Ingredients
Method
1.Preheat oven to 180°C; grease and line three deep 20cm-round cake pans. Make cake according to directions on packet, divide mixture among pans; bake about 40 minutes. Stand cakes in pans 5 minutes; turn onto wire racks to cool. Using serrated knife, level two cakes’ tops so cakes are the same height.
2.To make butter cream, beat the butter (and any flavouring, if using) in a small narrow bowl with an electric mixer until the butter is as white as possible (this will result in a whiter butter cream which will give you better results if colouring it). Gradually beat in half the sifted icing sugar then the milk, then the remaining icing sugar. Beat until the butter cream is smooth and spreadable. Keep scraping down the side of the bowl during beating.
3.Tint butter cream with green colouring; reserve ¾ of the butter cream.
4.Place one trimmed cake on board, cut-side down; spread with ½ of the remaining butter cream, top with remaining trimmed cake, cut-side down. Spread with remaining butter cream; top with remaining cake, top-side up. Spread reserved butter cream all over cakes.
5.Using paper pattern from pattern sheet, transpose leaf onto cardboard and cut out. On surface dusted with icing sugar, knead icing until smooth. Knead green colouring into ½ of the icing to make light green; enclose remaining icing in plastic wrap, reserve. Roll icing until 3mm thick. Using cardboard leaf template and sharp-pointed knife, cut leaves from icing; drape over wooden spoons to slightly curl as they dry.
6.On surface dusted with icing sugar, knead green colouring into reserved icing to make dark green; roll until 3mm thick. Using same leaf template, cut leaves from icing; drape over wooden spoons to slightly curl as they dry.
7.Position Flakes around side of cake; stack slightly overlapping leaves on top of cake, securing each leaf with a little butter cream. Position banana Runts and pineapples around side of cake; position gummy feet around base of cake. Position Cool Mints, in pairs, for eyes around side of cake. Using decorating gel, dot pupils on Cool Mints.
8.Scatter assorted animals on and around cake.
Tip: It’s best to make the leaves a few days ahead so that they thoroughly dry. You need approximately 4 x 50g packets of Runts.
Note
