Half Term Baking Fun With The Cake Factory

Half term seems to come round quicker than ever and you need loads of ideas to keep the kids busy. One thing they’ll always want to do is baking, but it can get a bit messy and sometimes the cakes end up being far from tasty.

Get it right every time with the Cake Factory and even make creations that would normally look far too complicated. We’re talking meringues, muffins and that Masterchef favourite, the normally-hard-to-perfect fondant.

You’ll be able to rock up at playdates with impressive homemade cakes and reign supreme at the bake sale. You’ll wonder how you ever managed all those mummy and daddy events without one. And you’ll see the kids get more confident in the kitchen each time.

If your kids are quite little it’s worth making sure they can see what’s happening on the counter, so small stools to stand on are a good investment. Don’t forget to get everyone to wash their hands and make sure there’s a mixing bowl each to prevent arguments.

So, once you’ve decked your kids out in mini aprons, simply plug in the Cake Factory and pick which recipe to make. There’s 22 to choose from in the booklet and once you’ve mastered all of those, you’ll find a whopping 200 more on the app. That should keep you going for a few half terms.

You don’t have to get lost in the cake tin department buying lots of different moulds and dishes, because the Cake Factory comes with everything you need. There’s a baking pan, two silicone moulds and a wire rack, which covers most bases.

Measuring and weighing are great skills for kids to learn and can be used in other parts of their lives too. Get a set of scales with an easy-to-read display to help them get to grips with this part of the baking process.

Next comes the bit that every kitchen novice dreads – the baking. This is where the Cake Factory really shines, as you can just pick one of the five automatic programmes and let the machine work its magic. No more burnt tops, soggy bottoms or cakes that are raw in the middle.

You’ll get nice light muffins, a crunchy crumble or a fun marble cake that the kids will love. After using the Cake Factory a few times you can start experimenting with different flavours. The kids are bound to have their own ideas, so expect some weird and wacky combos.

Decorating is the most fun bit and the kids will want to get stuck in. Make up a big batch of buttercream, like this one from Not Quite Nigella, and add different food colourings so the kids can let their creativity shine through.

There’s loads of cake decorations out there, so stock up on wafer flowers, silver balls and hundreds and thousands. Limit mess by putting small amounts into little bowls, otherwise you’ll be finding silver balls in corners of the kitchen for weeks.

Pack your creations into our food storage for freshness and take them out to share with other families. The Cake Factory is nice and compact, so it can be put away neatly in a cupboard until the next time you want to do some baking without the guesswork.