Mountain Railway Cake

 

Ingredients

• 175g (6oz) butter or margarine, softened
  175g (6oz) caster sugar
  1 tsp Dr. Oetker Natural Vanilla Essence
  3 medium size eggs
  200g (7oz) plain flour
  10ml (2 tsp) Dr. Oetker Baking Powder
  3 tbsp your favourite jam, softened
  1 tub Dr. Oetker Easy Ice
  Dr. Oetker Coloured Ready roll Icing
  Dr. Oetker Sugar Flowers
  Dr. Oetker Writing Icing
  Dr. Oetker Jelly Diamonds
  Dr. Oetker Mini White Marshmallows
  Dr. Oetker Birthday Candles
  

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C, 350 F, Gas Mark 4. Grease, flour and base-line a 1.5l (50fl.oz) china pudding basin. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter or margarine with the sugar and vanilla essence until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs with a little of the flour. Sift the remaining flour and baking powder into the bowl and carefully fold into the creamed mixture. Pile into the prepared basin. Smooth over the top and bake in the oven for about 55 minutes until golden and firm to the touch or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Turn on to a wire rack to cool, levelling off the cake if necessary so it stands evenly.
2. Cut the cake into 3 equal layers and sandwich back together with half the Easy Ice and the jam. Spread the outside of the cake with the remaining Easy Ice.
3. On a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, roll out 2 packs green coloured ready roll icing large enough to cover the cake. Smooth down over the cake and trim as necessary. Transfer the cake to a small flat plate. Roll out the green ready roll trimmings to make a narrow bad round the bottom of the cake, and cut out narrow 'V' shapes to resemble a grassy bank. Secure on the cake using a little water. Secure the sugar flowers round the bottom of the cake using a little writing icing, and decorate with green writing icing to make stems and leaves.
4. Roll out 1 pack red icing thinly and stamp out an engine shape and carriages. Secure the pieces on to the cake, snaking round the outside, using a little water to stick them on. Decorate the carriages with halved jelly diamonds.
5. Stick mini marshmallows them to the cake using a little writing icing to resemble billows of steam. Decorate the engine with writing icing and pipe on a track for the train to sit on.
6. Finally, push the candles into their holders and push into the top of the cake to serve.

Serves: 12