Volcano Cake

I love a theme. I like the challenge and the way the cake becomes personal to its recipient. I made this for a geologist friend of mine.

And what about this bit of cake geekery... a magma chamber!

A magma chamber in the middle! I used a metal bowl for a tin- I used my favourite sponge recipe, but reduced the liquid just by about 20% so that I could smear it around the edge of the tin, pour in some batter that I'd died red, and seal the "chamber" by slathering more of the plain sponge over the top. It was a tense moment when i turned it out!

Very easy to decorate- a simple chocolate butter cream and some "artfully" splattered, thinner, red erupted magma buttercream over the top. Mini marshmallow "smoke" completes the look. The sign refers to our volcanics lecturer. There is a (semi) joke that the recipient loves him.