Bonfire Cake

Image Copyright Owned by 'LITTLE BOOKS OF DELIGHT'
Preparation time 30 minutes plus 30 minutes for decoration

Ingredients:
• 175g (6oz) soft margarine
• 175g (6oz) caster sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 175g (6oz) self-raising flours
• 25g (1oz) drinking chocolate
• Orange Food Coloring

Ingredients for the Marshmallow Frosting:
• 2 eggs whites
• 100g (4oz) icing sugar, sifted
• 125g (5oz) unsalted butter, softened
• Orange and red colouring

Ingredients for Decoration
• 8 small chocolate flakes
• 50g (2oz) marzipan, coloured brown

Preparation:

1. Grease a 1 liter (2pt) pudding basin and a bun tin. Set the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
2. Cream the Margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs and fold in the flour.
3. Divide the mixture in half. Stir the drinking chocolate into one half and colour the remained orange.
4. Spoon alternate colorurs into the pudding basin and the bun tin. Swirl with a skewer to give a curved marble effect. Bake the bun for 15-20 minutes and pudding basin for 1-1½ hours until the cakes feel firm when pressed with the fingertips. Turn out on to a wire rack and cool.
5. To make the marshmallow frosting: put the egg whites and icing sugar in a large bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until thick and mousse-like. Remove from the heat and whisk until cool.
6. Bet the butter until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the meringue mixture.
7. Split the large cake in half. Sandwich together with some of the frosting and attach the bun on top with another layer of frosting. Divide the remaining frosting in half and colour half red and half orange. Cover the cake in alternate blobs of icing, drawing in into peaks to represent flames.
8. Cut the flakes into 5cm (2in.) pieces and arrange on the cake, like logs. use the coloured marzipan to make a Guy.

This recipe was published in 'StMichael, LITTLE BOOKS OF DELIGHT, Chocolate Cakes, POLLY TYRER - p56'