Candle Cake with Orange Cranberry Flavor

For the batter look for a square baking form of about 24x24cm. It also depends on how big you cut out the circles, I used a 7cm circle and you will need 9 circles total. Line the form with parchment paper and preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Beat the soft butter with the sugar for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in egg whites. Zest and juice the orange. Add all the zest and measure the orange juice, you want a 120 grams, if you don't have enough, fill up with milk. Add also vanilla extract and sour cream and beat again. Now add flour and baking powder and only mix in until combined. Spread in prepared baking form and bake on medium rack for about 20-25minutes. An inserted toothpick should come out clean. Let cool.

Meanwhile for the filling wash the cranberries, zest and juice orange. Combine cranberries with orange zest and juice, and sugar and cook on medium heat while stirring. Simmer for about 5-15 minutes or until the cranberries have burst and the mix has become thicker. Puree and add the vanilla extract, stir and set aside.

For the buttercream create a waterbath for the egg whites mixed with the sugar. Keep on water bath while stirring. The temperature should reach 71 degrees Celsius. Another way of testing without a thermometer is to rub a bit of it between your fingers. If you can't feel the sugar granules anymore and the sugar has dissolved completely, it is done. Immediately transfer the egg mix to a mixing bowl and while still warm, start whipping. Whip until the mixture has cooled off, this can take ten minutes. Mix until stiff peaks form. Now add the room-temperature butter, a little at a time. It will first curdle. Continue beating until smooth. If too runny, stick in the freezer for about ten to fifteen minutes. If it continues getting thick or still curdles, heat just slightly bit and beat again. The main secret is for the eggs and the butter to both get to the right temperature. If one is colder or hotter than the other, the cream will not come together. Transfer into a piping bag without a nozzle.

Now we are going to assemble. Cut out 9 circles of about 7cm in diameter from the cake. The highest candle will have four cake layers, the second highest three and the smallest two. I recommend starting with the smallest candle. For this pipe a buttercream ring around the edges, fill with cranberry filling. Place the second cake layer on top. You can also use a toothpick to stabilize. Chill and repeat with the other two candles, adding one more cake layer each time. Now frost all three candles with the remaining buttercream and chill again for about 15 minutes. Once done, place a candle on top and carve out a hole the size of the candle from each cake. You want the candles to be at the same level as the cake.

Melt the chocolate with oil on low and wait for about 5 minutes until slightly thicker in consistency, then using a spoon create drips around the edges of the candles to represent wax. You want to create the illusion that the candles have been burning for a while. The candles can be chilled overnight and will keep for a few days if kept airtight.