Hamburger Birthday Cake

My son challenged me to make a hamburger birthday cake for him. I couldn't find any online tutorials so I winged it and put the results on here.

2 x 7" diameter cake tins

A 7" diameter oven proof dish

Greaseproof paper

10" diameter round cake board

Palette knife

Pastry brush

Circular pastry cutter (5cm diameter)

Fluted circular pastry cutter (5cm diameter)

Icing sugar

Light brown fondant icing (approx 250g)

Yellow fondant icing

Red fondant icing

Pale green fondant icing

Small white chocolate stars or white sprinkles

Seedless jelly jam

Butter icing/frosting

Madeira Sponge

4 Eggs

200g Butter or margarine

150g Plain flour

50g Self raising flour

3 tsp (15ml) milk

200g Caster sugar

Chocolate Sponge

85g Butter or margarine

85g Caster Sugar

1 egg

50g Self raising flour

25g Cocoa powder

(Excuse the upside down photo - it kept insisting on downloading like this, despite is being the right way round in my files...)

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C/315 degrees F/gas mark 2-3)

Grease one of the cake tins and the ovenproof dish. Line the tin with a circle of greaseproof paper, you could also put a small circle of greaseproof paper in the bottom of the dish.

Whisk the butter/margarine with the caster sugar until light.

Add the eggs a little at a time and whisk between each addition.

Fold in the sifted flours and stir in the milk.

Divide the mixture between the tin and the dish and place in the centre of the oven.

The one in the cake tin should be ready in about 25 mins, but the one in the dish may take twice as long as it will be denser and the heat may not transfer as efficiently as a baking tin. Test by sticking a skewer into the centre of the cake and if it comes out clean it is ready.

Leave to cool thoroughly in the dish/tin before tipping out onto a cooling rack.

Turn oven up to 170 degrees C/Gas mark 5.

Grease and line another 7" diameter cake tin.

Whisk together butter/margarine with caster sugar until light.

Add the egg little by little whisking between each addition.

Sieve flour and cocoa powder together and fold into the cake mixture.

If the mixture is a little dry you can add a little milk.

Put cake mixture into the tin and bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

Cool in tin for 10 - 15 minutes before turning out onto cooling rack.

When the cakes are completely cool you are ready to assemble the hamburger.

Stir a couple of tablespoons of jam in small dish until it is smooth.

Use a pastry brush to spread jam round the sides of the madeira cake that was cooked in the cake tin. Also do some round the edges on the top.

Roll out a long strip of light brown fondant icing to a depth a little larger than the depth of the cake.

Wrap it around the cake, cut to size and smooth the ends together.

Spread a little butter icing onto the cake board and place the bottom of the burger bun onto this (I positioned mine at the back).

Next, spread a layer of butter icing on top of the cake.

Now place the chocolate sponge on top of the first cake.

Spread another layer of butter icing on top of this.

Roll out some yellow fondant icing.

Using one of the cake tins as a guide, use a sharp knife to cut a square of approximately7".

Place this yellow square on top of the chocolate sponge with the corners drooping down to look like melting cheese.

Next roll out some green fondant icing and cut a few fluted circles out.

Roll out some red fondant icing and cut a few circles out.

Cut the circles in half, use a knife or cocktail stick to make tomato-like markings on the red icing.

Place the half circles in an alternating pattern between the edges of the burger and the bottom half of the bun. The butter icing should hold them in place.

Brush the domed cake, which you baked in the dish, with jam.

Roll out sufficient light brown fondant icing to cover the cake and tuck underneath round the edges.

Carefully lift (maybe use a cake lifter) and place on top of the burger/cheese.

Use water icing to stick white chocolate stars randomly on the top to represent sesame seeds.

I made some shortbread chips to go with mine, but forgot to take photos while I made them.

Mix together 60g butter with 25g caster sugar.

Stir in 90g plain flour and a drop of yellow food colouring and mix to a smooth paste.

Roll out with plenty of flour to a depth of about 1cm.

Cut into strips of about 1cm thick to look like chips.

Place on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper (spaced well apart as will spread during baking).

Chill in fridge for half an hour before baking for 15 - 20 minutes at 190 degrees C/375 degrees F/gas mark 5.

When cooled arrange them round the burger.

I used red icing gel which looks like ketchup to write the birthday boy's name on the cake board.