Tropical turtle

1.Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease 26cm x 32cm baking dish (base measurements), line base with baking paper. Using three packets, prepare cake mix according to directions; pour into prepared dish. Bake about 45 minutes. Stand cake in dish 5 minutes; turn onto wire rack to cool.

2.Using paper pattern, cut out the turtle’s body and the single flipper as shown; reserve leftover cake pieces. Place cake on the board.

3.Beat cream in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Chop reserved leftover cake into 2cm pieces; fold pieces and jam into cream. Spoon cream mixture on top of cake to form the dome of the turtle’s back.

4.To make butter cream; beat butter until white as possible, gradually beat in half the sifted icing sugar then milk, then remaining icing sugar. Beat until smooth.

5.Divide butter cream between two bowls; tint half of the butter cream dark green and the other half light green. Spread top of the cake and cream mixture with light green butter cream; spread the dark green butter cream around feet, flippers, head and side of cake.

6.Hand-draw an approximate-size outline of the turtle’s back on baking paper; turn paper over. Divide the melted chocolate between two bowls; tint half of chocolate with pink colouring and the other half red. Pour both tinted chocolates, in patches, onto baking paper within the marks of the outline. Using a toothpick or skewer, swirl the chocolate patches together, marbling the pink and red into a tortoise-shell pattern. Leave to set; break into pieces.

7.Press chocolate pieces onto the turtle’s back, as shown.

8.To make eyes, cut marshmallow in half; pipe dots with blue and black gel to complete eyes, position on head. Use red licourice to create mouth. Pipe wavy lines on board with blue gel to represent flowing water.