As with last year, M requested a Percy Pig cake for his birthday.

This year, inspired by Tiny’s frequent watching of Mrs Crocombe’s Gertrude a la Creme recipe video, I thought we’d give that a go.

And then I ran out of energy and will for making a sponge cake ahead of time (it requires a slightly stale sponge) and then making the sort-of meringue icing. I’d have to work out something to do with the leftover egg yolks too.

So I didn’t. Sorry, Mrs Crocombe, and Tiny. To be fair, Tiny slept through most of the baking anyway.

Instead, I made a three-layer sponge and cut a circle out of the centre of the top two layers to turn into a snout once I’d refilled the cake with whipped cream and Percy Piglets. Also because Tiny had insisted we get pink icing when we were fetching the last few ingredients. Fortunately only a small pack, but I still have at least half of it in my baking cupboard. Will have to think of something else pink to make with it.

It wasn’t, in the end, my neatest icing of a cake, but the birthday boy appreciated it, and despite misgivings about one of the jam fillings (the remainder of a jar of cloudberry jam we got in IKEA some months ago and which he unexpectedly told me he didn’t really like), he very much enjoyed eating it too. And the leftover Percy Pigs.

One day, we will attempt a Gertrude a la Creme. Probably. Maybe.