Gravity defying cake

Hello! I haven’t got long as I’m about to get a flight (to LA – I know, that sounds very jet set, but really it isn’t – more to be revealed soon) so I’m writing this in a frenzy of packing and trying to find travel adaptors and ear plugs and all that jazz.  This recipe should pop up some time next week when I will likely be mid flight back. It’s the gravity defying cake I made on This Morning. You can watch the vid here if you like. It’s been pretty popular so far with a fair few folks already having made one the very afternoon of the day it was on TV. Now that’s quick.

Lots of great recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now… on Amazon, The Works, at Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets. (Pssst! Did you know I have a new book coming out in September? Keep tuned for more info!)

One year ago: Rocky road florentines and Gluten free brownies and Lemon button biscuits and Vanilla cut out biscuits

Two years ago: Orange rubble cake and Oatmeal & fudge cookies and Puffed up peaches

Three years ago: Clementine cake and Macadamia and white chocolate shortbread

Four years ago: Teacher’s pet chocolate and hazelnut oaty biscuits and Spelt loaf

Five years ago: Restorative chicken and leek risotto

Gravity defying cake

• 100g unsalted butter, softened plus extra for greasing
• 100g stork spread
• 40g cocoa powder
• 90ml boiling water
• 200g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 50g golden syrup
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 200g self raising flour
• Chocolate buttercream icing
• 2 packets chocolate fingers
• 4 wooden skewers or a large straw, secured tightly with a small amount of food safe tape – if you only have normal tape ensure you just secure the skewers at the top where the sweet packet sits so that it doesn’t come into contact with the cake.
• 100g chocolate, melted
• 6 tubes of smarties, reserving one tube for decoration

Grease and line two 20cm cake tins and preheat the oven to 180c/gas mark 4. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the cocoa in boiling water and whisk until you have a thick, smooth paste. Add all the remaining cake ingredients and beat until thick and creamy, about 4 minutes in a stand mixer, 5-6 with a hand held electric mixer and 8 minutes with a wooden spoon.

Split the mixture equally between two tins and bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer comes out of the centre clean and the edges of the cake are just starting to shrink away from the sides. Leave to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, or, as soon as you can bear to touch them, remove from the tins. Be careful as they are light and fragile.

Place a dollop of the chocolate icing onto the cake board and place one cake on top. Use the icing to sandwich the second cake and completely cover the rest of the cake with the buttercream, so it’s completely covered. Stick the chocolate fingers around the edge of the cake leaving an opening at the front.

To create the sweetie illusion take the wooden skewers or chunky straws and push them into the cake. You can trim it to the desired length once it’s in the cake.

Take the melted chocolate and paint it onto the straw and carefully place the sweets onto the stick. Do this gradually allowing each layer to dry and set before moving on. You can even chill the stick in the fridge in between adding layers if you wish. You may need to re-melt the chocolate during this process.

To finish balance the empty sweet tube or packet on the end of the stick to create the illusion that the sweets are tumbling onto the cake.

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