Recipe: Little Piggy Birthday Cake by Otto’s Kai Luo

This story appears in our July 2025 Nostalgia issue, presented by Up, where we asked 13 professional bakers to recreate cakes from the iconic The Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book.

Bake the sponge cakes using the recipe below – it’s gluten-free and uses rice flour instead of regular wheat flour – and prepare the Swiss buttercream.

Once cakes are cooled, spread buttercream over one sponge layer, add jam if using, then top with the second layer. Coat the cake with more buttercream, smoothing the top and sides.

Decorate with your favourite lollies: marshmallows, jellies, sprinkles or anything you love.

Sponge cake ingredients

250g caster sugar
5 whole eggs
240g rice flour
4g baking powder
150g cream
150g unsalted butter, melted

Sponge cake method

Preheat oven to 170°C fan-forced. Line two 20cm round cake tins with baking paper.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip sugar and eggs together until pale yellow and fluffy.

Sift rice flour and baking powder together, then gently fold into the egg and sugar mixture using a spatula.

In a saucepan, heat the cream and melted butter together until the mixture reaches 45°C. Fold this warm mixture into the batter until it’s smooth and fully combined.

Divide the batter evenly between tins and bake for 15 minutes, or until the sponge springs back when lightly touched. Allow cakes to cool completely before assembling.

Swiss buttercream ingredients

100g egg whites (approx 3 large egg whites)
200g caster sugar
1g salt
300g unsalted butter at room temperature
5g vanilla paste

Swiss buttercream method

In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (bain-marie), combine egg whites, sugar and salt. Whisk constantly until sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch (about 70°C).

Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until the meringue is glossy and the bowl has cooled to room temperature.

Switch to the paddle attachment. On medium speed, add the butter gradually, one tablespoon at a time, until fully incorporated. Add vanilla paste and beat until smooth and silky.

The little piggy birthday cake recipe first appeared in the The Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book, published in 1980.