Pretty Vanilla Marshmallow Celebration Cake

I made this for my brother's (Jack) 17th birthday. I originally got this recipe from bbc good food website: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10860/easy-vanilla-cake, this gives a basic recipe to use as a base.
Then:

1. Using the 'basic vanilla buttercream' recipe from the same link above make the buttercream frosting for the cake and add pink or red food colouring until it reaches a nice shade of pink.
2. Cut the cake into three layers. It is best to use a long serrated knife for this.
3. With a palette knife, spread the buttercream between each layer to sandwich them together. 
4. Then, spread the rest of the buttercream evenly to cover the cake.
5. To make the edible sugar bow, use ready to roll icing/fondant/ gum paste. I used this website: http://www.cakejournal.com/archives/how-to-make-a-gum-paste-bow. White for the bow, then mix in some red/pink food colouring to extra paste to get a shade of pink to match the icing of the cake. Roll this out quite thin and cut out small circles (I used a pen lid) and stick onto the bow with a bit of water.
6. Position the bow onto the iced cake, letting the ends drape over the sides.
7. Using alternating white and pink marshmallows, cover the sides of the cake (I used mini marshmallows cut in half so they weren't as long). Work around the bow.
8. Then, write a message or another decoration on top. I used white writing icing to say 'Happy 17th Jack'

My brother LOVED it, delicious with a custard flavour perfect for kids and grown-ups!

Very Chocolatey Celebration Cake

I originally got this recipe from the bbc good food website:  http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1190635/bestever-chocolate-layer-cake.
Then:

1. When making the icing, use an extra 1/2 on top of that recipe.
2. After sandwiching the layers together, use a palette knife to neatly spread icing around the sides and on top of the cake. It doesn't matter if it is not perfect, the sides will be covered.
3. Use white chocolate buttons (inexpensive from most shops) to cover the sides of the cake. Make sure to do this neatly. Then, around the top of the cake, place an extra row of buttons just at the edge.
4. Finally, decorate the top of the cake with a message or any other decoration of your choice. I used white chocolate writing icing (you can get this from supermarkets) to say 'Happy Birthday Elizabeth xxx'.

It will go down a treat!

Banana Nut Loaf Cake with Cinnamon Icing

I have created this recipe from adapting and combining different recipes, to come out with this winner of a cake. A great way to use up over-ripe bananas!

The Recipe

Ingredients:

For the cake

• 4oz/ 115g Butter/Margarine
• 6oz/ 170g Sugar (Soft brown sugar gives the cake a richer flavour)
• 8oz/ 230g Self-raising flour (Use wholemeal if possible, for texture)
• 2 eggs (Medium, but makes little difference)
• 3 over-ripe bananas
• 2oz/ 50g Walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg

For the icing

•  3.5oz/100g icing sugar (may need more, depends on how much icing you want)
• Cinnamon, to taste (as a guide 1 tsp)
• Water 

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4/ 180C/ fan 160C. Make sure the butter/margarine and eggs are at room temperature.
2. Grease and line the base of a 2lb loaf tin (or separate into smaller ones, less cooking time needed).
3. Skin all the bananas and mash into a pulp with a fork in a bowl and set aside.
4. Put the butter/margarine and sugarinto a large bowl and cream together, using an electric wisk or by hand using a wooden spoon.
5. Mix the eggs into the creamed mixture a little at a time, mixing in the same way.
6. Pour the mashed bananas into the large bowl with the eggy mixture. Stir them together with a spatula or wooden spoon.
7. Fold in the flour and spices, making sure that all is combined. Then add the walnuts.
8. Pour into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes; after that lower the temperature to gas mark 2/ 150C/ fan 130C and cook for another 20-30 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, make the cinnamon icing. Tip the icing sugar into a smallish bowl and add enough water so that it drizzles well off of the spoon. Then add the cinnamon, adding a little then ajusting to taste.
10. When the cake is ready, a skewer comes out clean if put into the centre of the cake, take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack.
11. The cooled cake can then be transfered onto a serving dish. Then, using a teaspoon, drizzle the icing over the cake in a zig-zag pattern.
12. Watch it dissapear!