Fantastic but hardy cake/pie?

[ElephantsAndMiasmas]

I need to make a birthday cake (or pie/tart, something you can stick candles in etc),that will still be nice after 48 hours in a cake tin and a journey across country. Was thinking sponge and then do fresh cream/strawberries on the day, but would probably be a bit stale by then.

Any suggestions?

Can't be fruitcake sadly but other than that anything goes!

Madeira is probably your best bet, it's stiffer and a bit heavier than normal sponge. It's very easy to make and it improves after a day or so, so should be perfect for your needs. I used this recipe- www.waitrose.com/recipe/Madeira_Cake.aspx

I was also going to suggest madeira cake. I make mine (which has cherries and ground almonds in) about 10 days in advance, wrap it in greaseproof and then put it in a tin and it is delicious.

Nigellas Dense Chocolate Cake gets better after a couple of days (although doesn't usually last that long as it is yummy )

Dense chocolate loaf cake

225g soft butter
375g dark muscovado sugar
2 large eggs
vanilla extract
100g dark chocolate
200g plain flour
1 tsp bicarb
250 ml boiling water

Oven Gas mark 5, 190C

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs and some vanilla essence. Melt the chocolate, and fold it into the mixture. Mix the bicarb with the flour, then add it to your mix, spoon by spoon, alternating with the boiling water. The result should be a smooth batter. Pour it into three 1-lb loaf tins, and bake for 30 minutes at 190C. The cake should be squidgy in the middle, so you can?t test it with a skewer.

As it cools it will sink in the middle, sometimes to the point of total collapse. It improves with keeping.

Lemon drizzle cake (in loaf tin)

ooh yeah that chocolate thing sounds delicious.

So does the madeira actually - I always had the idea that madeira was quite tasteless but that's all citrussy

Not sure I have a loaf tin though , could I just use a normal cake tin?

can anyone answer my tin question? would it work ok in a victoria sandwich tin?

thanks

If you mean the Madiera recipe - I have just had a read and it says that you could use a 20cm round cake tin.

I would just check it doesn't brown the top too much as it may bake quicker then in a loaf tin.

If you mean the chocolate one - I have only ever baked it in a loaf tin but I am sure it would be fine in a round tin - again, just check as it will bake faster in a round tin

I made this white chocolate and orange cake for DP's birthday. It survived a long car journey and it was still lovely and moist after a couple of days.

Ah thanks so much PrettyFV, I am going to roll my sleeves up and get cooking now!

Thanks all of you :):):)

ooh god that looks yummy flibbertigibbert - am saving that for a future date as don't have any white choc now and can't get to the shops

I made PFV's chocolate one, sandwiched together/toped with fresh cream and raspberries. It was G O R G E O U S. Thanks so much for the recipe.

Glad it went down well - it is a great recipe