 minutes if you’re using 9-inch cake tins. The cake will be springy to the touch when it’s cooked.

Step 6: Let the cakes cool for five minutes before turning them out from their tins onto a cooling rack. Make sure they’re completely cool before icing.

Step 7: To prepare the mouth-watering buttercream, beat the butter and add the vanilla. Then, slowly add in the icing sugar 1 cup at a time. This can be quite messy, so if you’re using an electric whisk, be sure to turn the speed down a little. Repeat the same process with the cream. If you want to, you can mix in orange food colouring too.

Step 8: The final step is to assemble the cake. Take one half of the cake and cover the top in a generous amount of buttercream. Pop the other layer on top and press down lightly. Add the remaining buttercream on top of the final layer and spread either just over the top or down the sides too.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea will be roaring its way back to London this summer! Playing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in the West End from 11 July until 4 September 2022, this is one of the best London attractions for kids aged 3+ this summer, so why not book your tickets and enjoy a day out to remember? The show runs for 55-minutes long and is based on the popular children’s picture book by Judith Kerr.