rice crackle cake

8 cups large white marshamallows 150g butter, chopped 12 cups (420g) rice bubbles pink food colouring green and pink candy coated chocolates candles, to decorate

whipped vanilla icing

125g butter, softened 1 cup (160g) icing (confectioner's) sugar, sifted 1 tablespoon milk teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the marshmallows and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until melted and smooth. Place the rice bubbles in a bowl, add the marshmallow mixture and mix until well combined. Using slightly damp hands, press the mixture into a greased and lined 20cmround cake tin. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until firm. To make the whipped vanilla icing, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 68 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the icing sugar, milk and vanilla and beat for a further 6 minutes or until light and creamy. Add a few drops of pink food colouring to the icing and mix well to combine. Turn out onto a cake stand. Use a small fluted nozzle to pipe the pink icing around the edge of the cake and decorate with candy coated chocolates and candles.

this recipe is from donna hay magazine kids' issue #6

Cupcakes (Nigella Lawson) Serves: 12 Ingredients 1 stick plus 1 tablespoon soft butter 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar 2 eggs 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 to 3 tablespoons milk Directions Royal Icing, recipe follows Special equipment: 12 bun muffin pan, lined with muffin papers. Take everything you need out of the fridge in time to get to room temperature and this makes a huge difference to the lightness of the cupcakes later - and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put all of the ingredients for the cupcakes except for the milk into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Pulse while adding the milk down the funnel, to make a smooth dropping consistency. Divide the mixture between a 12-bun muffin tin lined with muffin papers, and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. They should have risen and be golden on top. Let them cool a little in their tins on a rack, and then take them carefully out of the tin to cool in their papers, still on the wire rack. Ice with Royal Icing. Royal Icing: *2 large egg whites (or substitute powdered egg whites) 3 cups confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine the egg whites and confectioners' sugar in a medium-size mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer on medium speed until opaque and shiny, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the lemon juice, this will thin out the icing. Beat for another couple of minutes until you reach the right spreading consistency for the cupcakes.

Classic Cupcakes with Lemon Meringue Frosting

Ingredients 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon fine salt 2 large eggs, room temperature 2/3 cup sugar 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup milk Meringue Frosting: 4 large egg whites 2/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest Pinch cream of tartar Pinch fine salt 1 to 2 drops pastel food coloring Directions Equipment: Standard 12 (1/2 cup) muffin tin Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the muffin tin with cupcake liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. While beating, gradually pour in the butter and then the vanilla. While mixing slowly, add half the dry ingredients, then add all the milk, and follow with the rest of the dry ingredients. Take care not to over mix the batter. Divide the batter evenly in the prepared tin (about 1/3 cup batter per cup cake.) Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove. Cool on the rack completely. For Meringue: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a mixer's bowl above the water. Whisk the egg whites, sugar, lemon juice and zest, cream of tarter and salt in the bowl by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until meringue is cool and holds a soft peak, about 5 minutes. Add a few drops of desired food coloring and continue beating until it holds stiff peaks.

To decorate: Using a spoon, offset spatula or piping bag, dollop, spread or pipe meringue on top of each cupcake. Use the back of a spoon to create peaks and valleys in the cupcake as desired.

C H O C O L A T E F U D G E C A K E (Nigella)

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CAKE: 400g plain flour 250g golden caster sugar 100g light muscovado sugar 50g best quality cocoa powder 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 eggs 142ml/small tub sour cream 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 175g unsalted butter, melted and cooled 125ml corn oil 300ml chilled water FOR THE FUDGE ICING: 175g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids 250g unsalted butter, softened 275g icing sugar, sifted 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Serving Size : Serves 10. Or 1 with a broken heart.

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. 2. Butter and line the bottom of two 20cm sandwich tins. 3. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugars, cocoa, baking powder, bicarb and salt. In another bowl or wide-necked measuring jug whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla until blended. Using a freestanding or handheld electric mixer, beat together the melted butter and corn oil until just blended (youll need another large bowl for this if using the hand whisk; the freestanding mixer comes with its own bowl), then beat in the water. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix together on a slow speed. Add the egg mixture, and mix again until everything is blended and then pour into the prepared tins. And actually, you could easily do this manually; I just like my toys and find the KitchenAid a comforting presence in itself. 4. Bake the cakes for 5055 minutes, or until a cake-tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack for 15 minutes, and then turn the cakes out onto the rack to cool completely. 5. To make the icing, melt the chocolate in the microwave 23 minutes on medium should do it or in a bowl sitting over a pan of simmering water, and let cool slightly. 6. In another bowl beat the butter until its soft and creamy (again, I use the KitchenAid here) and then add the sieved icing sugar and beat again until everythings light and fluffy. I know sieving is a pain, the one job in the kitchen I really hate, but you have to do it or the icing will be unsoothingly lumpy. Then gently add the vanilla and chocolate and mix together until everything is glossy and smooth. 7. Sandwich the middle of the cake with about a quarter of the icing, and then ice the top and sides too, spreading and smoothing with a rubber spatula.

LEMON MERINGUE CAKE

(Nigella)

INGREDIENTS
125g very soft unsalted butter 4 eggs, separated 300g plus 1 teaspoon caster sugar 100g plain flour 25g cornflour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda zest of 1 lemon 4 teaspoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons milk 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 150ml double or whipping cream 150g good quality lemon curd Serving Size : Makes 8 Slices

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/200C. Line and butter two 21cm sandwich tins. 2. Mix the egg yolks, 100g of the sugar, the butter, flour, cornflour, baking powder, bicarb, and lemon zest in a processor. Add the lemon juice and milk and process

3. again. 4. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins. You will think you dont even have enough to cover the bottom of the tins, but dont panic. Spread calmly with a rubber spatula until smooth. 5. Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until peaks form and then slowly whisk in 200g of sugar. Divide the whisked whites between the two sponge-filled tins, pouring or, more accurately, spreading the meringue straight on top of the cake batter. 6. Smooth one flat with a metal spatula, and with the back of a spoon, peak the other and sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over the peaks. Put the tins into the oven for 2025 minutes. 7. With a cake-tester, pierce the cake that has the flat meringue topping to check its cooked all through. (It will have risen now but will fall back flattish later.) No sponge mixture should stick to the tester. Remove both cakes to a wire rack and let cool completely in the tins. 8. Unmould the flat-topped one on to a cake stand or plate, meringue side down. 9. Whisk the double cream until thick but not stiff and set aside. Spread the flat sponge surface of the first, waiting, cake with the lemon curd and than spatula over the cream and top with the remaining cake, bronze-peaked meringue uppermost.

OLD FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CAKE

(Nigella)

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CAKE: 200g plain flour 200g caster sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 40g best-quality cocoa 175g soft unsalted butter 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract 150ml sour cream FOR THE ICING: 75g unsalted butter 175g best quality dark chocolate, broken into small pieces 300g icing sugar 1 tablespoon golden syrup 125ml sour cream 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract sugar flowers, optional Serving Size : Makes about 8 slices

METHOD

1. Take everything out of the fridge so that all the ingredients can come to room temperature. 2. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180C and line and butter two 20cm sandwich tins with removable bases. 3. Now all you have to do is put all the cake ingredients flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarb, cocoa, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream into a food processor 4. and process until you have a smooth, thick batter. If you want to go the long way around, just mix the flour, sugar and leavening agents in a large bowl and beat in the soft butter until you have a combined and creamy mixture. Now whisk together the cocoa, sour cream, vanilla and eggs and beat this into your bowl of mixture. 5. Divide this batter, using a rubber spatula to help you scrape and spread, into the prepared tins and bake until a cake tester, or a thin skewer, comes out clean, which should be about 35 minutes, but it is wise to start checking at 25. Also, it might make sense to switch the two cakes around in the oven halfway through cooking time. 6. Remove the cakes, in their tins, to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before turning out of their tins. Dont worry about any cracks as they will easily be covered by the icing later. 7. To make this icing, melt the butter and chocolate in a goodsized bowl either in the microwave or suspended over a pan of simmering water. Go slowly either way: you dont want any burning or seizing. 8. While the chocolate and butter are cooling a little, sieve the icing sugar into another bowl. Or, easier still, put the icing sugar into the food processor and blitz. This is by far and away the least tedious way of removing lumps. 9. Add the golden syrup to the cooled chocolate mixture,

followed by the sour cream and vanilla and then when all this is combined whisk in the sieved icing sugar. Or just pour this mixture down the funnel of the food processor on to the icing sugar, with the motor running. 10. When youve done, you may need to add a little boiling water say a teaspoon or so or indeed some more icing sugar: it depends on whether you need the icing to be runnier or thicker; or indeed it may be right as it is. It should be liquid enough to coat easily, but thick enough not to drip off. 11. Choose your cake stand or plate and cut out four strips of baking parchment to form a square outline on it (this stops the icing running on to the plate). Then sit one of the cakes, uppermost (ie slightly domed) side down. 12. Spoon about a third of the icing on to the centre of the cake half and spread with a knife or spatula until you cover the top of it evenly. Sit the other cake on top, normal way up, pressing gently to sandwich the two together. 13. Spoon another third of the icing on to the top of the cake and spread it in a swirly, textured way (though you can go for a smooth finish if you prefer, and have the patience). Spread the sides of the cake with the remaining icing and leave a few minutes till set, then carefully pull away the paper strips. 14. I love to dot the top of this with sugar pansies and you must admit, they do look enchanting but there really is no need to make a shopping expedition out of it. Anything, or indeed nothing, will do.

BEST BIRTHDAY CAKE

(N i g e l l a )

INGREDIENTS
200g plain flour 3 tablespoons Birds custard powder 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 4 eggs 225g soft butter 200g caster sugar 23 tablespoons milk FOR THE BUTTERCREAM FILLING 125g icing sugar 4 teaspoons Birds custard powder 75g soft unsalted butter 11/2 teaspoons boiling water FOR THE CHOCOLATE ICING 60ml water 2 tablespoons golden syrup 125g caster sugar (or use 50g if using milk chocolate) 175g dark chocolate 1 pot hundreds and thousands Serving Size : Makes up to 12 slices, though small ones

METHOD

1. Make sure everything you need is at room temperature before you start. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180C, and butter and line two 20cm sandwich tins. 2. Put all of the above ingredients except the milk, into a food processor. Process to a smooth batter, and then add the milk a tablespoon at a time to make a soft dropping consistency. Divide between the two cake tins and bake for 20 minutes. The cakes will have risen and feel spookily puffy; this is because of the cornflour in the custard powder. 3. Let the tins sit on a cooling rack for 5 minutes and then turn them out on to the 4. rack, peeling away the paper. 5. FOR THE BUTTERCREAM ICING - Process the icing sugar and custard powder to get rid of any lumps, and then add the butter, processing again to make the buttercream come together. Feed the boiling water down the funnel with the motor running to make the filling easier to spread. Then sandwich the cooled sponges together with the custardy buttercream. 6. FOR THE CHOCOLATE ICING - Combine the water, syrup and sugar in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve over a low heat. 7. Let it come to the boil and then take it off the heat. 8. Break up the chocolate into small pieces if you are not using chocolate buttons (as I do for cooking, but good quality not confectionary standard), and then add to the pan, swirling it around to cover in the hot liquid. Leave to melt for a few minutes, and then whisk the icing to make it smooth and shiny. Pour over the buttercream filled cake, letting it drip down the sides, and then sprinkle generously with the hundreds and thousands before the icing sets.

9. Prong with candles, light them and sing.

CHOCOLATE CLOUD CAKE (Nigella)

INGREDIENTS
250g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids 125g unsalted butter, softened 6 eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated 175g caster sugar 2 tablespoons Cointreau (optional) grated zest of 1 orange (optional) 23cm springform cake tin for the cream topping: 500ml double cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon Cointreau (optional) 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinkling for the cream topping: 500ml double cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon Cointreau (optional)

1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinkling Serving Size : Serves 812. METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. 2. Line the bottom of the cake tin with baking parchment. 3. Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or a microwave, and then let the butter melt in the warm chocolate. 4. Beat the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 75g of the caster sugar, then gently add the chocolate mixture, the Cointreau and orange zest. 5. In another bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the 100g of sugar and whisk until the whites are holding their shape but not too stiff. 6. Lighten the chocolate mixture with a dollop of egg whites, and then fold in the rest of the whites. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 3540 minutes or until the cake is risen and cracked and the centre is no longer wobbly. Cool the cake in its tin on a wire rack; the middle will sink as it cools. 7. When you are ready to eat, place the still tin-bound cake on a cake stand or plate for serving and carefully remove the cake from its tin. Dont worry about cracks or rough edges: its the crater look were going for here. Whip the cream until its soft and then add the vanilla and Cointreau and continue whisking until the cream is firm but not stiff. 8. Fill the crater of the cake with the whipped cream, easing it out gently towards the edges of the cake, and dust the top lightly with cocoa powder pushed through a tea-strainer.

Nigella Lawsons easy birthday buttermilk cake

This cake is ideal for any birthday cake you want to make in a special mould as it holds its shape brilliantly. But you dont have to wait for someones birthday - its a great recipe to cook with the kids at any time Serves 10 250g plain flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp salt 200ml buttermilk (or 75g yogurt mixed with 125ml semiskinned milk) finely grated zest of an unwaxed lemon, plus 1-2 tbsp lemon juice 125g softened butter, plus extra for greasing 200g caster sugar 3 large free-range eggs icing sugar and ready-to-roll icing to decorate Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Butter a 23cm ring mould cake tin. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate and salt together. Mix the buttermilk (or yogurt mixture) and lemon zest. Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a little of the flour with the last one. Gradually add the rest of the flour with the buttermilk, one after the other, until thoroughly mixed. Pour into the tin and bake for about 30 minutes or until well risen and pale golden brown. Loosen the sides of the cake with a round-bladed knife and turn out onto a wire rack to cool. When cold, drizzle with icing sugar mixed with lemon juice get the kids to help - and decorate with ready to roll icing.