Anti-gravity cakes are this year's must-have trend for birthdays or parties - this stunning Smartie cake will delight kids and grown-ups alike
Ingredients cake:- 150ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
- 200gr plain flour
- 8 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 280gr light brown soft sugar
- 200ml buttermilk
- 100ml strong coffee or espresso
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
Ingredients decoration:
- 2 packs Cadbury chocolate fingers
- 8 tubes of Smarties, or other sweets
Ingredients chocolate fudge icing:
- 100gr milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces
- 200gr slightly salted butter, softened
- 400gr icing sugar
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp milk
Other:
- 1 bendy straw
- 1 paper bag or sweet packet (see tip)
- sticky tape
- 2 Wooden skewers
Instructions:
- Heat the oven to 180 C. Grease and line two 20cm cake tins with baking parchment.
- Put the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and 1 tsp salt in a bowl and mix well.
- Measure the buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla in a jug. Add the egg and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until well combined.
- Pour the cake mixture evenly into the two tins, and bake for 25-30 mins until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool in the tins for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the baking parchment and leave to cool.
- To make the chocolate fudge icing, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, suspended over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir every now and then until melted.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool a little.
- Meanwhile, put the butter and icing sugar in another large bowl and mash with a spatula to combine, then whisk with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Sift in the cocoa and pout in the melted chocolate and milk, then mix again until smooth.
- Use roughly half the icing to sandwich the cakes together on a cake stand or board. Use a palette knife to cover the entire cake with the remaining icing - don't worry about being too neat.
- Use the chocolate fingers to cover the sides of the cakes - do this straight after icing as the icing will set after a while, and the chocolate fingers won't stick.
- Melt the remaining chocolate in the microwave or in a small bowl suspended over a pan of gently simmering water. Leave to cool until the chocolate is a spreadable consistency.
- Push a skewer into the centre of the cake and slip the straw over the top - this will give it more stability.
- Push 1-2cm of the straw into the cake. Use a cutlery knife to spread a blob of chocolate onto a Smartie and, starting at the base, stick the Smarties to the straw. Work your way up until the straw is completely covered.
- Tip the remaining Smarties on top of the cake to flood the surface. Enjoy!