Burger cakes

Manchester’s still riding out the burger wave at the moment, but if you’re looking to munch on something even sweeter than a Triple Nom from Almost Famous then these mini burger cakes are worth a try.

Makes 4

100g caster sugar
100g unsalted butter
2 eggs
100g self-raising flour
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp yellow food colouring
1tbsp cocoa powder
1 pack ready to roll icing
1tsp green food colouring
4tsp raspberry jam
A handful of chocolate sprinkles or sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 180° and grease a standard 12 hole cupcake tin.

Cream together the sugar and butter before stirring in the eggs and flour. Separate one third of the mixture into another bowl.

Add vanilla extract and yellow food colouring to the larger mixture and spoon into eight greased holes in a cupcake tin. Add the cocoa powder to the remaining mixture and distribute into the four remaining holes.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cakes spring back when you gently push your finger down on top of them.

Whilst the cakes are cooling, divide the icing so you have two lumps of approximately 50g. Mix yellow and green food colouring into each lump respectively. Crease the green icing into four lettuce shaped pieces and roll the yellow icing out before cutting into thin squares.

To present your mini burger cakes place the lettuce on top of one vanilla cake, spread a tsp of raspberry jam on top, then add the chocolate sponge. Next place a square of the yellow icing and then the top ‘bun’ in the form of another vanilla sponge. Top with chocolate sprinkles to complete the burger bun look.

Of course, you can layer up the burger as you wish – barbecue sauce can be added in the form of icing sugar, water and cocoa powder or you can get creative with rashers of fondant icing bacon.