Cheap Birthday Cake??

lucasmum

Hi,
I need to make a birthday cake for my sisters 21st. Only problem is that its on saturday! we have had a slight disagreement like sisters do but I promised my dad I would make it so I better. :mad:
I do not want to spend a lot on it but I am looking for an alternative to an iced sponge as a I don't have any regal ice in at the mo. It will probably be a 9 inch square coz there will be quite a few people at the party. I want it to look quite impressive.
Any suggestions would be great-thanks

RHYSDAD

We made an 'all-in-one' sponge filled with buttercream and iced with buttercream on top for our son's first birthday, cut into a number one shape and decorated with smarties.
It cost roughly £7 to make all in and there was enough for about 20 large portions! Yummy!!

I know it's still an iced sponge but it is very easy and quick to make and can be cut into a shape and decorated in a personal way for the recipient. Have fun and be creative!!

http://www.deliaonline.com/cookery-school/how-to/how-to-make-all-in-one-sponge,13,AR.html

Good luck!!

angelavdavis

Why not make a gateaux or pavlova?

Pavlova is really easy and you can top with lashings of double cream (laced with a little alcohol if its adults only) and some lovely fruit.

A gateaux is only really a sponge sandwich, but mix raspberries into double cream for the centre, spread a thin layer of double cream over the whole cake and sprinkle with chopped nuts or grated chocolate and top with pipped rosettes of cream around the edge with raspberries filling the centre.

I always think they look great and imho aren't as much of a faff as icing.

lucasmum

Thanks for the ideas, anyone got a tried and tested recipe for a cake or gateaux. I have some frozen cherries that I could use. Or maybe just a different icing that I could put over a cake?
Thanks again

System

Does your sister like white or milk chocolate,how about making a sponge,cover in some butter icing,cover cake (put jam in middle) and put white or milk chocolate fingers all round cake and fill the centre with some favourites sweets/chocolates to fill the top in.
You could put ribbon round outside of fingers.
I would just make plain or chocolate sponge

kippers

For my O/H's 40th birthday i made 40 muffin sized 'poshly iced' fairy cakes and bought them in on a tray with a candle burning in each one...they looked really good and they were so cheap to make!

Penelope_Penguin

kippers wrote: »

For my O/H's 40th birthday i made 40 muffin sized 'poshly iced' fairy cakes and bought them in on a tray with a candle burning in each one...they looked really good and they were so cheap to make!

That's what I was going to suggest :j You can get some great gold and silver cases, and gold and silver decorations, too.

HTH, Penny. x

purpleivy

In the Domestic Goddess Nigella book, she does a 'Brownie Mountain' for a birthday cake. Did it with gold and silver candles and it looked and tasted good!

lucasmum

Thats great I love the idea of muffins.
the brownie mountain sounds wonderful but how annoying- we are in the process of moving and I have packed all my cookery books last weekend, I swear my brain goes on holiday more often than not!! I have OH's birthday on the 18th aswell!!
Thanks for everyones ideas much appriciated(sp??). I will let you know how it goes and if she p$ss's me off any more and ends up with it on her face lol (I wish I had the nerve!!) x

Andy_Hamilton

Can't go wrong with a recipie from the bero book. Now also online
http://www.be-ro.co.uk/f_insp.htm

lucasmum

Thought I would let you know that I went for a gateaux/cake from BBC goodfood. It was layers of dark choc sponge and white choc sponge with ganache in the middle. The recipe called for dark choc ganache between all 4 layers and on top but I put alternate layers of white and dark choc ganache.
It turned out well but OH has had to have an emergancy dental appointment so I am without a car and can't go to the party so no cake for me!!!
Luckily my dad was able to come and collect the cake but can't fit the rest of us in the car.
Thanks again for the inspiration
Becky x