The theme for round 3 of the @TrinityStores Balham cake off was “Cakes for Kids.” I knew this would be just delightful and full of colour. But what was I going to make for the youngins? I decided to go with my good and faithful banana bread recipe, and add a little caramel surprise to make it fun for the kids. I went for a ladybird theme, which at the time I thought would be disastrous, but as my next instalment on the Balham cake off will reveal, it was just right. 🙂
Cake
3 bananas
2 large eggs
1/2 cup olive oil (1/3 cup for fat conscious)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup of sugar
2 cups self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Caramel centre
Nestle carnation caramel
Buttercream Icing
100g butter
250g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp milk
Colouring (red and black)
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius
2. Mash bananas in a mixing bowl. Add beaten eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla.
3. Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt and spoon into fairy cake lined cupcake tray.
4. Place into the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Check if cooked using a cake tester or toothpick. If it comes out clean, cakes are done. Allow more time if using a loaf baking tin.
Once cakes have cooled, cut holes in the centre for the caramel and fill up to just below the top of the cakes. I could have made the holes wider to get more yummy caramel in there! Ice carefully with the buttercream icing. Add chocolate chips to make the lady bird spots.
Now I really had to think on my feet to make sure they looked like ladybirds. A garden! A black plate! Yes! I rolled these out in 60 seconds flat!!!!!!!
I only managed 5 lady birds for the challenge as I was running out of time, in fact, had I been any later, I probably would have missed the judges.
Unfortunately, 1 poor ladybird suffered and did not make it to the store. I ate it with no regrets later on :P.
When I got home after the cake off, I decorated the remaining cakes with my back up plan, smarties on the butter icing. Very pretty.
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