Unicorn Rainbow Cake

Want to send someone a sweet message? Try this unicorn cake with a surprise! This is the cake decorating trend that is taking social media by storm but you can make your very own cake with a very special surprise of a rainbow colour centre! Want to find out how to make it? Read on Dear Reader!

The beauty of the unicorn cake is that you can use it for Valentines day or you can use it for a birthday. I don't know a single person that doesn't like being called a unicorn. Unicorns are of course special and unique creatures and conjure up whimsical childhood daydreams.

A friend recently shattered that illusion by telling me that unicorns aren't all they're cracked up to be. Apparently another meaning for a unicorn is a single woman in a married couple threesome! So I will caution lightly if you do make this for your Valentines love. It may segue into another conversation! ;)

Speaking of funny conversations I received an unusual message the other day. 99.9% of the time messages are super sweet(I really do have the nicest readers) but very, very occasionally I'll get a message that I'm not really sure what to do with.

""Hey nigella or what ever your name is I have niticed that you haven't made a mcdonalds blog yet and I was wondering if you want to collab with me it will be a good blog as I know everything about chicken nuggets there Is to know but if you don't feel life mcdonalds we can go for kfc, hungry jacks, or a pie shop. I will eat anything literally im thick af mannnn.""

My favourite part was where he said that he (I'm assuming it is a man although nothing specifically said this) knew everything there is to know about chicken nuggets. Apart from knowing what is in a chicken nugget (seriously what is in those things?) is there much else to know? I was intrigued! "What a gem!" I said to Mr NQN reading this comment out aloud.

So reserve this cake for the real gems in your life. Your loved one be it your husband, wife, child or friend. What I loved about this was the ease at which the cake decorations could be made. It doesn't take much to make a unicorn - just a horn, two ears and edible black paint painted like eyeliner that you draw on yourself. The rest can be easily bought from the edible to the real flowers. Tell someone that they're your unicorn because it really is the loveliest compliment! Or use this cake to thank someone for a threesome. Hey we don't judge! :)

So tell me Dear Reader, did you know about that other meaning of unicorn? And do you know what is in chicken nuggets? And should I take them up on their kind offer?

"You're My Unicorn" Cake

For Rainbow Cake (makes 2x11cm cakes, double quantity for 20cm/8inch cake)

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 1.5 hours plus overnight drying time

Cooking time: 45 minutes

• 165g/5.8ozs. butter, soft
• 165g/5.8ozs. caster or superfine sugar
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 200g/7ozs. cake flour
• 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
• Vanilla extract (you can also use other flavourings, I have a bubblegum flavour that I'm a bit scared to use! :P)
• Pink, red, yellow, blue, green, blue and purple food colourings

To decorate:

• 300g white chocolate
• 100ml cream
• 100g/3.5ozs of white gum paste
• A little pink colouring
• Small skewer
• Edible gold paint mixed with a little vodka to make a paint
• 500g/1.1lbs of white fondant (you won't need this all but it's easier to do with more fondant and you can reuse what you don't use)
• Edible black gel
• Rainbow sour strips

Step 1 - First make the horns and ears. Shape a horn out of gum paste and with a butter knife mark in a swirly pattern. Place a small skewer in the base and allow to dry for an hour. Roll out some white gum paste and cut out ears (I do it freeform with a knife). Then colour the remaining white gum paste a pale pink and cut out some ear centres. Paint the horn with edible gold paint.

Step 2 - Line 2x 11cm round tins on the base and sides and preheat oven to 160C/320F. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy-about 4 minutes on medium high beater speed. Add in eggs one at a time making sure they are well incorporated between each addition. Then add the flour in two lots on the lowest speed possible stopping as soon as it is mixed. You don't want to overbeat this mixture.

Step 3 - Divide the mixture among six bowls and then mix in the colourings. I realise pink isn't in the rainbow but it is in my rainbow ;) Mix until just combined and then dollop one tablespoon of each colour in the tin. Then keep dolloping tablespoons of batter until it is all used up.

Step 4 - Tap the tins gently on the table to remove large air bubbles and then bake for 45 minutes. If you are making a regular 8inch/20cm cake bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the centre is springy to the touch. Cool completely and then wrap well in cling film.

Step 5 - Make the ganache. Chop the chocolate finely and place in a large bowl. Heat the cream until almost boiling and then pour over the chocolate. Allow to sit for a minute and then stir. If small pieces of chocolate remain then heat on low heat in the microwave in 30 second burst (30% power) on over a double boiler. Stir until smooth and then allow to cool to room temperature. Cover until ready.

Step 6 - Trim the cakes and then split them into two horizontally and spread a layer of ganache between the layers. Refrigerate the cake to allow the ganache to set. Smooth with a palette knife lightly dipped in room temperature water to smooth and then use a scraper tool. Place back in the fridge until you are ready for it next.

Step 7 - Sprinkle plenty of cornflour on a clean surface. Roll out fondant and then top the cake with this. Trim off the excess folds and discard if they have ganache on them (you can reuse the pieces that don't have any cake or ganache). Buff the edges with a buffer or a square of overhead plastic sheeting.

Step 8 - Place the horn in the centre of the cake and then place the ears. Take a knife and cut a little groove to fit the ears. Place edible wafer flowers, fresh flowers and fairy floss on the top. Draw the eyes with a very fine paintbrush. Affix the rainbow strips with a little water brushed on with a paintbrush.