TASTEBUD tempting Rossendale Cake is set to knock sauerkraut off the menu after featuring live on German TV!

Chairman of the Friends of Bocholt twin town group Ian Cormack has agreed to make the cake in front of the cameras as part of the borough's twin town's Karneval celebrations.

Rossendale Cake was developed by Haslingden bakery Cissy Green's in Deardengate, famous for its traditional meat pies.

The friends will be going to Bocholt for the festival from Thursday, February 22 to March 22.

When the Bocholt television company heard about the cake they asked for the recipe, some cakes, and an English volunteer willing to do a live demonstration.

Tim Nuttall, a tourism officer for Rossendale, said: "This is great news for the Rossendale Cake. It could end up being sold world-wide.

"They wanted someone to bake it and make a batch of 36 -- so we suggested Ian prepare them in advance in the best traditions of Blue Peter and he can then do the 'here's one I prepared earlier' trick."

Cissy Green started her bakery more than 100 years' ago and developed a meat pie which is still known as a 'Cissy Green'.

The bakery is now owned by Barry Haworth who developed the 'Rossy Cake' late last year after he was speaking with the Mayor of Rossendale Coun David Hancock. He said: "We have Chorley cakes, Eccles cakes, Bambury cakes and we wanted to have a cake which would put Rossendale on the map.

"We started with the idea of making a cake on an Eccles type theme by putting a filling inside Cissy Green's special short-crust pastry case.

"We took a mix of raisins, sultanas, cherries and glucose syrup for energy which links in with the Pennines and walkers.

"I wanted to add oats and make it like an energy bar, but that would not have gone down well with the pensioners who find oats get stuck under their dentures, so I added crumb instead."

The delicacies have literally sold like 'hot cakes' and new batches are made every day with more than 300 being sold at the bakery each week.

In addition Cissy Green's makes smaller versions of the cake and at the Mayor's charity ball, 200 mini cakes will be made to be served to diners with their coffee. A card with the recipe will also be on each table.

There is no candied peel in the recipe because the bakery does not use then ingredient in any of its confectionery -- Cissy Green didn't like it!

Picture: Barry Howarth tucks into a selection of Rossendale Cake