Cooking with Kids: You can't go wrong with the classic Rice Krispie Cake

Pic: iStock

Rice Krispie buns are a fail-safe for kids' parties. They are also fun for children to make. 

Banging the chocolate bar on the table to break it into small pieces (while still inside the wrapper) is a favourite task in our house. So too is helping to clean the bowl, and wooden spoon afterwards.

Dividing the mixture into buns is quite common, but you can also make more elaborate creations with chocolate and Rice Krispies. 

The mixture can be the building block for any shape cake. Simply lining a round cake tin and filling it with chocolate and Rice Krispie mix and then covering it with icing is a child-friendly no-bake cake.

There are many variations of the recipe, with marshmallows, caramel-filled chocolate or white chocolate. I tend to stick to the simple one that is included here and to buy a good quality chocolate.

Rice Krispie Birthday Cake

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

The all-time classic - scaled up for big birthdays!

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 15 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 300g Rice Krispies or a similar cereal

• 200g chocolate, still in the wrapper

• To make the icing:

• 120mls cream

• 150g white chocolate drops or pieces

Method

1. Line an 8-inch round cake tin with baking parchment.

2. Pour your Rice Krispies in a big bowl.

3. Break the chocolate up into small pieces. I usually do this when it is still in the wrapper and hit the bar off the table to break it up.

4. Using a microwave is the easiest way to melt chocolate. If you do not have one, ask an adult to melt the chocolate for you in a bowl placed over some hot water.

5. Pour the chocolate into the bowl of Rice Krispies. Use a rubber spatula to take all of the chocolate. Stir the chocolate through the cereal coating it all.

6. Scoop the mixture into the tin which you lined and smooth out the top of the cake. Place it into the fridge so that it can harden. It will take more than an hour.

7. When the cake is cooling you can start to make the icing. Ask a grown up to heat the cream from you, either on the hob or in a bowl in the microwave. The cream should be very hot but not boiling. Carefully stir the pieces of white chocolate into the cream until they melt. It is best to have the pieces quite small. If you cannot buy white chocolate drops you can break up a bar like you did when making the cake. Leave the icing to cool to room temperature.

8. When your cake has cooled completely take it out of the fridge and turn it upside down onto a big plate. Ice the cake with the white chocolate mixture.

Activity: Birthday cake bunting

You can make mini bunting to top your cake by using two wooden skewers. You will also need some coloured paper, twine, a ruler, craft glue and scissors. 

Start by carefully cutting out small diamonds about a centimetre and a half wide. These will be made into your bunting flags. Cut about 8 of these.

Cut the twine a bit longer than your cake. Fold the diamonds in half over the twine, and secure them with a small bit of glue, so they become 8 triangles. 

Tie the twine onto the skewers and secure them with a little more glue. Leave them lying down until the glue becomes firm. Stand the line of bunting up on your cake and press the skewers down into it.