Butterfly Bun
About this build
A giant butterfly bun baked in a handmade pleated paper case, then filled with buttercream and topped with sponge wings.
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What the original account establishes
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- The cake was 12 oz each of self-raising flour, margarine and caster sugar with 6 eggs, and the buttercream about 750 g icing sugar with about 350 g margarine. The paper case was drawn as a 290 mm circle with a 130 mm inner circle on A3 paper, marked at about 50 points and pleated radially; a card collar was essential in the oven after a foil support collapsed. The account describes the cake itself only as an ordinary cake, baked at gas mark 3 for at least 2 hours under a greaseproof-paper hat and tested with a cocktail stick. The finished bun weighed 3 lb 4 oz and stood 8 inches high. Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4 · Source 5 · Source 6 · Source 7
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For the BIG one the Ingredients were:
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The smallest bun is a mini muffin case, the second is a regular bun. The next is about 11 regulars, and then the big momma is 36 times. It weighs in at 3lbs 4oz. and is 8” high.
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The original account
Behold the Bloaterfly Bun
For the BIG one the Ingredients were:
12oz SR Flour
12oz Margarine
12oz Caster Sugar
6 Eggs
1 Humongous Bun Case
1 Large family OR 1 Very Hungry Man
For the Butter Cream:
Approx. 750g Icing Sugar
Approx. 350g Margarine
First make the bun case:
On A3 Paper, use a compass to draw a circle with diameter 290mm and a smaller circle diameter 130mm. Mark around the outer circumference about 50 equally spaced marks, (use the compass, set at about 18.22123mm!), towards the end adjust the compass slightly bigger or smaller to make the last mark land on top of the first mark. Cut out on the outer circle. Fold from every mark directly to the centre (i.e. radially) from the paper edge to the inner line and all with the paper the same way up. Make sure the folds are tight and after each fold open to a flat sheet of paper. Turn the paper over and make similar folds between the all the initial folds, again radially.
When the paper is fully pre-folded, slowly go round concertinaing in small sections until you have a nice bun case shape. Use a cocktail stick point to make the inner and outer folds a good shape all the way down.
You also need a firm bun case support for baking. We used a cardboard collar. This is essential. We also tried aluminium foil. The first one collapsed and we had a crisis in the oven
That is the engineering project done, now over to my wife in the kitchen.
Other than that it is an ordinary cake. We baked it at gas mark 3 for at least 2 hours. Keep testing with a cocktail stick. We also made a greaseproof paper hat to prevent the top burning.
After cooling (ages) assemble as a normal butterfly bun.
The smallest bun is a mini muffin case, the second is a regular bun. The next is about 11 regulars, and then the big momma is 36 times. It weighs in at 3lbs 4oz. and is 8” high.
Then invite lots of friends round to devour it.
It Cost us about £ 4.50 and two days of labour for two people. That makes an expensive bun.
