Beetroot cake
This cake has to be included in a purple theme tea party. It tastes delicious and has the most wonderful colour when sliced.

300g / 10 oz (about 5 medium) cooked beetroot
30ml / 2 tbsp crème de cassis or blackcurrant drink concentrate (Ribena)
225g / 8 oz butter, softened
225g/ 8 oz caster sugar
4 eggs, separated
175g / 6 oz self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
100g / 3 ¾ oz ground almonds
5 tbsp blackcurrant jam
icing sugar, for dusting

Butter two 20cm / 8 inch cake tins and line the bases with greaseproof paper. Grate the beetroot into a bowl and pour over the crème de cassis or Ribena.

Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas 4. Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Sift together the flour and baking powder and fold into the batter, then fold in the ground almonds and the grated beetroot mixture.

Whisk the egg whites to medium peak and gently fold into the mixture. Spoon into the tins and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Remove the cake from the tins and place one upside down on a serving plate. Spread with the jam and place the other cake, right side up, on top. Dust with icing sugar and slice to serve.

Blueberry fairy cakes with purple clotted cream
These are smaller versions of their grown-up cousin, the muffin. They can be baked well in advance and frozen. Ice and decorate just before serving. Makes 25-30.

125g / 4 ½ oz blueberries
225g /8 oz plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
125g / 4 ½ oz caster sugar
2 eggs
85g / 3 oz unsalted butter, melted
1 x 142ml tub soured cream
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp demerara sugar

For serving:

1 tub clotted cream
1-2 tsp crème de cassis or Ribena drink

Use small paper cases to line the fairy cake tins. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas 4.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre.

Use a jug to mix together the eggs, melted butter, soured cream, milk and vanilla extract. Pour into the well and mix quickly just until the mixture comes together. Take care not to over-mix, it should still be slightly lumpy and not smooth. Quickly fold in the blueberries and spoon into the paper cases. Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the tops and bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top.

Stir the crème de cassis or Ribena into the clotted cream and serve with the fairy cakes.

Cucumber and red grape sandwich triangles
A twist on the classic. Use half white bread, half wholemeal to add colour and interest.

5 slices white bread
5 slices wholemeal bread
125g / 4 ¾ oz cream cheese, softened
200g / 7 oz red seedless grapes
approx. 12cm / 5 inch piece of cucumber, peeled and finely sliced

Cut the crusts off the bread. Set aside ten grapes and finely chop the rest. Mix together most of the cream cheese and the chopped grapes and spread onto the white bread slices. Top with the cucumber and sandwich the wholemeal slices on top. Cut into triangles.

Cut the whole grapes in half from top to bottom and dab the cut side with a little of the extra cream cheese and fix to the top of the sandwiches, half white side up, half wholemeal side up.