Food For Thought CUCKOO CLOCK CAKE

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30964, 21 January 1966, Page 2

Food For Thought CUCKOO CLOCK CAKE

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A reader lias asked for a recipe for a birthday cake that is unusual. When my two sons had their birthdays just before Christmas, we made them a clock cake. Children love this cuckoo clock birthday cake. CAKE Ingredients: Soz of castor sugar 3 eggs 6oz of self-raising flour 2 tablespoons of jam. Method: Grease and line a six-meh square cake tin with greased grease-proof paper. Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then fold in the sifted flour. Turn the mixture into the tin and bake above the centre of a moderately hot oven (375 deg. for 45 to 50 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Turn out on to a wire tray. Remove the paper and allow to cool. Cut two corners from the cake to make the roof shape and split the cake through the centre. Sandwich together with jam and a little white butter icing. Coat the sides with butter icing and then with glace icing. Stick the finger biscuits

ALAN TREMAIN)

around the sides of the cake to resemble the logs on the roof, wails and door. Place the chocolate icing in a bag fitted with a plain pipe, and pipe the clock face on to the top of the cake, arranging the hands to point to the age of the child. Pipe in his name. Place the candles and the candle holders in position. BUTTER ICING Ingredients: 2oz of butter 4oz of sifted icing sugar 1 tablespoon of chocolate spread. Method: Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Then gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar. Colour one tablespoon of the mixture brown by adding chocolate spread for piping the clock face. If preferred, use chocolate powder and a little water instead of the spread. GLACE ICING Ingredients: 4oz of icing sugar Hot water. Method: Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and mix to a smooth coating consistency with water.