Flying rocket cake

Equipment

You'll need a 55cm square cake board.

Ingredients

2 x 340g packets golden buttercake mix

160g packet rainbow-flavoured sour straps

1/4 cup mini M&Ms

1 tablespoon silver cachous

2 yellow Life Savers

Buttercream icing

250g butter, softened

3 cups icing sugar mixture

2 tablespoons milk

Blue and red food colouring

Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 7cm-deep, 23cm (base) square cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.

Step 2

Make packet cakes following packet directions or homemade cakes (see related recipe). Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until cooked through. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 3

Make icing: Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a bowl until pale. Gradually add icing sugar mixture and milk, beating constantly until combined.

Step 4

Using a serrated knife, level top of cake if necessary. Place cake, cut-side down, on board. Place template on cake (see notes). Secure with toothpicks. Cut around template to form body and 'fins'. Arrange on board.

Step 5

Spoon 1/2 cup icing into a bowl. Tint red. Spoon 1/2 cup remaining icing into a bowl. Tint blue.

Step 6

Using picture as a guide, spread plain icing over top and sides of rocket tip and fins. Spread remaining cake with blue and red icing. Place 2 sour straps across top of cake, trimming to fit. Cut red strips from 2 sour straps. Place on cake where body meets fins, trimming to fit. Using picture as a guide, decorate rocket with M&Ms, cachous and Life Savers. Cut remaining sour straps into uneven lengths. Position at base for flames. Serve.

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