Do not be daunted at the thought of making a fairly large celebration cake for a family gathering. Here is the recipe I used for the Bakers Celebration Reunion cake. It is quite straightforward but tastes delicious and looks amazing!!

The cake itself is lemon and poppy seed with a mascarpone and fresh raspberry filling and covered with white fondant icing but you could of course change the flavours.

I had an edible photo print done of the bakers for the top which looks very effective and is fairly inexpensive and easy to get done. Just choose a picture or photograph and look online for suitable printers.


This recipe makes 1 x 12" square cake, you need to make 2 of these, so double the recipe!


 12ozs Self Raising Flour (sieved)

1 Teasp baking Powder

8ozs unsalted butter

4ozs Baking Margarine (The mixture of the 2 fats makes a lighter sponge)

12ozs Caster Sugar

6 large free range eggs

Grated zest of 6 lemons

2 Teasps Lemon extract

2½Tablsp Poppy Seeds


For the Filling

½ Jar of Seedless Raspberry Jam

6ozs Fresh Raspberries

250 Tub of Mascarpone

200mls Fromage Frais

1 Heaped Tablesp of Caster Sugar

1teasp Vanilla extract.


For the covering and decoration

2Kg Fondant Icing.



Butter Cream.

6oz Unsalted butter.

1 Teasp Vanilla Extract.

12oz Sieved Icing Sugar, coloured if desired.

(Cream the butter and add the icing sugar and vanilla.)




Set the oven to 180°C.


1. Grease and line your tin/tins with baking parchment.

2. Cream the fats and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Gradually add the beaten eggs and lemon extract, adding a little of the flour to stop curdling.

4. Fold in the flour and add the poppy seeds and lemon zest.

5. Place in the tin and bake for approx 30 minutes until springy when touched and golden brown.

6. Cool on a rack.

7. Make second cake the same way.

8. Make the filling by mixing the Mascarpone, Fromage Frais,  sugar and extract together using a balloon whisk.

9. When the cakes are cold, sandwich together with the jam and mascarpone filling. Add the chopped fresh raspberries.

10. Very thinly spread a little butter icing over the cakes . This stops crumbs lifting and spoiling the fondant.

11. Roll out the fondant to fit the cake and cover, smoothing out the top and sides.

12. It is a good idea to make a good edging on the rim of the cake by using a crimping tool (available in cake decoration shops or on line) but do this while the fondant is soft.

13. Finish by placing your printed photo on top and whatever declaration you want to finish the sides with, perhaps just a ribbon is easiest. I used some flower paste to make the 'flames'.


N.B. The Mascarpone filling is of course not going to last as long as a conventional butter cream so substitute it if the cake is to last a while. With the mascarpone filling 2 - 3 days is fine.