“This cake is full of warming ginger, sweet and salty caramel, and addictive Biscoff – a combination that both kids and adults won’t be able to resist,” says former Bake Off star Kim-Joy.

“The decoration on top is like doing a simple oil painting, but in buttercream that you can eat – and remember that asymmetrical faces are all part of the charm, so there’s no need to be too exact.”

Happy purrthday cake

Ingredients:(Serves 10-12)

For the spiced ginger cake:Softened butter, for greasing360ml milk (or plant-based milk)2tsp white wine vinegar40g (2tbsp) black treacle150ml sunflower oil (or other neutral-tasting oil)½tsp salt½tbsp vanilla bean paste330g self-raising flour (to make gluten-free, substitute with a gluten-free self-raising flour blend that contains added xanthan gum, plus ½tsp xanthan gum)55g caster or granulated sugar250g soft dark brown sugar (or muscovado)1tbsp baking powder (or use gluten-free baking powder)2½tbsp ground ginger¾tbsp ground cinnamon

For the caramel:25ml water80g caster or granulated sugar40g coconut cream (use just the thick part on top)10g butterPinch of salt, to taste

For the buttercream:250g butter, at room temperature, cubed (or vegan butter – use one that’s close to 80% fat content)500g icing sugarA little milk or plant-based milk1tbsp vanilla bean paste100g Biscoff spread (this is added to a third of the buttercream; omit this if making the recipe gluten-free)Your choice of sprinkles and gel food dyes

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Grease the bases and sides of two 18cm cake tins with butter and line with a circle of baking paper.

2. Add the milk and white wine vinegar to a large bowl and whisk together. Add the treacle, oil, salt and vanilla, then whisk again until combined.

3. In a separate large bowl, combine the self-raising flour (plus xanthan gum, if gluten-free), caster sugar, dark brown sugar, baking powder, ginger and cinnamon. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Divide straight away between the two prepared tins and bake for 30-35 minutes (don’t open the oven in the middle of baking as it may sink), until springy on top and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave the cakes in their tins for five minutes, then carefully run a knife around the edges and turn out onto wire racks. Peel off the baking paper and leave to cool completely.

4. Meanwhile, make the caramel. Add the water and caster sugar to a saucepan and swirl the pan to make sure all the sugar is hydrated with the water. Once the mixture starts to bubble (do not stir at all, otherwise the sugar will crystallise), increase the heat and wait until the sugar turns an amber colour. You can swill the pan around to even out the colour towards the end. Add the coconut cream to a small separate bowl. When the sugar syrup has turned a deep amber colour, remove the pan from the heat and add all the coconut cream in one go. Stir constantly with a balloon whisk. The sauce will bubble up, so be careful at this stage. Continue stirring until it is a smooth and creamy sauce. Add the butter and stir until dissolved. Pour the sauce into a medium bowl and sprinkle with a little salt to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for around 30 minutes. It will thicken as it cools.

5. Next, make the buttercream. Add the butter and icing sugar to a large bowl and beat with a handheld electric whisk until pale and fluffy (or use a stand mixer fitted with a balloon whisk attachment). Add a little milk to make the consistency easier to spread. Transfer 150g of buttercream to a separate bowl and whisk in the Biscoff spread. The Biscoff can stiffen the buttercream, so you can add an additional two teaspoons of milk to make it easier to spread. Then add the vanilla to the remaining (larger amount of) buttercream, plus a little milk again to help with the consistency.

6. Once the cakes are completely cool, level the tops with a serrated knife. To assemble, place the first cake layer on a flat serving board, spread the Biscoff buttercream on top (making it thicker at the sides than the centre), drizzle the caramel in the centre and place the second cake layer on top. Spread the vanilla buttercream in a thin layer over the top and sides to ‘crumb coat’. As this is the first coat, it doesn’t need to be extremely neat, and you will see crumbs coming through.

7. Chill the cake in the fridge for at least one hour, or in the freezer for 10 minutes until the buttercream is chilled and firm. Then cover the whole cake in another layer of vanilla buttercream to cover most of the crumbs. Use a palette knife (heating it under hot water for a smoother finish) to smooth the buttercream around the sides, then smooth the buttercream on the top, smoothing it in from the edges and towards the centre. (Make sure there is a little vanilla buttercream left for the decorations). Scatter sprinkles all along the bottom of the cake, then chill in the fridge for at least one hour again, or in the freezer for 10 minutes until the buttercream is firm.

8. Meanwhile, divide the remaining vanilla buttercream between different bowls and add food dye to colour as desired. You will need one colour for the piped swirls and your colours for the cat design (black for the face features, and one colour to contrast).

9. When the cake is chilled, use a cocktail stick to mark out your cat outline. Use a palette knife to spread buttercream within the outlines for the cat face. Chill the cake again in the fridge or freezer, then pipe the facial details on top. Place the black buttercream in a piping bag and cut a small tip then pipe the facial features to finish. You can customise this however you like; pipe extras, like a decorative border or a party hat, and sprinkles work a treat! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or three days at room temperature.

Bake Me A Cat by Kim-Joy is published by Quadrille on March 16, priced £16.99. Photography by Ellis Parrinder.