BIRTHDAY HEDGEHOG CAKE
| Published: 12th November 2006 12:50 |
175g margarine
175g caster sugar
3 medium eggs
150g self-raising flour
5ml (1 tsp) baking powder
25g cocoa
1 small orange
Orange food colouring
350g chocolate butter icing
2 Large packets chocolate Buttons
1 Glace cherry
2 roasted coffe beans, raisins or smarties.
You will also require
1.2 litre (2 pint) ovenproof basin - greased
A baking tray
Method
Cream the margarine and sugar until light in colour and texture. Gradually add the beaten eggs, then fold in the flour and baking powder (sifted together). In a separate bowl, blend the cocoa to a paste with a little boiling water, then add half this to the mixture and mix well. Finely grate the orange rind and add it to the mixture with enough strained orange juice to make a soft dropping consistency. Add a little orange colouring is desired. Spoon the two mixtues into the basin alternately. Smooth the top and hollow out the centre slightly.
Put the basin onto the baking tray and cook in a moderate oven 180C for approx 1 and 1/4 hours until cooked through.
i.e. when cooked, a warm skewer inserted into the middle of the cake, should come out cleanly.
Turn out and cool on a wire tray
To decorate
Spread the flat base of the turned out cake with some of the icing, than cut down the middle. Sandwich the two iced ends together to make the dome shape of the hedgehog. Cut down through the cake on either side of the butter icing. with alittle more icing and put the cake back together again. Lift the cake onto a board or flat plate and cover it completely with the butter icing. Put more of the icing on to one end a mark it with a fork to make a pointed snout. Cut the buttons in calf. stick them at an angle in lines over three quarter of the cake leaving the forked area clear. Ensure the buttons all point in the same direction. Place the cherry in posiion to make a nose and the coffe bean, raisin or smarties to represent the eyes.
Sit back and wait for compliments!
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