Pudsey Bear lemon sponge cake

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C, gas mark 4). Grease and line 2 x 20cm round sandwich tins.

Place the butter and caster sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Gradually beat in the eggs and vanilla extract a little at a time until smooth, adding a little of the flour if the mixture starts to curdle.

Mix together the flour and baking powder before sifting into the mixture and gently folding in until completely combined. Add the lemon zest and juice.

Divide the mixture between the two prepared tins, and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and the cake springs back when gently pressed. Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

To make the buttercream beat the butter until softened before slowing adding the icing sugar. Add the milk if required to loosen the buttercream slightly.

To assemble spread the buttercream over the flat bottom of one of the sponges and top with the lemon curd before sandwiching the second sponge on top.

To decorate the top gently knead and roll out the white sugar paste icing on a surface lightly dusting with icing sugar. Cut out a 20cm circle (you could use the base of the baking tin as a cutting guide).

Brush a very small amount of apricot jam on top of the cake and top with the cut icing circle.

Roll out the yellow icing and use the cutter to cut out the Pudsey shape before placing in the centre of the white icing, securing with a little jam.

Pipe the outline of the Pudsey shape with the black royal icing before rolling out the remaining fondant icing colours. Cut out small circles using the end of a large round piping nozzle and arrange on top of the cake again using a small amount of jam to stick.