Teapot and Teacup – Lemon Yoghurt Cake

1. Preheat oven to 160. Grease two sphere cake pans.
2. Sift together flour , baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl whisk together the yoghurt , sugar , eggs , lemon zest and vanilla then slowly mix in the flour mixture. Once mixed fold in the vegetable oil. Pour into cake tins and bake till golden and cooked through.
3. To construct the teapot I had made a handle , lid and spout with fondant icing with a small amount of Tylo powder in it to make it set hard the night before I inserted toothpicks to the handle and spout as this would secure it to my cake when putting it together I also did the same for the handle of my teacup. I filled and covered the sphere cakes with butter icing and left to set in the fridge for a few hours. I then covered the now sphere cake with rolled out fondant then I was able to attach the handle lid and spout and decorate the teapot to my liking :-). I rolled out some purple fondant and loosely covered this over the fruit cake to give the effect of a tablecloth.

Base

1. Preheat oven to 150C and grease an 8inch round cake tin and line the bottom and sides.
2. Sieve the flour , salt , mixed spice and cinnamon in a bowl. Cream the butter and sugar then mix in the treacle , marmalade and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Add the eggs a little at a time adding a TBSP flour with the last bit. Fold in the remaining flour mixture and then mix in the fruit , mixed peel , glac̩ cherries and almonds. Pour mixture into prepared tin and make a slight hollow in the centre. Bake for 3 hours or until skewer comes out clean. Turn out onto wire rack once cooled then skewer holes in the cake several times and spoon over about 4 tbsp brandy. Then cover with marzipan and leave to set overnight. When I was ready to decorate I heated the apricot jam and painted this over the marzipan to help the fondant stick.