Cake for 65th b-day for pudding with big TA-DAH value!

[Furzella]

I need to bake a cake that will be eaten as pudding for my FIL's 65th birthday party. Everyone there is an ultra-foody and I have the baking side to keep up! It doesn't have to be a classic cake: I had considered doing Nigel Slater's lemon ice cream cake in the gingery crust, but think it might melt in my dash across London. I have to be able to bake it in one day as I'll be working Mon-Wed so won't be domestically inclined until the day itself.

Any flashes of genius out there?

The famous lemon drizzle cake???

Nigella's chocolate fudge cake

its divine

Ooo, which Nigella one? Is it in Feast? I haven't got that but have been looking for a good excuse!

I am a HUGE fan of the LDC (have one on the go at the moment, if dds haven't eaten it while I'm at work), but for this occasion want to do something that looks TA-DAH as well as tasting TA_DAH IYKWIM?! The LDC looks amazing to fellow bakers as it rises so gorgeously and exudes class but I think I'm after something that looks a bit flashier.

here you go

I have made it and it looks very impressive

tastes even better!

That ice cream cake from NS book is really nice and in fact needs to be out of the freezer for at least half an hour or you can't cut it.

Or yes, how about a Nigella one - Feast has a chocolate cheesecake which looks nice (not tried it tho) or chocolate malteser cake which I did for DH's b/day this year but more to please the kids I suspect it was nice tho.

Ah Clary, but could I whizz it across London then put it back into the freezer at SIL's then whip it out again 90 minutes later when it's needed or would I poison everyone with the in-out-in freezer thing? It looks absolute divine though.

How far across London?

If in freezer thingy coolbag whatnot it might be OK.

I mean it might be in effect still frozen when you arrived.

Prob best part of an hour in a car, but I do have coolbags and endless ice packs so maybe I could give it a go. It does look beautiful and would be good as a pudding.

I have had success with ones you make in advance and just assemble at the last minute...
Inspired by one in Domestic Goddess I went to a dinner party with four 8" hazelnut meringue discs, a vat of whipped cream and a tub of chocolate sauce and stacked them up in situ. Huge success.

I know the recipe you mean - chocolate isn't it? That's a genius idea actually as FIL is a meringue-fiend. Also, the chocolate custard stuff in the original recipe was quite heavy but taking whipped cream with me - v bon plan. Hmm. My meringues aren't the finest point of my culinary repertoire but I should be able to manage.

Yes or there is a fab looking lemon meringue cake in Feast which I really fancy trying.

I love lemon desserts

Actually my sister has made the chocolate stack and it was YUMMY

actually (have just been and looked) it was the pic of the chocolate one coupled with the idea of the chestnut ice-cream cake on p145

the quality of the meringues doesn't actually matter much in the finished article, not like if you were serving them by themselves

I'm going to have to buy Feast. Oh dear, I have a no spending rule at the moment, but I think FIL's birthday counts as an exception. Now, could I get away with buying it on the joint account, or will dh know I'm really doing it for gastroporn reasons...

Shouldn't think you're the least bit interested but I went for the chocolate truffle meringue cake in Feast in the end. It looks fab but I think may kill everyone with the calories!! 500ml of double cream, cripes!! Still birthday calories don't count, do they! I've still got to unmould it which looks like a challenge but I'm sure I can cover any damage with cocoa.

Feeling v virtuous as I got Feast out of the library - never done this with a cookbook before, but I guess I can try before I buy...

I have all your other suggestions stored up for next time plus[oink oink emoticon]