There’s something sweetly nostalgic about vanilla birthday cake—though this guy has a little more flavor than the shop-bought fondant versions I remember as a kid and is super fun to make. Also, who doesn’t want a giant donut for their birthday, amirite?

　　

Ingredients

Makes 1 (23 cm/9 in) cake

　　

Cake:

230 g (8 oz/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

　　230 g (8 oz/1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

　　4 medium eggs

　　230 g (8 oz/1 3/4 cups) sifted self-rising flour

　　1 tsp baking powder

　　Pinch of salt

　　2 tbsp whole milk (if needed)

　　

Pink vanilla bean icing:

500 g (1 lb 2 oz/4 cups) icing (confectioner’s) sugar

　　1 tsp vanilla bean paste

　　50 ml (2 fl oz/1/4 cup) full-fat (whole) milk

　　Pink natural food coloring

　　

Giant sprinkles:

100 g (3 1/2 oz) fondant icing (shop bought is fine)

　　Natural food coloring in pastel blue, yellow, pink and lilac

　　

Special Equipment

23 cm (9 in) savarin ring tin (mold)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF/Gas 4) and liberally grease the savarin tin (mold) with butter.

　　

Step 2

Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk until pale and fluffy.

　　

Step 3

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour with each egg. Gently fold in the rest of the flour, baking powder and salt, trying not to overwork it. Add the milk if it seems stiff.

　　

Step 4

Place the mixture into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes, or until skewer or cocktail stick inserted in the centre should comes out clean. Leave to cool before transferring to a wire rack.

　　

Step 5

Place the icing sugar, vanilla bean paste and half the milk into a bowl and stir.

　　

Step 6

Gradually add the rest of the milk, while mixing, until you end up with a smooth mixture. Add a drop of pink food coloring. Mix together and set aside.

　　

Step 7

To make the giant sprinkles, divide the fondant into 4 even pieces and color each one with each of the shades of food coloring.

　　

Step 8

Using the palms of your hands, make small sausage shapes of around 1 1/4 cm (1/2 in) width with each of the colors. With a sharp knife, cut 3 cm (1 1/4 in) lengths from each sausage shape to make giant sprinkles.

　　

Step 9

Turn the cooled cake out onto a stand or dish. Give the icing a quick stir then pour it over the cake. Be quick and confident with it—you don’t want it to begin to set before you’ve finished covering the cake, otherwise lumps will form. If the icing seems too thick, warm it up a little either in the microwave for a few seconds or in a pan on a low heat.

　　

Step 10

While the icing is still damp, press the fondant sprinkles onto the cake in a random formation.

　　

Step 11

Let the icing set before slicing up to serve!

　　Recipe excerpted with permission from Donuts: Over 50 Inventive and Easy Recipes for Any Occasion © 2018 by Vicky Graham. Published by Hardie Grant Books.Buy the full book from Amazon.