Angela Drake - Hidden Surprise Cakes: 20 Beautifully Decorated Cakes

Its the latest baking trend sweeping the Internet and one that will have everyone gasping in amazement. Using a variety of clever techniques, weve created a selection of sensational cakes and cupcakes that look just like any other on the outside, but as soon as you cut a slice from a cake or bite into a cupcake, a delightful hidden surprise is revealed. From a mighty multicolored layered Rainbow Cake to a Party Piata Cake bursting with candies, a spiced Halloween loaf with a black bat in each slice or a frosted cupcake fizzing with popping candy, theres a cake here for every occasion. Some are quick and easy to make, while others need a little more time and skill, but each recipe has clear and concise instructions with detailed step-by-step pictures to guide you. These cakes are fun to make and will certainly keep everyone guessingits up to you whether you give away the secret!

Although time-consuming to make, these cakes really do have the ultimate wow factor. The technique is simple, if a little fussy, but once you ve perfected it, you can experiment with a whole variety of shapes in different themes as well as a range of colors. Cleverly created by concealing a row or circle of already-baked cake shapes within the yellow cake batter before baking, the two secrets to success are to keep the shaped cake design fairly simple and to make sure that the shapes are placed as closely together as possible when they go back in the cake pan for the final bake. The stunning Polka-Dot Cake on page 46 and the Hidden Heart Cupcakes on page 68 are the easiest cakes to make using this method, so perhaps try one of these recipes first.

Coloring yellow cake batter is an effective way to create impact for a special celebration cake. From layered rainbow colors to subtle shaded ombre cakes they are really easy to make. You will find that the batter is able to take plenty of food coloring-after baking, the surface of the cakes may be a little moister than usual but this wont affect the taste of the finished cake. To create a patterned cake, such as the Chocolate Surprise Cake on page 16, different colors or flavors of batter are piped into the cake pan before baking. The pattern will be different every time, but that makes them even more fun to bake.

Children will be delighted to find candies, chocolates, or popping candy inside cakes and cupcakes, and this simple technique can be used to make more sophisticated cakes, too, such as the Tumbling Berries Cake on page 58. These filled cakes are best baked a day or two in advance, then filled and decorated on the day of serving.

Accurate cutting and careful reassembly is needed to give this style of cake a professional finish. Once you ve perfected the basic technique, try experimenting with different color or flavor combinations.

Most of the cakes in this book are based on a classic yellow, or sponge, cake batter made with all-purpose flour, baking powder, butter, sugar, and eggs. Some are made using the all-in-one method, where all the ingredients are beaten together until pale and creamy. To avoid the layer cakes being too domed, the baking powder has been reduced from some recipes.

Where a firmer batter is needed to hold the hidden cake shapes in place, a pound cake-style batter is used. These cakes need to be cooked at a lower temperature and for a lot longer than usual. To check if they are cooked all the way through, gently push a toothpick right down to the bottom of the cake, avoiding the area where the baked cake shapes are placed.