French Fancies
From the days of my childhood, one treat has held a special place in my heart - the French Fancies, also known as Fondant Fancies. Picture dainty squares of vanilla sponge cake, each crowned with a dollop of creamy buttercream, lovingly coated in a layer of delectable fondant icing. While the traditional Fondant Fancies include jam and marzipan, my fondest memories circle around the simplicity and delightful taste of the Mr. Kipling "French Fancy" version. For me, these are the epitome of perfection, as I'm not particularly fond of marzipan!
Crafting these little wonders may require a touch of patience, but fear not, they are far more approachable than you might imagine!
Ingredients:
Vanilla Sponge
225g unsalted butter, softened
225g caster sugar
4 medium free-range eggs (room temperature)
225g self-raising flour, sifted
1 tsp vanilla paste
1-2 tbsp whole milk
Buttercream
150g unsalted butter, softened
100g icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
Filling
150g strawberry jam or any jam or curd of your choice
Fondant icing
500g fondant icing sugar
70-100ml hot water
Pink, Purple, Yellow food gel colouring
Edible flowers such as Pansies/Violas - optional for decorating
(Fondant icing sugar is different to icing sugar because it includes dried glucose syrup. This gives you a smooth, glossy, soft iced finish)
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 150°C. Grease with butter and line a square baking tin (20cm/8inch) with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and caster sugar until very pale and fluffy using an electric mixer.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between additions.
4. Using a spatula, gently fold in the self-raising flour, vanilla extract/paste, and enough milk to achieve a dropping consistency (a spoonful of batter held upside-down over the bowl should drop in about 5 seconds).
5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake on the middle shelf for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Then cover the cake with cling film and chill the cake for 30 minutes at least.
8. You can skip this step if you prefer no jam. Slice the cooled cake horizontally and spread the jam over one half. Sandwich the cake back together and wrap it well. Chill for 30 minutes to make it easier to cut neatly.
9. Trim the cake edges to make them straight, then cut the cake into 25 even squares (5 x 5).
10. For the buttercream, beat the softened butter, icing sugar, and vanilla extract/paste in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Place buttercream in a piping bag.
11. Pipe a mound of buttercream on top of each square and transfer them to a wire rack set over a large baking tray. Chill the cakes for another 30 minutes.
12. For the icing, sift the fondant icing sugar into a large bowl. Whisk in just enough hot water to make a thick pouring consistency. My tip is to start off with 70ml water and gradually add 5ml of water at a time. I would not add more than 100ml of water as it will be too runny and the icing will just run off the cake.
13. Set aside 3-4 tbsp of the icing and mix another 1-2tbsp of fondant icing sugar so the white icing is thicker for piping. Place in a small piping bag and it is ready for the iconic zig zag finishing touch.
14. Colour the rest of the icing with a drop of gel food colouring in your desired shade of pink, purple and yellow.
15. Place a tray/parchment paper under the wire rack of cakes. Gently spoon the icing over the cakes with ensuring they are evenly coated by using the back of a teaspoon. Do work quickly as the icing does set and form a crust fairly quickly. Allow them to set at room temperature for 30 minutes.
16. Use the reserved white icing to pipe a thin zigzag pattern over the cakes for the classic Mr Kipling look.
Enjoy your delicious Mr Kipling-style fondant fancies!