I need to make a Statement Cake for Family gathering?

[Shosha1]

Im a good baker, but need inspiration.

For the first time in about 20 years extended family (as in my aunts and uncles) are coming for afternoon tea at my house, to see DF who we almost lost with a stroke this year.

Now I know they are going to expect WOW cakes, as my DM always did them (with seemingly no effort)

I would love to do one.

I often do a really fancy cheesecake, but it is very very rich, and the average age of my guests is 80 :) so might be a bit much

I thought I had found one but again terribly rich, I need something stunning to look at, but not too rich.

There will be French Fancies, tea cake and such as well.

[headlesslambrini]

I was going to say a willy or boobs cake but given the age's involved, probably not.

[Vatta]

Croqembouche? Very impressive looking, easy to split up among a big group.

[DoItTooJulia]

Fraisier Cake?

[kelda]

What about an angel food cake? An America friend of mine made one of these recently and it was amazing. A very white, light sponge that needs to cool upside down after cooking, slightly sticky with an ameretto taste.

You need a special tin to cook it in, with a hole in the middle, to turn upside down and suspended on a bottle.

She iced it with a marshmallow type icing.

angel food cake

[SandyDilbert]

I do a plain sponge but do 4 layers, (or 2 choc & 2 vanilla and alternate) and fill with strawberry jam, sliced strawberries and eton mess - is lovely. Top with whipped cream and choc dipped strawberries.

[RubyrooUK]

I made one a bit like this although I can't remember if this was the exact recipe. Chocolate cigarillos on the outside and piled with strawberries. Absolutely nobody believed I had made it myself.

[FriskyHenderson]

A tower of cupcakes?
Face cake?
Nigella's Christmas vanilla sponge, theoneshe cooks in a bundt tin can look spectacular.

Does it have to be one cake?

[ellaballoo]

Google 'good food chocolate dipped cherry cake'..sorry I am a dimwit who can't cut and paste on my tablet!it's a beautiful cake.

[FriskyHenderson]

Ruby that with Smarties and or maltesers and or buttons and choc fingers and or matchmakers and or kitkats round the outside is fantasic.

[Butterytoast]

hummingbirdbakery.com/order/red-velvet-cake/

[Butterytoast]

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/three-tier_red_velvet_17795

[bakingaddict]

I too am a bit shit cutting and pasting but if you google Edd Kimber (him who won the first ever GBBO) ombre cake it looks really stunning. I think it's on the BBC good food webpage

Agree with RubyRooUK those type of cakes always look amazing and are a doddle to make

[Shosha1]

Frisky, yes one cake, I am doing smaller cakes and tea cakes as well.

ella I've made the cherry one before, it is fab, but DF dosn't like cherries

I like the idea of the Angel Cake, and I've got the tin

Buttery, love the Red Velvet

[Shosha1]

I wanted to make the one on the front of the October issue of Good Food, but was worried it was just too rich (24 eggs anyone???)

[StealthPolarBear]

Old people can eat rich food can't they?
Some of these cakes sound amazing!

[Shosha1]

Yes Stealth, but some are Diabetic, so could only have a little, and at least 5 of the men have Cholesterol problems, ( I have checked that they can actually have cake, and its ok, everything in moderation the DR told me )

So wanted them to have something to enjoy, but not have them up all night with indigestion :)

And I admit, although Im good at baking, Im crap at icing :) so need something I can just ice roughly

[SicknSpan]

Would second Friskys recommendation of Nigellas tree bundt cake. The chocolate version is the easiest, most delicious cake I've ever made and looks unbelievably impressive. Serve with hot chocolate pouring sauce and chilled marscapone, dust cake with icing sugar so it looks like snow- a real wow pud.

[RubyrooUK]

Wow, that Nigella one looks amazing.....YUM.

[Clr2014]

what about a multi layer sponge or red velvet as mentioned earlier but then decorated like this I've seen similar at a family gathering before and it looked great.

[Shosha1]

I have decided to do the Nigella one :)

[BillyBanter]

img.gawkerassets.com/img/18kynz2o2aenajpg/original.jpg

[MooseBeTimeForSnow]

How does the chocolate one differ from the vanilla? I gave just ordered the tin. Nordic Ware is North American :)

[ameliarose2012]

I made a rainbow cake for my DD first birthday this year. I followed to BBC good food recipe. It looks a bit daunting, but it's pretty easy really. Only requires basic cream cheese frosting, and looks AMAZING when you cut into it!

[Shosha1]

Now Billy if my Grandmother had still been alive that would have been the cake.

She was known as the Dragon :)

[SicknSpan]

Moose - the chocolate one simply substitutes cocoa powder (not hot choc powder) for some of the flour. Manages to come out ever so slightly gooey and ultra moist in the middle - mmmmmm!