I loved this cake I made Alexander for his 2nd birthday – it is so easy to make. Your little one will love this fun digger birthday cake.
Do you have a construction mad person at home? Are they having a birthday soon?
If you answered yes then this simple but effective cake might be something that is of interest.
How did I make this cake?
Firstly I made 2 cakes so that the diggers had the height for the rubble to be coming off the side of the cake
I made it easy and used a vanilla cake mix.
I then iced the outside of the cake with chocolate icing
I printed out a big number 2 so that I had the size and shape right and cut out the paper for a template. I then filled in the template area with the M&M’s or you can use smarties to create the number on top of the cake
To create the rubble on the side of the cake and in the diggers I used Violet Crumble and purchased a few bags to crush and have around the side of the cake
To make sure it is indeed a digger cake I added 2 diggers scooping up the Violet Crumble
You will need to have diggers for the decoration for this cake and some can beeasily purchased online.
To get the most chocolatey icing do the following
Get organic Cocoa Powder from the health food shop, then mix it with just icing sugar and a little water or maybe some juice (apple, orange or even just lemon juice is nice) This icing is like pure chocolate and is so yummy.
This cake is super easy to construct and decorate and looks fantastic. It was made for Alexander’s 2nd birthday. It is easily made for any birthday number, all you have to do is to change the number on top of the cake.
Alexander’s digger cake for his 2nd birthday
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I had no idea dump cakes were a thing. Did you know about dump cakes? If you did, I feel like now I am in on the secret too.
I read a few dump cake recipes and thought they all sounded a little bit like crumble and decided I had to give one a go.
During the week when you are busy and tired having a go-to dessert or a dessert that can change with the ingredients you have available is ideal and having a dish that can be all dumped into a baking dish and cooked in the oven with no extra work is a magical thing too.
You will be the star as everyone will think you have slaved in the kitchen for hours and hours. Don’t tell them and get someone to pour you a glass of wine while you enjoy your dump cake.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups of blueberries
3 and a half cups of mangoes (I used frozen mangoes that was already chopped)
1 cup of pecans chopped
96 grams (3/4 cup) of butter cubed
Vanilla or Butter Cake Mix (You can make your own or get a cake mix from the shops)
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence
1/4 cup of sugar
Put the oven on to warm up. Set it to 180°C or 356°F
Mango, Blueberry and Pecan Dump Cake
METHOD
Step 1: Add the blueberries and mango to the baking dish
Step 2: Pour the sugar over the fruit
Step 3: Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence over the fruit and sugar.
Step 4: I added the ground cinnamon by sprinkling it over the fruit but you can add the cinnamon to the cake mixture and then add it over the fruit.
Step 5: Pour the butter or vanilla cake mix over the top of the fruit and make sure it covers all the fruit.
Step 6: Cut up the butter into cubes and add to the top of the dish. Make sure that the cube butter is evenly spread across the dish.
Step 7: Now add the baking dish to the oven and back for 40mins.
Step 8: Serve hot with ice cream and enjoy!
DOWNLOAD THE RECIPE CARD
POST FEAST REVIEW
I thought the dump cake was more like a crumble.
It was tasty and the pecans added an extra crunch and texture that was a good mix with the mango and blueberries.
Creating this dessert was easy, and didn’t require much at all other than dumping ingredients in a baking dish and cooking it. It is definitely a winner for a very busy parent.
I will definitely be cooking more dump cakes, and testing out other ingredients for new dump cake creations.
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Got a Pokémon superfan in your life? Someone whose love for those pocket monsters knows no bounds, whether they’re a kid or a kid-at-heart adult?
Imagine their eyes lighting up like a Pikachu’s cheeks when they lay eyes on a Poké Ball cake! 🎂🌟 Have you ever thought about surprising them with this epic creation for their upcoming birthday bash? Trust me, it’s bound to be a hit among Pokémon trainers of all ages!
ϞϞ૮(๑⚈ ․̫ ⚈๑)ა
Oh, let me tell you about my energetic Pokémon enthusiast! My little guy adores everything about Pokémon, especially collecting those coveted cards. So, when his birthday rolled around, there was no surprise when he demanded a Pokémon-themed cake.
Now, I pondered for a moment, scratching my head (figuratively, of course!), and then it hit me like a Pikachu’s Thunderbolt – a Poké Ball cake!
It seemed like the perfect solution to grant my kiddo’s birthday wish, and hey, who doesn’t love a challenge that involves edible artistry? Keen to see the finished cake, scroll down to the bottom of this post or watch the Instagram Reel on this post to get an idea of how it was created.
2 vanilla cake mixes (I made it easy for myself and used vanilla cake mixes – if you want to make your own from scratch that is fine too. You can create a chocolate cake if you would rather. Mine was vanilla due to the birthday boy not liking chocolate).
Butter/oil (I find that oil mixes better, I used vegetable oil but you can use olive oil)
Lemon juice from 1 lemon and zest from the lemon
1 Egg white from a very large egg – for the white icing
2 cups of icing sugar
Half a teaspoon of water (for the icing)
Red and Black gel colouring for the icing (this makes more vivid and stronger colours)
Lollies for the centre of the cake (I used snakes and other gummies, you can have M&M’s if you wish or say skittles – the bright colours would look amazing).
NOTE: The centre of the cake was cut out to add lollies to the middle of it. Looks a bit worse here but will soon be covered over with icing and also an Oreo Cookie.
The Poké Ball cake is half decorated. The white icing looks amazing so far.
Ϟ(๑• .̫ •๑)∩
Pre-heat oven to 180°C or 356°F
Method
Making the cakes
1. Grease 2 round cake pans
2. Mix the cake mix and follow the instructions on the packet. My only changes are that I add oil instead of butter as well as fresh lemon juice and rind from a fresh lemon.
3. Cook for around 30 minutes or until the cake is golden and when you put in a knife it is all cooked through.
4. Allow cakes to cool a little before getting them out of the tins
Nearly complete adding the red icing to the Poké Ball cake
Making the white icing/royal icing
Add 2 cups of soft icing sugar, 1 egg white and half a teaspoon of water to a bowl. Mix well or use a beater to make it more fluffy looking.
If you need to you can add more water
Also for flavour you can add some vanilla essence or a little lemon juice – I decided to just leave mine plain.
Decorating the Poké Ball cake
Make the bottom of the cake white
Make the middle a thick black line
Make the top of the cake red
In the middle of the black line place the Oreo Cookie with the icing side up. If the icing isn’t as you liked it you can add some white icing to the cookie to make sure that it looks correct.
The Poké Ball cake is finished and ready for the Pokémon birthday party
If you are planning a Pokémonparty you will need the below items:
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A yummy cake for afternoon tea is always the best.
It doesn’t matter what it is for as long as it is yummy and also quick to make.
This airfryer cake is exactly what you need and it is indeed extremely quick to bake!
Orange & Poppy Seed Pound Cake with super orangey icing and fresh oranges.
I was looking online for something different to give people rather than the traditional fruit cake. I love orange and poppy seed and thought it would make a nice gift.
After looking online, I came across this recipe from BakerbyNature.com and had to give it a go.
Orange & Poppy Seed Pound Cake all cut and ready to eat. YUMMY!
Ingredients
4 large eggs
3/4 cup full-fat Greek yogurt (I didn’t have Greek yoghurt and used Jalna Vanilla Yoghurt)
1½ cups plain flour
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large organic orange, zested and juiced; divided
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup olive oil
My finished and very orangey, Orange & Poppy Seed Pound Cake.
Method
In the original, by Baker by Nature, it wanted to separate all ingredients and then add them with the wet and combine after having the orange be fragrant with the sugar.
I started off with the sugar and added the orange zest and then added all ingredients in one bowl.
Grease a pan and then pour in your cake mixture.
If you are making it in an oven you need it to be on about 180°C
The original recipe was from America and therefore had the temperature at 350 °F which equates to 176°C.
The timing of cooking this cake was listed at 50-55 minutes. Check if the top of the cake is golden and if your cake tester (skewer or knife like I use) comes out clean, then the cake is done.
I cooked this cake in the airfryer. It was on for 180°C for 28 minutes and it came out perfect.
Orange & Poppy Seed Pound Cake all ready for afternoon tea… would you love a slice now?
Orange Icing
I did my own version of the icing and added more orange to make it really pack a punch of orange.
1 cup and half of icing sugar
2 oranges using the zest and juice as well
Mix together and then you have some wonderfully orange icing
Wait for the cake to cool before icing and if you are gifting it is a good idea to ice the cake before gifting.
Serve with ice cream or cream if you wish, or just have the cake while warm on its own.
This cake is perfect to slice up and gift in a hamper or make for a special occasion. Stay tuned for more fab recipes in the Philips XXL Airfryer.
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I love easy recipes and ones that are yummy and work well.
I found it hard to find a vanilla cake mug pack from the supermarkets so played around with the cake mix I already had. The reason for wanting vanilla, or as my little boy used to call it, white cake, is due to the fact that he doesn’t like chocolate at all and therefore needs to have vanilla cake. Previously I created this microwave mug cake with a vanilla mix and it worked well.
The one that I have created here is for a chocolate cake but it will work with any cake mix, as I was all out of vanilla cake mix.
INGREDIENTS
4 Tablespoons of cake mix
3 Tablespoons of milk
1 Tablespoon of oil
Add icecream or cream – optional addition for after it is cooked
METHOD
Add all ingredients to the mug
Mix together
Add sprinkles if you wish – we did and it tasted great. (This step is optional)
Cook in the microwave for 1 minute and 40 seconds.
Add ice cream or cream to the mug and enjoy our moist, yummy and tasty microwave mug cake.
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Mission: To turn store-bought sponge cakes into a stunning wedding centrepiece.
Challenge accepted!
Armed with creativity, a vision, and a few store-bought sponge cakes from Woolworths, I ventured into the world of cakeovers to craft a delightful masterpiece fit for a dreamy wedding. Plus, with the help of gorgeous fresh flowers from Fine Flowers in Katoomba, the transformation was truly enchanting.
What is a “cakeover”?
A “cakeover” is a playful term used to describe the process of transforming an existing or store-bought cake into a more elaborate or personalized creation through decoration, embellishments, or alterations. Think of it as a cake makeover.
It involves taking a pre-made or basic cake and enhancing its appearance or flavour to suit a specific occasion or personal preferences better.
Cakeovers are often chosen for various reasons, such as time constraints, budget considerations, or simply to showcase creativity by customising a store-bought cake to suit a particular celebration, whether it’s a wedding, birthday, anniversary, or any other special occasion.
The Quest for Cake Perfection
Step 1: Cake Acquisition A trip to my local Woolworths store presented an array of sponge cake options. Opting for simplicity, I chose plain sponge cakes – the perfect blank canvas for my cakeover project.
Step 2: Visionary Designs Inspiration struck as I envisioned a multi-tiered cake exuding elegance. With a touch of whimsy in mind, fresh flowers were to be the pièce de résistance. The flowers allowed for a touch of colour and made the cake look so pretty.
Step 3: Assembly Time Stacking the sponge cakes, I sandwiched them with layers of luscious cream and fresh Panama passionfruit from Todarello’s Katoomba Village Fruit Market. The passionfruit gave a great flavour and added a summer feel to the wedding cake.
Passionfruit added to the whipped creamStarting to layer the cakes with the cream between each layerThe whipped cream with passionfruit looks so deliciousCut Panama Passionfruit ready for the whipped creamAll the Panama Passionfruit at Todarello’s Katoomba Village Fruit Market
Creating the white icing
Mix the below ingredients in a bowl. You can mix with a fork or a mixer to ensure you get fluffy icing.
2 cups of icing sugar
2 egg whites
A few drops of lemon juice
A teaspoon of vanilla essence
Once all cakes are staked then ice all the cake as smoothly as you can. Use a scraper to have the icing on the cake look smooth and if you have parts of the sponge cake showing that is fine, this will allow you to have the naked cake look. If you don’t want the naked cake look make sure to cover the cake with the white icing and smooth it out with the scraper. If you want a wavy pattern, you can have a scraper that will do that too.
The scrapers I used for my cakeover wedding cake.
Step 4: The Flourishing Finish Here’s where the magic truly unfolded. Fresh blooms from Fine Flowers in Katoomba were carefully placed atop the cake tiers, infusing vibrant colours and natural beauty into the creation. The flowers were added with paper straws to make sure the stem wasn’t put into the cake. The flowers would then be easily removed to allow the cake to be cut for serving.
I put the flowers on one side of the top of the cake and then on an angle to have some flowers on the bottom of the cake. This allowed more decoration for the top of the cake if needed. I also added a gold “love” cake topper.
Flowers were put in paper straws to then add to the cake
Fine Flowers Katoomba There is always such stunning blooms at Fine Flowers Katoomba
I adore visiting Fine Flowers in Katoomba. They always have stunning flowers that put a smile on my face.
Pretty Teasel Seed headsLove the purple gerbrasStunning white chrysanthemums and rosesCarnations look fantastic and the purple are my favourite!I love the blue irisAll the different flowers at Fine Flowers Katoomba
The Splendor of Cakeovers
Personal Touches Though the base was store-bought, the personalised touch came through the decorations. The flowers’ choice, arrangement, and overall design spoke volumes about the couple’s style and taste.
Budget-Friendly Brilliance By utilising ready-made cakes, the focus shifted from baking stress to creative embellishment, ensuring a stunning outcome without breaking the bank.
Time-Efficient Elegance Crafting a cakeover was a swift process, perfect for those in need of a last-minute, yet spectacular, dessert for a special occasion like a wedding.
Lessons Learned & Tips Shared
Be Resourceful: Embrace store-bought items as a canvas for your creativity. A little transformation can yield exceptional results.
Freshness is Key: Utilise fresh flowers or edible decorations for an instant upgrade to the cake’s aesthetics.
Keep it Simple: Sometimes, simplicity speaks volumes. Focus on a few key elements for a striking overall effect.
Practice Patience: Attention to detail is crucial. Take your time arranging the decorations to achieve the desired look.
Conclusion
With a stroke of creativity and a sprinkle of resourcefulness, a store-bought sponge cake evolved into a mesmerizing wedding centerpiece. The cakeover journey not only showcased the potential of simple elements but also highlighted the beauty of personalisation and affordability in crafting a memorable dessert. So, whether it’s a wedding or any special occasion, remember, a store-bought cake can be the perfect canvas for your cakeover dreams!
So what are the costs associated with creating a cakeover wedding cake?
It might not surprise you that a cakeover will really save you money and still create a yummy and fantastic-looking cake for your special day.
You will see from the table below that creating a wedding cake from an existing cake is the cheaper option.
A simple search online found that if you had a cake that had four tiers and above you would generally pay between $420 – $650.
2 x Woolworths Double Unfilled Sponge 460g
$12.00 ($6 each)
Icing
$2.50
Flowers
$13.00
Cream
$2.80
2 egg whites
$1.25 (based on 6 eggs that cost $3.75)
Panama passionfruit
$4.60 ($2.30 each)
Icing scraper
$4.40 (VIP Spotlight price)
Love cake topper decoration
$11.20 (VIP Spotlight price)
Total:
$51.75
The stunning cakeover wedding cake is decorated and ready for the cake topper
If you already had eggs, icing, the icing scraper or didn’t want the love cake topper decoration (all of this would take $19.35 off the amount above) the new cost of the cake would be: $32.40
As you see, you can make the cake cheaper if you wish.
The flowers make this cake look so pretty
“Pink chrysanthemums represent longevity, attraction, and romance, making them a great choice for a first date or a new love. In general, chrysanthemums are believed to represent happiness, love, longevity, and joy.”
The cakeover wedding cake is all decorated and ready for the big event
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This post was originally published on December 19, 2023
The girls love being outdoors and are keen scouts, so what better cake for kids who love an outdoor adventure – a camping cake!
I made it simple and used packets for the cake mix….yep I didn’t mix it myself. Don’t get upset if you use a packet mix it is what you do with it that counts.
How did I create this cake?
Firstly I made sure that the oven was on so it was ready to cook the cakes. I needed 3 cakes so that I could get the height for the mountain, my idea was to have a river and waterfall of the edge of the mountain and to do this I needed to have the height of more than 1 cake.
I mixed all packs of cake and added them to the pan, and then the oven. Once cooked they cooled to allow me to assemble the cake.
The cake ready to decorate. I had the bottom layer of the cake chocolate, the middle layer vanilla and the top chocolate.
As you can see I mixed up the layers with chocolate cake on the bottom, vanilla cake in the middle and chocolate cake on the top. My little boy doesn’t like chocolate so I wanted him to have a little cake that I knew he could eat. However, since it was the girls birthday cake I made sure it was something they wanted which was chocolate.
Now onto making the camping scene.
What did I decorate first?
The river was the firs thing that I created. I mixed up a big batch of blue icing and started creating the river. I made sure that the river was on an angle as this way it would give me enough room to add the tent and the camp fire.
The river was bordered with chocolate rocks and geez they looked very real.
Once the river was completed I then mixed a huge batch of green icing and decorated the rest of the cake.
Look how amazing the camping cake looks. It is a real life camping scene.
Once all iced I used the following decorations to make it look like an outdoor scene.
Apple Belts all ready to decorate the Camping Cake
Lolly flowers
Apple Belts
Apple Sours
Lady Bugs
Witchetty Grubs
KitKat for the tent
I used a cut off skewer to help hold the tent up – I couldn’t find a straight pretzel anywhere!
Lolly rocks around the campfire
A lot of candles to make the campfire – you might only need a few as once lit this made a lot of fire. (it was okay but maybe not a good idea)
Chocolate Rocks, I think they look so real
I hope this inspires you for your next birthday party. The girls loved their camping cake and I loved creating it.
Let me know if you decide to recreate this cake or do something different. Post some pictures on Facebook orInstagramand tag me!
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This post was originally posted on Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Have you been drooling and dreaming over a chocolate cake?
How about a chocolate cake that has dark chocolate icing?
Well, I have the cake for you… and it will definitely give you your chocolate fix. Plus there is afree printable recipe card to download.
Ingredients
1 vanilla cake mix
1 chocolate cake mix
4 eggs (2 eggs per cake mix)
2 tablespoons of soft butter or oil for the cake ( 1 tablespoon per cake mix)
160ml of milk per cake mix (so times 2)
Whipping cream
Dark chocolate for the decorations
6 teaspoons of dark chocolate cocoa for the icing
Soft icing sugar – I used half a small bag of CSR Soft Sugar Icing Mixture
Make sure that the oven is set to 180°C or 356°F
The chocolate cake mixtureDark chocolate melting in the saucepan to use for decorating
Method
Oil or add butter to the cake pans
Mix the vanilla cake mix
Mix the chocolate cake mix
Half the cake mixtures and put a bit in each pan to create the marble effect
Cook the cakes for around 30 mins or until brown. If you put in a knife and it comes out clean it is done.
Melt the chocolate and pour the melted chocolate on a tray with baking paper. Add the tray to the fridge to set the chocolate.
Add the icing sugar, 6 teaspoons of dark chocolate cocoa. Add a little water or lemon or apple juice to make the icing mix well.
To make the cheats whipped cream simply add the cream to a blender and choose the chop option. Continue until it looks thick. It will take a couple of minutes, you will be suprised at how quick it is, oh and how simple it is too.
When cakes are cooked and cooled add the whipped cream to the middle of the cake, add the top layer of cake.
Cover the cake with the dark chocolate icing
Break up the chocolate and make sure that it is in different sizes and shapes. Stick it to the top and side of the cake.
Now eat your very chocolatey marble cake.
The two marble cakes are ready to ice and decorateSuper dark chocolate icingLooking so chocolatey and delicious
Download the FREE Marble Chocolate Cake Recipe Card
Cut up and ready to eat, don’t you think it looks yummy!
Make sure to download the printable recipe card to make this super yummy very chocolatey cake.
Post Feast Review
I found this cake very easy to make and all elements came together really well. I did cheat a bit with packet cake mixes but when are a busy mummy this does help you out.
One element that I didn’t get 100% right was the whipped cream in the middle of the cake, I added some cream to the top of the cake but should have kept it all for the middle of the cake. After adding the very dark chocolate icing it did add to the marble effect of the cake.
Having the cream helped with the double layer and allowed a different texture and taste with the bitterness of the dark chocolate.
The addition of the broken dark chocolate shards really topped off the cake visually and also from a dark chocolate lover was a fabulous addition (and between hubby and kids the chocolate on top didn’t last long)
Will I make it again?
Yes, this is one cake that I would make again no questions asked. I would change it up a little bit and maybe add raspberries to the middle of the cake or possibly blueberries.
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This post was originally published on August 26, 2021
Do you want to make a super easy and super tasty, and healthy cake?
This cake is so tasty and no one will know it has secret ingredients that are actually good for you!
Just between you and me, the good ingredients are bananas and chia seeds. Just don’t tell anyone!
Vanilla, banana & chia seed cake all ready to eat. Adding raspberries made it taste fabulous as well.
To make this recipe even easier I used a Vanilla cake mix from Woolworths.
Ingredients
Vanilla cake mix
3 Bananas
160ml of milk
2 Eggs
Olive oil instead of butter
1 Tablespoon of Chia Seeds
Vanilla, Banana and Chia Seed cake all cooked and ready to eat!
How long to cook for
Set oven for 180°C and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. (Sometimes I find 30mins is enough, depends on the mixture and your oven)
Enjoy and you can be happy knowing that the kids will be finally eating something healthy.
Have fun with this recipe and after you make your yummy cake enjoy it for some afternoon tea.
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