Box of popcorn

1.Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan forced). Grease pan, line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm (2 inches) above sides.

2.Make cake according to directions on packet. Spread mixture into pan, bake about 1 hour. Stand cake in pan 10 minutes, turn, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.

3.To make the butter cream, beat the butter (and any flavouring if using) in a small bowl with an electric beater until the butter is as white as possible. (This will result in a whiter buttercream which will give you better results if colouring it). Gradually beat in half of the sifted icing sugar, then the milk, then the remaining sifted icing sugar.Beat until the butter cream is smooth and spreadable. Keep scraping down the side of the bowl during beating.

4.Level cake top to make cake about 5cm (2 inches) high, turn cake cut-side down. Using pattern from pattern sheet, cut out popcorn box. Place cake on cake board, cut-side down, secure with a little butter cream. Spread butter cream all over cake.

5.Knead ready-made icing on surface dusted with sifted icing sugar until icing loses its stickiness. Divide icing in half. Tint one half blue, roll out to 3mm (⅛-inch) thick. Cut into1.5cm (¾-inch) strips. Repeat making strips with other half of icing.

6.Using picture as a guide, position strips along sides and top of cake, trimming and tapering slightly to fit the bottom of the popcorn box. Roll out scraps of white icing. Cut icing into a 3cm x 5cm (1¼-inch x 2-inch) rectangle. Position on box with a little butter cream, write child’s name with writing icing.

7.Press popcorn gently onto butter cream up to an hour before serving.