In need of your best cake recipe for a number Birthday cake please

[objectivity]

Can make Birthday cake ok, I just use a basic viccy sponge type recipe, but wonder if there is a good recipe for a nice firm sort of sponge that will hold a good shape for icing a number 7 - I fear my recipe may be a bit light and floppy perhaps?

Can be plain or choc or anything really...

Thanks.

what about madeira?

6 oz butter (softened)
6 oz caster sugar
3 eggs
4 oz plain flour
4 oz self-raising flour
approx 2 tbsp milk.

cream together the butter and sugar, beat the eggs and gradually add to the butter mixture beating well after each addition.
sift together the two flours and then fold into the mixture
add approx 2 tablespoons of milk.
spoon into a greaced 7 inch tin and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for approx 1 hour.

You need a madeira (sp?) recipe. I have posted one before in answer to a similar thread but I don't have it to hand right now. Most number tins take a 4-5 egg mixture (or are you making it and then cutting it out?)

x-post!

If you want to make it chocolate just substitute 2-3 tablespoons of the flour with the same amount of cocoa powder, and it may need a bit more milk.

I always use madeira cake for shaped birthday cakes - cuts beautifully and holds shape/sharp corners and detail brilliantly. The dense texture makes it much better to work with than choc IMO

My recipe is almost identical to the above only I add a little vanilla essence in with the milk. If you like choc, you can always substitute a small amount of the flour for cocoa powder (2 tbsps) or make half choc flavoured and half plain, swirl together for marble cake effect.

lol x posts too - agree with the choc

Ok, thanks- Madeira it is. Thanks for recipe Wannabe.

Looks like my usual, 4, 4, 4 and 2 recipe wouldn't have worked.