Shirley’s Simple Special Occasion Cake
When Shirley found herself with four children under four, she needed a cheap and easy recipe for a birthday cake. What she came up with soon became the cake that was made for every family birthday party: an easy, no-bake mix topped with simple glace icing that magically became the most delicious cake in the whole world. As the four children became five, then six, and then as grandchildren started to appear, the special cake remained a firm favourite – for all occasions.
In fact, it became known in the family as the Witch Cake, after its regular appearance at the annual Halloween party (being Scottish, Halloween was almost as important as our birthdays): a triangular black hat, a green face; liquorice allsorts and strawberry laces for eyes, nose, teeth and hair. The more hideous the better!
All these occasions – and there were so many – created precious family memories that we all carry with us on our different paths today. A Witch Cake took pride of place at Shirley’s funeral reception, our way of celebrating all that she had given us while we were lucky enough to have her in our lives.
Shirley's daughter, Caroline Gibb, is Project Manager for the Truacanta Project at the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care.
(for a 9”/23cm square tin)
225g/8oz butter or spread
2 tablespoons golden syrup
55g/2oz caster sugar
6 level tablespoons cocoa powder
400g/16oz digestive biscuits
For the icing:
125g icing sugar
1 tablespoon just boiled water
Food colouring of your choice
Sprinkles and/or sweeties
Line your tin with baking paper or grease thoroughly
Melt together the butter or spread, sugar and syrup over a low heat
Crush the digestive biscuits – you can blitz them in a food processor or put them in a sandwich bag and crush with a rolling pin
Mix the crushed biscuits with the cocoa, then add both to the butter and syrup mix
Mix thoroughly
Sample a few spoonfuls (important step)
Press into your tin and pop in the fridge to chill
Carve into required shape or just cut into squares and cover with glacé icing in the colour of your choice. Decorate with sprinkles or sweeties as required.