Failed birthday cake - recipes for a rather solid buttermilk sponge?

[Alva]

Looks fine, but is too too solid; think I overcooked it. Am having another go atm(chocolate this time!) but need nice things to do with two sponge cakes. Any ideas?

Is it for a child's birthday party? Why not decorate the solid one (it'll be easier to decorate) then use the new one to cut up for party bags, which you can do ahead of the party and save time?

Otherwise soak the heavy cake in booze and use as trifle base!

Absolutely agree with lilolil if for a child's birthday. The first Barbie cake I did for dd1 from the Nigella recipe in Domestic Goddess came out like a stone. I just iced the darn thing anyway. It looked fab so who cares. If the new one is good, keep it and eat it after they've all gone home!

If you're going for the trifle option, the deconstructed one with lemon and raspberries in Domestic Goddess is yummy.

Thank you both - it's just for us (and a couple of friends tomorrow if there's any left) so will do the trifle thing. Chocolate one seems to have turned out a bit less leaden, thank goodness!

freeze it and use at a future date for trifle sponges

Have bunged it in the freezer for trifle - good idea G&T. Quite enough cake around here now due to the chocolate one, which turned out beautifully (made me feel MUCH better about my baking skills!)