This is one of the simplest ways to decorate a cake. Butter icing can be used to make a plain sponge cake more interesting or to elaborately decorate a novelty cake.
It is also a good way to hide any imperfections which can occur due to a cake being uneven or breaking up having ’stuck’ to the tin.
In this post I have used butter cream to help me salvage a cake that became badly stuck in one of my new ‘non stick pans’. Having eventually released the cake, part of it had remained in the tin and instead of a nice neat top I had a rather uneven crumbly surface.
Using half butter to sifted icing sugar (for a 7/8″ cake 4 oz (114 grams) butter to 8 oz (227 grams) Icing sugar, beat the butter until soft and gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar. At this point you can add flavourings. As I had made a lime sponge, I used the grated rind of a lime to flavour my icing.
Choose the best of the two cakes to be the top and place the bottom one onto a board or plate and spread with a third of the icing. If you wish you can now add a layer of jam (seedless is best). Place the top sponge onto this and using small amounts of icing, ‘glue’ any loose pieces back into place. When this is done, spread half of the remainign icing onto the top, being careful not to lift crumbs off the surface. Small amounts of icing spread at a time is best. When this is done, spread the rest of the icing onto the cake. There is no need to try and smooth it.
Take a round bladed knife and starting from the centre, draw the knife through the icing to the edge of the cake in curves (see picture). Contine to do this all around the cake. When complete, slide the knife round the edge of the cake to tidy up any overhanging icing.
The iced cake can then be decorated in any way you wish. I used orange and lemon slices and coloured some granulated sugar with green food colouring and spinkled this in the centre of the cake.
Whilst this cake is far from perfect, it was perfectly alright for my family, who had no idea that it had started in pieces.
If making a chocolate cake, replace 1 oz (28 grams) icing sugar with cocoa powder – for a coffee cake, add 1 teaspoon granualted coffee (disolved in 1 teaspoon hot water).
Suggested decorations – Glace cherries look lovely on a chocolate cake and walnuts go well with a coffee cake.
Difficulty 
(1)
Super easy make
These delicious rich chocolaty muffins are quick and easy to make and will vanish even quicker. They are best eaten on the day they are made or the next. After the second day they can be heated up for a few seconds in the microwave and eaten as they are or served as a desert with a hot chocolate sauce.
Try making them with white chocolate chips or a mixture of milk/dark/white chips. Super Cook Chocolate Chips are ideal as there is no messy grating or chopping and they are real chocolate and not ‘cooking chocolate’.
Ingredients (Makes 12)
Place Muffin Cases into a muffin tin and set oven to 190 deg C, 375 deg F or Gas Mark 5
175g (6oz) caster sugar
250g (8oz) self raising flour (sifted)
4 level tablespoons cocoa powder (sifted)
100g packet of Super Cook chocolate chips or grated chocolate
2 Eggs
150ml (1/4 pint) milk
8 Tablespoons sunflower oil
To Make
Mix sugar, flour and cocoa into a bowl and add chocolate chips.
Beat eggs into the milk and oil. Quickly stir into dry ingredients (over-mixing will make the muffins tough). Divide the mixture between muffin cases and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the muffins have risen and are firm to the touch.
Remove from the oven and leave for 5 minutes before transfering them to a wire rack. Serve warm or cold.
These muffins can be frozen. After defrosting warm through in a hot oven for a few minutes.
Difficulty 
(3)
I am adding this recipe at the request of my daughter. The cake itself is not difficult to make, but care must be taken with the lemon syrup.
Ingredients
2 Eggs
175g (6oz) Sugar
150g (5oz) margarine (softened)
175g (60z) Self Raising Flour
125ml (4fl oz) Milk
Grated Rind of one Lemon
Syrup
150g (5oz) Icing Sugar
50 ml (2 fl oz) fresh lemon juice
Set oven to 180 deg C, 350 deg F or Gas Mark 4.
Line a 2lb loaf tin or use baking parchment tin liners available from Lakeland Ltd (www.lakeland.co.uk) for a professional finish.
Whisk eggs and sugar together until thick and creamy. Add small amounts of margarine at a time beating just enough to mix the margarine. Over mixing will result in a heavy cake. When all the fat has been added the mixture will look like mayonnaise. Sift in the flour and add the milk and grated lemon rind. Stir the mixture gently until it is smooth. Again do not over mix.
Put the mixture into the prepared tin and cook in the oven until golden brown and a skewar comes out clean.
When baked leave the cake in the tin and make the syrup by heating the icing sugar and lemon juice in a small pan until a clear syrup is formed. Do not allow the mixture to boil as it will crystallise.
Using the skewar, make holes all over the top of the cake and pour over the hot syrup. Leave until completely cold before removing from the tin. Store in an airtight container in a cool place or the fridge.
This cake should be eaten within a week (This I find is not usually a problem).