Sweet treats iced in pastel hues

Pretty pastel toppings make a selection of sweet treats too good to pass by

Fondant fancies Makes 40

350g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing 250g caster sugar 4 eggs 250g self-raising flour 2 tbsp milk 1½ tsp vanilla bean paste 200g icing sugar 500g fondant icing sugar 2 tsp red food colouring 35 x 25cm rectangular cake tin Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and grease and line the cake tin. In a large mixing bowl, combine 250g of the butter and all the caster sugar, creaming with the back of a wooden spoon for 3-4 mins until soft and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, thoroughly, then sift in the flour and fold in. Stir in the milk and 1 tsp vanilla bean paste. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 25 mins until the cake springs back when light pressure is applied. Allow to cool completely. Remove the cake from the tin and cut into 40 equal squares on a chopping board. In a bowl, cream together the remaining butter with the icing sugar and the remaining vanilla to make a smooth butter icing. Spoon a rounded teaspoon of the mixture onto each square and leave to chill for 30 mins. In a bowl, mix together the fondant icing sugar with 70ml cold water until it comes together into a smooth paste. Reserve 3 tbsp of the white icing for decoration later. Mix the food colouring into the main icing in the bowl until it reaches a consistent colour. Ice the squares by placing 1 tbsp of pink icing on top of each square, then smooth it on the sides as it trickles down, using a pallet knife. Leave to dry for 1 hr then transfer the retained white icing into a sandwich bag, cut a small hole in the corner and carefully squeeze it over each cake in thin, straight lines. Allow the fancies to dry completely, uncovered, before serving.

“We’ll see if tea and buns can make the world a better place” Kenneth Grahame, ‘Unknown Book’