Delia revisits her recipe book with a slice of support for LGBT+ inclusion in football

Iconic TV cook and Norwich City Football Club joint-majority shareholder Delia Smith has teamed up with the club’s community partner Aviva to bake a limited-edition rainbow laces cake released in support of LGBT+ inclusivity within football.

The cake recipe, which features seven individual rainbow coloured layers of sponge, has been commissioned by Aviva to mark the start of Stonewall’s 2018 Rainbow Laces campaign, which will see the sporting world come out in support of the LGBT+ community across all aspects of the game.

Baked for the first time, the special-edition twist on one of Delia’s classic sponge cakes is assembled using seven rainbow coloured layers, separated by a buttercream filling and covered with white buttercream icing.

Aviva is once again joining forces with the Canaries to back the Stonewall charity’s annual campaign, with players, staff, fans and even board directors all getting the chance to show support for the LGBT+ community in sport by wearing the special rainbow laces.

Slices of rainbow laces cake will be handed out to lucky supporters outside the Aviva Community Stand at Carrow Road ahead of the upcoming Norwich City home match vs Rotherham United on December 1. Aviva will also be distributing 5,000 pairs of Rainbow Laces to fans, whilst Norwich City will once again be using rainbow corner flags and offering first-team players the chance to sport the laces on match-day.

Delia said: “Aviva and Norwich City Football Club are very proud to be involved with the Rainbow Laces campaign for this year. I’m looking forward to seeing our supporters joining in, whether that’s by baking their very own rainbow cake, or by wearing their rainbow laces.”

Jonny Briggs, group head of talent acquisition and inclusion at Aviva, added: “We are delighted to be working with Delia Smith and our partners at Norwich City Football Club to champion the importance of LGBT+ inclusion within football. As founder members of Stonewall’s TeamPride coalition, we are committed to once again support the fantastic Rainbow Laces campaign, which extends into the workplace through our Aviva pride programme. With Delia’s fantastic support on board, it is set to be the tastiest campaign yet.”

Delia’s Rainbow Laces Sponge Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS (Makes one individual cake layer – repeat 7 times)

115g self-raising flour

1 level teaspoon baking powder

115g spreadable butter

115g golden caster sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon food colouring paste (as per rainbow colours)

You will also need a 9 inch (23cm) sponge tin lightly buttered and base lined.

METHOD (Makes one individual cake layer – repeat 7 times)

Pre-heat the oven to 170◦C, 150◦C Fan, Gas Mark 3.

All you do is sift the flour and baking powder into a roomy mixing bowl, lifting the sieve quite high to give the flour a good airing as it goes down, then simply add all the other ingredients (except the colouring).

Now using an electric hand whisk, combine them for about 1 minute until you have a smooth creamy consistency.

Then add the colouring and stir in. Transfer the mixture to the tin, level off using the back of a tablespoon, and bake near the centre of the oven for about 25 minutes. The cakes are cooked when you press lightly with your little finger and the centre springs back.

Remove from the oven and after about 30 seconds loosen the edges by sliding a palette knife all round then turn out onto a wire cooling tray. Now carefully peel back the lining by gently pulling it back. Cool before assembly.

Repeat the process for each of your seven layers, changing the food colouring each time to create the rainbow colours.

ASSEMBLY

To assemble the cake you will need to make a buttercream frosting to sandwich between each layer of the cake, and to decorate the outside.

INGREDIENTS

250g Egg white

600g Caster sugar

875g Butter (softened)

METHOD

The sugar needs to be boiled with a small amount of water to 118 degrees (soft boiled).

Then slowly pour over the whisked egg whites (whilst also whisking).

Keep the mix going and once it has cooled slightly gradually add the softened butter.

Spread 100g of the finished buttercream between each layer of the sponge cake.

Use the remaining buttercream to decorate the outside of your cake.

Use your imagination to personalise your rainbow cake, perhaps using rainbow laces, sweets or sprinkles to give it your own twist.