Easy yet impressive cake needed for sports day cake stand - ideas please!

[arfishy]

I have to produce a cake tomorrow, no nuts or cream for the school.

I want it to look amazing (I don't want it to be the only one left at the end) but suitable for someone with a dodgy oven and limited cake tinnery. Also no nuts or cream.

[has idea] Are you all going to say lemon drizzle cake?

[goes off to check complexity of recipe]

we had ours last term. Dd1 ran a race with her teacher aide running beside her. She was cheered on and she cheered her little friend who also has special needs in her race. Lovely to see.

So pleased it all worked out!!!

I bet everyone was very of yourf teacups!!!

Cake of shame pile - PMSL!!!!!

Cant wait til ds's first sports day... he's only 15 months so got a wee while yet!!

I was dreaming about the marshmallows last night!

I think the fact your cake was snaffled before making it to the table is mega kudos arfishy. Some women do that so they get the pick of the bunch!!

Aw Eids. I would have cried [am soft like that]. It sounds lovely, are there photos?

Geordie - LOL at the marshmallow dreams! I must do that thread - we can dispel the misconception that we are all techie wierdos and impress everybody else with Eids' our teacup creations.

I am rather chuffed about the cakes. Odds were against me with a dodgy oven and no scales. The yummy mummy mafia will have their knives out for me next sports day (expect a panicky thread ).

Grr. Can spell weirdos.

I am glad they went down well - and I think I would have been chuffed for a Japanese mum to choose my cake as well. It all sounds seriously competitive - cake boxes and all.

I will let you know how they go down at the village fete - I think my market may be limited by the average age of the village (70+ ) - I am hoping they all have small grandaughters to impress. I am going to check the shops before I buy lifesavers from ebay I think - I don't mind paying shipping etc but I do mind paying VAT and massive handling charges - and DH would go mad if he realised I was even contemplating doing that for a packet of sweets.

I was chuffed . You should have seen some of the boxes. One was a model of a swimming pool with little wooden starting blocks and everything . I do not believe that it was made by a 6 year old. Anyhoo, I will know for next year [prepares for box extravaganza, perhaps involving bonsai].

I am happy to put a few packets of livesavers in the post for you.

arfishy that is incredibly kind of you, but I am determined to find an alternative to make a sustainably British version - perhaps appropriately-shaped chewy sweets?

All I know Stealth, is that those Freckle sweets are called Jazzies here!

I will ponder the handles, along with the Spy cake.

Oh god, how rude of me! I meant to say, fab teacup cakes Arfishy. I love them!

Do you think these could work?

They probably would....

D'you think they might sag? Especially if they are cut in half. You could always make a pile of gelatin icing handles.

I was sort of thinking of trying to cut a slit in the side of the marshmallow and half-embed the ring rather than cutting them in half.

I feel some experimenting coming on - I wonder if DS has any Haribo from party bags which might have a ring in?

Mo that would bring up the very sore subject of the fact that all the disks for my sugar shaper are missing somewhere [sulk]

Message withdrawn

Just thought you would like to see the teacups that dd1 and I made today after being inspired by this thread.

As geordiemix said the saucers were party rings, marshmallows were from Asda. I found lifesavers in a sweet shop in Bluewater but to be honest the Polo ones were just as good (and cheaper) the 'freckles' are jazzies that I got from Wilkinsons. I do need to find biggers ones thought to cover the top.