Ollie the octopus cake

Equipment

You’ll need a 33cm x 42cm cake board and toothpicks

Ingredients

2 x 340g packets golden buttercake mix

2 x 165g packets jam rollettes

2 quantities Buttercream icing (see below)

Blue food colouring

10 x 6g packets Candy Rolls or Fizzers

2 large round peppermints

5cm piece licorice twist

4cm piece licorice strap

Buttercream icing

125g butter, softened

1 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture

1 tablespoon milk

Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Lightly grease an 8 cup-capacity metal pudding steamer.

Step 2

Prepare packet cakes following packet directions, or homemade cakes (see related recipe). Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until cooked through. Stand cake in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 3

Using a serrated knife, level top of cake if necessary. Place cake, cut-side down, on board to form the body. Using the picture as a guide, position rollettes around base of cake to form tentacles. Secure with toothpicks.

Step 4

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 5

Tint icing blue. Spread over top and sides of cake and rollettes, adding extra icing to cake top. Dab with a palette knife to create texture. Position Candy Rolls or Fizzers on tentacles to form suckers. Cut two 5mm pieces from licorice twist. Using a little icing, attach 1 piece licorice twist to each mint. Position mints on body to form eyes.

Step 6

Cut licorice strap into a 2mm wide, 4cm long piece. Position licorice strap under eyes to form mouth. Serve.

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