Spaghetti cake.

No, this cake doesn't actually have pasta on it - it's all icing! So if you're willing to take the time to ice this bad boy I promise people will appreciate it, or at least be confused by it.

It was a joint effort by me and Tom for my joint 19th with Alice. It's a classic Victoria sponge with a layer of buttercream and jam on the inside, covered in regal icing, then piped buttercream on top. For the "Bolognaise" it's just jam slopped over the buttercream, with ground almonds which give the effect of Parmesan. It honestly was a lot of fun to make!

Ingredients:

• 300g unsalted butter, at room temperature (more may be needed for the "spaghetti" depending on how much coverage you get done!)
• 200g caster sugar (same applies here!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 medium eggs
• 200g self-raising flour
• 150g (or more) icing sugar
• 1/2 jar raspberry jam (or strawberry if you prefer)
• sprinkling of ground almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Grease 2 sandwich tins.
2. Place 200g of the butter and 200g sugar in a bowl and cream. Add the vanilla extract and mix that in.
3. Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time.
4. Sift in the flour and fold it in. Sifting makes it lighter so I would actually do this! I know it makes more washing up.. Sorry.
5. Divide the mix between the two sandwich tins and place in the oven. Check after 15 minutes but it'll probably need another 5-7 minutes. Stick a fork in to check if it's ready - if it comes out clean it's cooked.
6. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.
7. When completely cool, spread a layer of jam on top of one of the sponges. 
8. Make the buttercream. Use the remaining 100g of butter and mix with the icing sugar until it resembles a creamy colour and tastes sweet. You may need to use a lot of icing sugar!
9. Spread this on top of the jam and sandwich the other sponge on top. This is your classic Victoria sponge.
10. Roll out the regal icing and cover all of the Victoria sponge. Neaten up the base by swiping a knife around the base to cut off any overhanging pieces of icing.
11. With the remaining buttercream fill a piping bag. You may need to make more buttercream. 
12. Now for the fun part! Ice all over the regal icing in a manner resembling spaghetti. Overlap, curl it around - it doesn't have to be neat!
13. When you are happy with your pasta and none of the regal icing is showing, spoon on the jam. Arrange this so it looks like pasta sauce, then sprinkle on the ground almonds.

And there you have it!