A Cat Cast Acts as a Casatta Trivia Quiz

Answer: Black Forest Gateau

The German name for this creation translates as 'Black Forest cherry torte', so, unsurprisingly, cherries are a major component, along with layers of chocolate cake and cream. A small portion goes a long way. Gus's love of cherries will be satisfied by this creation.

Battenberg cake is sponge covered with marzipan. Eccles cakes contain currants as do Chelsea buns, although the other ingredients are different.

Answer: Butter

This cake originated in the USA and is a sponge made with flour, sugar and beaten egg whites. It has a pale colour, and is very light, leading to its name - a food fit for the angels. Traditionally, the cake is cooked in a special tin with a central 'tube' leaving a hole in the cake, as you can see in the photo. The cake dates from the first half of the nineteenth century.

I'm not sure just how angelic Munkustrap is, but we'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Answer: A whole lemon

Sussex pond pudding was first mentioned in print in a 1672 cookery book. It is made from a suet pastry encasing the lemon, with the pudding being boiled for hours enabling the fruit to turn to a marmalade texture. When the pudding is cut, the juices of the lemon flow out to form the 'pond' around the pudding.

Silver coins were once part of Christmas puddings and you could find a hard boiled egg in the middle of the savoury Scotch egg. There are several desserts which use bananas, but not hidden ones.

Our conjuring cat would enjoy the look of surprise on the faces of those not familiar with this dish as it is cut open.

Answer: Alaska

Baked Alaska includes sponge cake and ice cream, covered with meringue. The dish is then cooked quickly to brown the meringue without melting the ice cream inside. The origins of the dessert are unclear, although it's fairly certain that it wasn't Alaska - the name refers to the marriage of the hot meringue and the cold ice cream.

It should certainly appeal to the young, and the young at heart, cat (or human), and Rum Tum Tugger is no exception.

Answer: True

There are many different recipes for Railway Pudding, which appears to date from the late nineteenth century. It's a type of batter, with or without fruit, with some sources saying that it was originally served on the Manchester/London express, from which the name originated. Skimbleshanks is more than happy to find a cake to match his name.

No photos of the finished cake were available, so you've been treated to a dining car on an unspecified train.

Answer: Crème caramel

In some parts of the world, the dish is called flan. Asking for flan in the UK would get you a type of quiche, though, so if you want the custard dish remember to ask for crème caramel. The dish is prepared by putting the caramel sauce into a mould with the custard on top before cooking. To serve, the mould is inverted so that the sauce is on top. Grizabella's teeth aren't as good as they were, so this custard will be easy for her to eat.

Answer: Chocolate

Another cake to originate in America, the devil's food cake is a contrast to the angel food cake. Instead of being light and airy, the cake has a dense texture and is extremely rich. Unlike its counterpart, the cake does include butter, or margarine, with the chocolate flavour coming, in traditional recipes, from unsweetened baking chocolate.

The devilishly wicked Macavity would relish this cake.

Answer: Eton

The dish is known as Eton Mess, and dates from at least 1893. Originally made from strawberries, ice cream and cream, the meringue seems to be a later addition. A similar concoction, with bananas in place of strawberries, is associated with another public school - Lancing College - where it is called Lancing Mess. Demeter and Bombalurina can bat their eyelashes while indulging themselves in this tempting confection.

Answer: Apple

The dish is named for two sisters who ran a hotel in France. Legend has it that it was created by accident, in an attempt to rescue some apples which had been left on the stove too long and had become caramelised.

The tart is created by placing the fruit under pastry crust before baking, and then turning it upside down so the fruit is on top. It is then glazed. Other fruits can, and are, used but the traditional tarte Tatin should be made with apples. The dish is reputed to be difficult to perfect, but is well within the capabilities of Jennyanydots.

Answer: Sicily

The cake called cassata is a rich confection of cake, liqueur, ricotta cheese and chocolate, covered with marzipan and icing. It originated in Palermo, Sicily, but can now be seen all over the island.

The name can also refer to the ice cream often called 'Neapolitan', consisting of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry layers, with added candied fruit and nuts. India has adopted the name of cassata to refer to the ice cream version, so you may not get what you expect if you order one there.

Bustopher Jones isn't that fussy about what he eats - any food is fair game - but he wouldn't be able to resist either version of casatta.