Cakes for Children to Make

As a child being involved in the preparation of cakes makes them taste even sweeter. Here’s a selection of pretty cakes and child-friendly flavours they’ll love to bake – and eat.

So why not make your children kitchen assistants for the day? Give them each a pinny and a wooden spoon, and you’ll get the baking done in half the time! Just allow extra for clearing up…

Bounty Cake

If Bounty bars are your children’s favourites, they’ll love this chocolate sponge, studded with chocolate chips and smeared with creamy icing and desiccated coconut. The children can do all the mixing themselves and even ice the finished cake.

Ingredients:

• 8oz self-raising flour
• 3tbsp cocoa
• 2tsp baking powder
• 8oz margarine
• 8oz caster sugar
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 10tbsp milk
• 2oz chocolate chips
• 4oz butter
• 8oz icing sugar
• Coconut or vanilla essence
• Desiccated coconut

Method

• Whisk the sugar, eggs and milk together.

• Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder over the top, and fold in gently.

• Add the chocolate chips, and mix again gently.

• Spoon the batter into a greased, 8” round tin, and bake at 140 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

• For the icing, beat the butter with the icing sugar and a few drops of coconut or vanilla extract.

• When the cake is cool, cover it with the icing, and finish with a big handful of desiccated coconut.

Rose-Pink Fairy Cakes

Seat the children around the kitchen table, give them some iced fairy cakes and an array of sparkling decorations, and the results will be wonderful! You can get the children to help mix the batter, too. We’ve suggested white chocolate and rosewater to flavour these cakes, but you can add any flavourings your children might like.

Ingredients:

• 4oz margarine
• 6oz caster sugar
• 6oz self-raising flour
• 0.5tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1tbsp rosewater
• 4tbsp milk
• 2oz white chocolate chips

Method

• In a food processor or large bowl, beat the margarine with the caster sugar.

• Sift in the self-raising flour and baking powder.

• Beat the eggs, rosewater and milk. Add to the bowl and continue mixing to a thick batter.

• Fold in the chocolate chips and spoon into paper cake cases. Bake at 180 degrees C for 12-15 minutes, until risen and golden.

• Make some glace icing: Blend about 8oz icing sugar with two drops of pink food colouring, and enough water to make a runny paste.

• Use to top the cooled cupcakes, and ask children to decorate using silver balls, frosted rose petals, edible glitter or edible food pens.

Smart Cookies

Smartie-studded cookies for your smart cookies! Instead of smarties, you can use nuts, plain chocolate chips, or even dried cranberries. These cute biscuits, with multi-colour decorations, are all-natural, and they make very popular lunchbox treats…

Ingredients:

• l3oz soft butter
• 2oz caster sugar
• 4oz self-raising flour
• 1 packet Smarties (or 2oz chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit)

Method

• Cream the butter and sugar, then sift the flour on top.

• Add the smarties and fold together gently.

• Shape the mixture into small balls and place, well spaced-out, on a greased baking tray.

• Put into a 180 degree C oven for about 10-15 minutes, until the cookies are starting to turn golden.

Chocolate Courgette Cake

This cake is a fabulous way to get some goodness in – you might want to keep the courgettes secret, of course! The children can beat, mix, and ice this moist, chocolate-flavoured cake.

Ingredients:

• 8oz self-raising flour, sieved
• 3tbsp cocoa
• 2tsp baking powder
• 6oz caster sugar
• 8oz grated courgette
• 3 eggs
• 120ml crème fraiche
• 120ml sunflower oil
• 3tbsp golden syrup
• 1 packet cream cheese
• 1 lime
• Icing sugar to taste

Method

• Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa into a large bowl.

• Add the caster sugar and courgette and mix together.

• In a jug, whisk the eggs, crème fraiche, sunflower oil and syrup. Pour over the dry ingredients and fold together to create a thick batter.

• Spoon into an 8” round tin and bake at 150 degrees C for 60-90 minutes.

• When cool, ice with lime-scented cream cheese icing: Beat the cream cheese with the juice of half a lime, then add icing sugar until it reaches spreadable consistency.