Fondant Fancies

Another great one to get the kids involved with this summer! These little cake bites are great for picnics, bake sales or even just for having a snack-stash in the house!

Ingredients

For the cakes

  • 225g unsalted butter, softened
  • 225g golden caster sugar
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp apricot jam
  • 200g marzipan
  • Icing sugar, for dusting

For the buttercream

  • 250g unsalted butter, softened
  • 300g icing sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

To decorate

  • 500g ready-to-roll fondant
  • Red food colouring
  • Yellow food colouring
  • Green food colouring
  • 50g dark chocolate, melted

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4. Grease a 20cm square cake tin with baking parchment, leaving a slight overhang to help you remove the cake once it’s cooked.
  2. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then gradually add in the eggs, continuously beating. Pour in the vanilla extract and allow to mix in, then tip the cake mixture into the tin and smooth the surface down. Pop in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  3. Cool the cake in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Heat the apricot jam in a saucepan to remove any lumps, and then brush over the top of the cake.
  4. Sprinkle some icing sugar on a clean surface, then roll out the marzipan thinly. Cut out a 20cm square to match the cake’s shape, then place on top of the cake and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
  5. While your cake is chilling, make the buttercream by beating together the butter and icing sugar until smooth, and then mixing in the vanilla extract.
  6. Remove your cake from the fridge, and cut into 25 equal squares (each around 3.5cm square). Spread the exposed sides of the cake with a thin layer of buttercream and then, using a piping bag, place a blob of buttercream on top of each marzipan topped square. Return to the fridge and chill for at least one hour until the buttercream has set.
  7. Place your fondant in your mixer and beat until the icing starts to break apart. Slowly pour in around 80ml of water until the icing reaches a pouring consistency, then divide between three bowls. Add a drop of each food colouring into each bowl and stir to combine, gradually adding tiny amounts of food colouring at a time until you reach your desired shade.
  8. Stick a fork in the base of each cake and spoon over the fondant, turning the fork as you go so that you achieve an even coating. Place on a wire rack and leave to set (usually around 10 minutes).
  9. Spoon the melted chocolate into a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle, and quickly pipe over the top of the cakes in a zig-zag motion. Leave to set in a cool place, but don’t place in the fridge as this will cause the icing to lose its shine.

Lead image: martinrlee via Getty images.