Bonfire Night Flaming Cornflake Cakes

I made these to take along to a Bonfire Night party last year - cornflake cakes are incredibly quick, simple and cheap to make and always go down a storm! The orange zest in these adds something a bit extra to the flavour. I added the buttercream flames just for fun!   

Flaming Cornflake Cakes (makes 12)

Ingredients

1. 3 tblsp golden syrup
2. 3 tblsp butter
3. 3 tblsp soft brown sugar
4. 1 ½ tblsp cocoa, sifted
5. Zest of 1 orange
6. 3 cups cornflakes

For the buttercream icing

1. 60g butter, at room temperature
2. 250g icing sugar, sifted
3. 2 - 4 tblsp freshly squeezed orange juice
4. Red and yellow food colouring (preferably a paste rather than a liquid)

Method

1. Place 12 fairy cake cases into a bun tin.
2. Put the golden syrup, butter and sugar in a microwaveable bowl and microwave on full power for 2 – 2½ minutes, stirring every 30 seconds with a wooden spoon.
3. Once the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved, stir in the cocoa and orange zest.
4. Place the cornflakes in a large bowl and pour over the chocolatey mixture.
5. Mix until all the cornflakes are coated.
6. Spoon into cake cases and refridgerate until firm.

To make the icing:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, 2 tblsp juice and half of the icing sugar until smooth.
2. Add the rest of the icing sugar and beat until smooth and creamy, adding more juice if needed.
3. Divide buttercream into two bowls. Colour one lot with red food colouring and the other with yellow.
4. Put a medium, round nozzle into a piping bag.
5. Put a spoonful of red icing down one side of the piping bag and a spoonful of yellow down the other side. Don’t add too much. Mix very slightly together, but do not overdo!
6. Pipe small flame shapes into the centre of each cornflake cake – it should swirl the colours together!