Ingredients (Makes 10)
For the cakes
115g caster sugar
115g butter, softened
2 eggs
85g self-raising flour
30g ground almonds
1 tsp vanilla extract
To decorate
30g ready-to-roll icing
Red and green food colouring paste
200g fondant icing sugar
1 tbsp rosewater
300ml double cream, whipped
200g strawberries, thinly sliced
3 tbsp strawberry jam
Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (Gas Mark 4). To make the cake, whisk the sugar and butter until light and creamy. Whisk in the eggs then fold in the flour along with the almonds and vanilla. Spoon the mixture into 10 mini cake tins (6cm in diameter) and bake for 15–20 minutes. Allow to cool in the tins, then release.
To make the fondant strawberries, colour three-quarters of the ready-to-roll icing with a small amount of the red paste. Colour the rest with the green paste. Make 40 tiny strawberries with the red icing and use a sterilised pin to prick holes in them to look like seeds. Top each with blobs of green for stalks. To prepare the topping, mix the fondant icing sugar, rosewater and 1 tbsp of cold water until you have a smooth icing. Cut each cake into 3 layers and cover the top layers with icing. Allow to set, then press 4 fondant strawberries on to the top of each.
To assemble the cakes, spoon the cream and jam between each layer, topping with the strawberry slices. Finish with the decorated tops ■
Adapted from Mini Cakes by Hannah Miles (Ryland Peters & Small, £9.99).
For more delicious mini cake recipes pick up the new issue of Junior Magazine, on the newsstands Friday April 27.
More baking inspiration from Junior:
Chocolate whoopie pies
Flowering garden cake
