Cakes and bakes for a royal birthday

As we’re a nation that loves a little ceremony and some union jack bunting, many will be looking forward to our monarch’s 90^th birthday on 21^st April. And what better way to acknowledge the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth than with a street party celebration involving cake?

There’s no reason to confine partying to that one Thursday though. National celebrations will take place over the course of April, May and June, so any weekend is a good opportunity to troop the colours and tuck into some delicious baked goods.

We’ve popped together some of our favourite royalty-themed celebration cakes and bakes that are ideal for sharing with family, friends and neighbours in honour of Her Majesty’s birthday.

A cake fit for a queen

Which cake could be better fitting for a national royal occasion than the classic
Victoria sponge? The cake’s namesake, Queen Victoria, was known to enjoy a slice of this cake with her afternoon tea, so it’s the perfect cake with which to pay tribute to a member of her lineage. Eat a generous slice of the sponge on its own or patriotically decorated as below.

The crowing glory

Once you’ve made your Victoria sponge the next step is to give it a smooth fondant icing covering. The key to getting the desired finish to your cake is in kneading the icing until it becomes pliable. Keep your work surface and rolling pin dusted with icing sugar to prevent the navy blue fondant from becoming sticky before gently draping your icing over the cake. You can use a cake smoother or the sides of your hands to gently smooth the icing over your cake for the perfect finish. The trick to getting the perfect red and white crosses is to cut off the excess icing where they overlap, and you’ll be left with a fantastic
Union Jack cake.

Raise the flag!

If you’re after a more traditional flag shape then you could elect to bake this simple
sponge tray bake instead. This recipe is also less ingredient-hungry than your traditional Victoria sponge as it lacks the jam and cream filling. The approach to the icing is similar to the above but you’ll need a little less of it as the surface of your cake is flat. A great cake for making quickly and for sharing.

Pet project

We last made these
corgi biscuits for the 60^th anniversary of The Queen’s coronation. Choose your favourite basic biscuit recipe for your bake. Unless you are a little handy with sculpting, a corgi biscuit cutter will help you achieve the desired shape. Dip the paws in melted chocolate and use a little dot of royal icing for the nose, eyes and collar. Some gold sugar balls will complete the look when you glam up the collar with studs! The biscuits are so charming you might well feel loathed to eat them!

Bite-sized favourites

Who doesn’t love a
cupcake? These delicious mouthfuls are a hit with everyone and are perfect for any celebratory get together. Though simple to make and fun to look at, the decoration of these cakes takes a little longer than with your tray bake or larger cake because there are several of them, but it’s worth the effort to surprise and delight those who’ll be eating them!

Hang out the bunting!

It’s time to hang out the bunting and raise a cup of tea to our monarch! This
geometric cake has the perfect celebratory feel for a royal event. It’s a couple of tiers so ideal for sharing with friends and maybe even your neighbourhood. The recipe is that of a simple vanilla sponge, but you could make any flavour cake you like. The decoration’s effectiveness is in the crisp white fondant-icing base. You’ll want to select several different colour ready-to-roll icing packs to make your triangle shapes. Be sure that the ‘flags’ alternate and there is an even spread of colour for a really fun overall feel.

Something with your tea?

To continue the union Jack theme, why not try making biccies instead? Again, a little bit more icing work is needed, but it’s worth the effort. Ideal with your Earl Grey served in a china cup and saucer, and for offering to friends and neighbours.

We have hundreds of fresh baking and decorating ideas from which to choose for almost any event or occasion. Why not browse our blogs and recipes?