It’s that time of year again. The nights are beginning to draw in as Autumn approaches. While crunching through fallen leaves and carving pumpkins is fun, the season also brings lots of rainy days—and bored kids! Get them into the kitchen and let them get creative (and sticky!) with these three easy bakes: fairy cakes, cornflake cakes, and shortbread cookies.
Classic Fairy Cakes
Fairy cakes with glace icing seem to have been overtaken by their buttercream-iced cupcake cousins. But this recipe is for the original iced fairy cakes that I learned to bake when I was a Brownie!
- 100g caster sugar
- 100g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 100g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp milk
For the glacé icing
- 200g icing sugar, sifted
- 2-3 tbsp warm water
- A drop or two of food colouring (optional)
- Sprinkles, edible glitter, or whatever your heart desires for decorating!
Equipment needed
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Sieve
- Muffin tray
- Cupcake Cases
- Spatula
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 12-hole muffin tray with fairy cake cases.
2. In a large bowl, beat the caster sugar and butter together until light, fluffy, and slightly pale. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Gently fold in the self-raising flour with a spatula. Add a splash of milk to bring the batter to a soft-dropping consistency.
4. Spoon the cake batter into the cases, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until they’re golden and springy to the touch. Let them cool completely before icing.
5. In a small bowl, combine the icing sugar with the warm water, a little at a time, until it’s smooth and glossy. Add a drop or two of food colouring if you want to add a bit more magic to the mix!
6. Once the cakes are cool, spoon the glacé icing over each one, letting it gently drip down the sides. Top with sprinkles, edible glitter, or anything else you desire.
Chocolate Cornflake Cakes
Every school bake sale has featured these classic cornflake cakes, which are as popular with kids as fairy cakes. They are so easy to make and hard to resist.
Ingredients:
- 100g milk or dark chocolate
- 50g unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp golden syrup
- 100g cornflakes /rice krispies
- A handful of sprinkles, mini marshmallows, or whatever sweet toppings you like
Instructions:
1. Break the chocolate into pieces and pop it into a heatproof/microwaveable bowl. Add the butter and golden syrup, then set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, melt in the microwave on low power, checking frequently until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
2. Let the mixture cool for a minute or two. Now, tip in the cornflakes and gently fold them through with a spatula or spoon, making sure everything is well-coated
3. Line a muffin tray with paper cases. Spoon a generous helping of the chocolatey cornflake mixture into each case.
4. Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle over your decorations.
5. Place the tray in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until the cakes are firm and set.
Shortbread Biscuit Shapes
Kids will love rolling and cutting out the dough, and if you have a cookie press* even better!
Ingredients:
- 150g unsalted butter, softened
- 75g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 225g plain flour
- A pinch of salt
- Extra flour for dusting
- Sparkly sugar, edible glitter, or a drizzle of icing
Instructions:
1. Start by preheating your oven to 160°C (320°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and caster sugar until it’s pale and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Sift in the flour and add a pinch of salt, then gently mix everything until it forms a soft dough. If it’s crumbly, don’t worry — keep pressing it together with your hands until it becomes smooth and pliable.
4. Dust a clean surface with flour, then roll out the dough to about 1cm thick. Grab your favourite cookie cutters and start pressing out your biscuits. Gather any leftover dough, re-roll, and keep cutting until every bit dough has been used.
5. Place your beautiful biscuit shapes on the prepared baking tray, with a bit of space between them for spreading. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until they’re just turning golden at the edges.
6. Let your biscuits cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Once completely cool, sprinkle them with sparkly sugar, drizzle some icing, or add a dusting of edible glitter.
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