FAIRY GARDEN CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Put about 18 foil paper cases into 2 muffin or fairy cake tins. Put the butter into a bowl. Add the sugar and orange zest, and beat well using a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy. You can use an electric whisk instead of a wooden spoon. This is called creaming.
• Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk well. Gradually add them to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour over the mixture and carefully fold in with a metal spoon. The mixture should be soft enough to drop easily from the spoon – this is called dropping consistency. If it isn’t, stir in the milk to soften it slightly.
• Fill the paper cases three-quarters full with the mixture. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden. Ask an adult to remove the tins from the oven and transfer the cakes to a wire rack. Put the icing sugar into a bowl, add a little hot water to mix to a thick pouring consistency. Spoon the icing onto the cakes and decorate with silver balls, candles and fondant icing. Leave to set. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4). Lightly grease an 18cm (7in) round cake tin with a little extra butter or margarine and cut a piece of greaseproof paper or non-stick baking parchment to fit the base of the tin.
• Put all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or a hand-held mixer for 1 minute, or until just combined. It's important not to beat the batter too much - just long enough to make it smooth.
• Pour or spoon the mixture into the tin, smooth the top and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 45-50 minutes. The cake is cooked when it looks well risen and golden; the top should spring back when lightly touched with a fingertip. Another test is to insert a skewer into the centre of the cake - it should come out clean.
• Let the cake sit in the tin for 5 minutes, then gently run a knife around the edge and turn it out onto a wire rack to cool. Serve dusted with icing sugar.