School Stuff
Teatime - Sponsored by Betty Crocker 
Whether it's cakes for the Parents Association cake stall or sweets for the school fair, give yourself a break and use our quick cheats for edible treats.
It's late at night and you've just opened a note from school to find that you're expected to bring in cakes for the school stall in the morning. Taking a cue from Alison Pearson's heroine in 'I don't know how she does it', who bashes some shop-bought cakes for a homemade look, we've got some speedy shortcuts to make you look good!
It's All In the Mix
Ready-made cake mix is a bit of a cheat, but it does mean you'll have time to make a batch of fairy cakes and still have time to catch your favourite TV programme! Keep a packet or two in your store cupboard and as long as there are eggs in the house, you'll be able to knock up a cake at short notice in minutes.
Crispy Cakes
There's a reason everyone loves Rice Crispie or Cornflake cakes – they've got chocolate on them, which makes them irresistible to children and adults alike, and they're unbelievably easy to make.
Take 50g of butter and 100g of chocolate and 5 tbsp of golden syrup and melt in a saucepan over a low heat (alternatively microwave until melted). Remove from heat and stir in 80g of cornflakes or rice crispies. Put mixture in colourful cake cases and put in the fridge until they're set. Makes between 10 and 15 cakes.
Look The Part
If you've got a good local deli that sells halfway decent fudge or toffee – buy a box or two and then decant the sweets into smaller batches, wrapped up in coloured tissue paper and tied up with a piece of ribbon. Put a handmade note on each bundle to say what's in it and – voila – you're done!
Logo Fun
Make your cakes stand out from the crowd with this neat trick. If you have a simple school logo, trace it out onto a piece of paper and then cut it out. Place the piece of paper with the cut out over the top of a cake and sprinkle icing sugar over the cake. When you take away the transfer, you should be left with a neat imprint of your school logo on top of the cake.
Tasty Tip
Betty Crocker cake mixes come in four great varieties, Devil's Food, Chocolate Fudge, Carrot and Chocolate Swirl and are the perfect solution for parents who'd like to bake cakes but are short on time or cooking confidence. They make a generous 8" or 9" round cake or can be used to make a batch of up to 28 cupcakes.
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