Special Occasion Cakes Recipes - Mother's Day Basket

Ingredients

• 175g/1 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted

• 175g/scant 1 cup caster sugar

• 175g/3/4 cup soft margarine

• 3 eggs

• 900g/4 cups orange-flavor butter icing

MATERIAL/EQUIPMENT

• thin 15cm/6in round silver cake board

• greaseproof paper piping bag

• basket weave nozzle foil

• 1m/1yd mauve ribbon, 1cm/1/2in wide

• fresh flowers

• 0.5m/1/2yd spotted mauve ribbon, 3mm/1/8in wide

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas3. Lightly grease and base-line a 15cm/6in brioche mould. Place all the cake ingredients in a bowl, mix together then beat for 1- 2 minutes until smooth. Transfer to the prepared mould and bake for about 1 1/4 hours, or until risen and golden.

2. Place the cooled cake upside-down on the board. Cover the sides with one-third of the butter icing. Using a basket weave nozzle, pipe the sides with a basket weave pattern.

3. Invert the cake on the board and spread the top with butter icing. Pipe a shell edging with the basket weave nozzle. Pipe the basket weave pattern over the cake top, starting at the edge. Leave to set.

4. Fold a strip of foil several layers thick. Wrap the plain ribbon around the strip and bend up the ends to secure the ribbon. Form the foil into a handle and press into the icing.

5. Finish by tying a posy of fresh flowers with the spotted ribbon and making a mixed ribbon bow for the handle.