Friendly dragon cake

Equipment

You'll need a 55cm square cake board.

Ingredients

3 x 340g packets golden buttercake mix or 3 quantities Homemade buttercake

(see related recipe)

2 1/2 x 200g Toblerone chocolate bars, cut into individual pieces

2 brown M&Ms

2 chocolate bullets

3 red jelly snakes

2 orange jelly snakes

38 orange M&Ms

6 lolly bananas

2 vanilla marshmallows

Buttercream icing

250g butter, softened

3 cups icing sugar mixture

2 tablespoons milk

Yellow food colouring

Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 7cm-deep, 20cm (base) round cake pan, 3 holes of an 8-hole, 3/4 cup-capacity mini loaf pan and a 6cm-deep, 10cm x 20cm (base) loaf pan. Line base and sides of pans with baking paper (including mini loaf pan).

Step 2

Make 1 packet cake following packet directions or homemade cake (see related recipe). Spread into prepared 20cm round cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Make remaining cakes together. Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each prepared mini loaf pan hole. Spoon remaining batter into prepared large loaf pan. Bake mini loaves for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Bake large loaf for 1 hour or until cooked through. Stand in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks 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, cut round cake crossways in half. Sandwich cake together with a little icing. Place, cut-side down, in centre of board. Trim 4cm from each short side of large loaf. Place leg template (see notes) on 1 trimmed 4cm piece. Secure with toothpicks. Cut around template. Repeat with remaining trimmed 4cm piece. Cut remaining large loaf cake horizontally in half. Place head template on 1 piece. Secure with toothpicks. Cut around template. Place neck and tail template on remaining piece. Secure with toothpicks. Cut around each template. Place cake pieces on board, trimming 2 mini loaves to form top of tail (see Cooking class, below).

Step 5

Tint icing yellow. Use icing to secure cake pieces. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake, using small strokes to form scales.

Step 6

Using the picture as a guide, position Toblerone pieces along dragon. Using a little icing, place 1 brown M&M on each marshmallow. Position on head to form eyes. Position chocolate bullets on head to form nostrils. Position snakes in front of mouth to form fire. Position 19 orange M&Ms on each leg. Position bananas to form claws. Serve.

#birthday #cake #koek