Fancy Medieval Celebration Cake

Bake all the cakes the day before.

To make the small cake, heat the oven to 200°C (180°C in a fan oven), 400°F, gas 6 and line the small baking tin with grease-proof paper.

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. Mix together the butter and brown sugar until foamy adding the eggs one-by-one. Stir in the melted chocolate.

Mix together the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and sieve into the wet ingredients. Stir in the almonds and the rum. Transfer the mixture to the cake tin, spread evenly and bake for around 45 min. Test with a wooden stick to see if it is done.

Remove from the oven, knock out onto a wire rack, remove the grease-proof paper and leave to cool.

To make the towers, make another small cake following steps 1-4 above. You will make towers from it the next day.

To make the large cake, heat the oven to 200°C (180°C in a fan oven), 400°F, gas 6 and line the small baking tin with grease-proof paper.

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. Mix together the butter and brown sugar until foamy adding the eggs one-by-one. Stir in the melted chocolate.

Mix together the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and sieve into the wet ingredients. Stir in the almonds and the rum. Transfer the mixture to the cake tin, spread evenly and bake for around 60 min. Test with a wooden stick to see if it is done.

Remove from the oven, knock out onto a wire rack, remove the grease-proof paper and leave to cool.

The next day cut 8 towers out of one of the small cakes and round them off at the corners. If necessary cut the tops of the other two cakes to make them smooth. Place all the left-over cake in a bowl and crumble.

Beat the butter until creamy and fold in the cake crumbs to make a spreadable mixture. Spread onto the tops and sides of the towers – spread a little thicker on the top to make them look bigger.

Place the towers on a piece of foil and chill in the fridge. Spread the remaining butter-crumbs mixture onto the tops of both cakes.

Place the jam in a pot and bring to the boil. Spread onto the sides of both cakes and place them both on appropriate cake boards.

Roll approx. one third of the grey fondant out on a work surface dusted with icing sugar so it is about 5 mm thick. Cover the large cake completely with this icing. Roll out another third and use to cover the towers. Finally roll out the remaining fondant and use to cover the small cake.

Using a knife, create a wall pattern all over the cake. Use the rest of the fondant to create battlements and "window frames".

Roll out the black fondant approx. 2-3 mm thick and cut out windows and a doorway. Stick on the window frames and windows using the egg white (spread very thinly!) or the edible glue. Allow to dry well!

Roll out the brown fondant and cut out a drawbridge. Cut a wooden plant pattern into it using a knife.

Place the large cake on the cake board and stick the cake dowels into it. Adjust the length as required and place the small cake directly on top of the dowels.