Ingredients
Fluffy frosting x 3
Decorations
Method
Wacky wabbit birthday cake
1.Preheat oven to 180°C; grease and line deep 26cm x 36cm baking dish.
2.Make cake according to directions on packets, pour into prepared dish; bake about 1 hour. Stand cake in dish 10 minutes; turn onto wire rack to cool. Using serrated knife, level cake top.
3.Turn cake cut-side down. Using picture as a guide, cut out rabbit face and ears from cake. Assemble cake pieces on 38cm x 52cm prepared rectangular board, cut-side down, to form rabbit; discard remaining cake.
4.Meanwhile, make fluffy frosting.
5.Spread half the frosting over lower half of rabbit’s face; build up frosting around cheeks to make full. Tint remaining frosting with black colouring to make grey; spread over top half of face and ears.
6.On surface dusted with icing sugar, knead white icing until smooth; roll a quarter of the icing until 3mm thick. Enclose remaining icing in plastic wrap; reserve. Using picture as a guide, cut eyes from icing; position on cake.
7.Knead blue colouring into half the reserved icing; roll until 3mm thick. Cut irises and mouth from blue icing; position on cake. Place Skittles as pupil on each eye.
8.Knead pink colouring into remaining icing; roll until 3mm thick. Using picture as a guide, cut inner ears from pink icing; position on cake.
9.Cut licorice strap into thin strips; outline inner ears, eyes and mouth. Position marshmallow for nose. Position milk bottles for teeth.
10.Cut two 10cm, two 9cm and two 8cm pieces from thinly sliced licorice. Insert one end of each licorice piece with a toothpick; position for whiskers.
Fluffy frosting
11.Combine sugar and water in small saucepan; stir over high heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Boil, uncovered, without stirring, about 3 to 5 minutes or until syrup is slightly thick.
12.Remove from heat, allow the bubbles to subside then test the syrup by dropping 1 teaspoon into a cup of water. The syrup should not change colour; if it does, it has been cooked for too long and you will have to discard it and start again.
13.While the syrup is boiling, beat the egg whites in a small bowl until stiff. Keep beating until syrup reaches the correct temperature.
14.When syrup is ready, allow bubbles to subside then pour a very thin stream onto the egg whites with mixer operating on medium speed. Continue beating and adding syrup until syrup is used. Continue to beat until frosting stands in stiff peaks.
White icing is also known as fondant (it’s the traditional icing used on wedding cakes). It is available in packets from the supermarket and cake decorating shops. You can draw the inner ear, mouth, eye and iris patterns onto cardboard and use these templates to cut the shapes from icing. Be sure to remove toothpicks from cake before cutting and serving.
Note
