How to distract a group of mid thirties from ranting about restricted parking zones.

With surprise cake of course.

This is actually what I have spent most of the weekend ranting about.  George Ferguson's proposed residents parking scheme, because it is one of the worst thought out ideas in the world ever.  I'm not going to start talking about it here, because I won't stop and you'll never find out about surprise cake.  Which would be a shame, because the cake is good.  As is the surprise.

To make surprise cake you will need

For the cakes

• 6 eggs
• 12 oz flour
• 12 oz sugar
• 12 oz butter
• teaspoon baking powder
• teaspoon vanilla essence.

Line four round tins with baking paper and make up the sponge mix.  Split evenly between the tins and bake at 180 for 20 minutes, or until the sponge is light golden and set.

Turn the cakes out of the tins and cool on wire racks.

Once the cakes are cooled, take two of them and cut a four inch circle out of the middle of each of them.  I cut round a ramekin.  Remove the centre circle.

For the Butter Icing

• 10 oz icing sugar
• 5oz butter
• splash of milk

Mix together until a light fluffy consistency.

Take one of the complete cakes and pop on the plate you're going to serve the cake on.  Then take one of the cakes with the middle removed and spread butter icing on the bottom, stack on top of the bottom cake.  Repeat with the next cake with the middle removed.  At this point you should have one complete cake left (the lid).

Fill the hollow in the middle of the cake with whatever you want.  I used M&Ms.  Other sweet treats are available.  Layer on the lid and then ice the whole thing with butter icing.

 

  Then when you cut the cake the sweets spill out of the middle.  Fun idea huh?