Cookery Class - Step by Step

Grease and line two 18 x 28cm rectangular cake tins. Heat the butter and milk together in a saucepan and stir until the mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat, set aside and leave to cook until lukewarm. Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Beat the eggs until light, then beat in the castor sugar gradually. Beat well, then add the vanilla essence. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Fold in the milk mixture. Pour into prepared baking tins and bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Cut the cake into 3,5cm pieces and place them on a wire cooling rack over a cutting board or tray.

Heat the apricot jam and pour through a fine sieve. Brush jam onto the top and sides of each piece of cake.

Icing: Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and add the milk. Stir until smooth. Divide the icing in half and cover the one half with a few drops of pink food colouring to make a soft pastel shade. Place a square of cake onto a wooden skewer and hold over the bowl of icing. Use a spoon to drizzle the pink icing around the sides of the cake and then over the top, allowing the excess to run off.

Decorate the top of each cake with silver balls, pink balls or Pearl Fetti. Leave on the wire rack until the icing has set completely. Remove from the wire rack and trim the bottoms with a sharp knife if necessary to form a neat edge.