Castle of kings

1.To make 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.

2.On board, make rectangular base for castle using four finger lamingtons for the shorter sides and five finger lamingtons for the longer sides, join lamingtons with some of the butter cream. Build a second level on the castle wall in a brickwork pattern, cutting lamingtons to fit. Leave a space on one wall for the doorway. Continue brickwork pattern until five layers high.

3.Cut a wafer the width of a finger lamington for support above door, cut two wafers for castle doors. Position wafer support over door, secure with butter cream on both sides. Build a sixth layer of castle wall with all but two of the remaining finger lamingtons.

4.Position one square of chocolate lamington on each of the four castle corners, secure with butter cream. Cut four square lamingtons in half, position, cut-side down, to form battlements. Cut two finger lamingtons into three pieces each, place one piece in each corner, on top of each of the four square lamingtons. Discard remaining two finger lamingtons pieces and remaining square lamingtons.

5.Stack five pink lamingtons, push a skewer through centre. Repeat with 15 more pink lamingtons. Position one lamington stack at each castle corner.

6.Spread some of the melted chocolate over each ice-cream cone, leave to set. Place a cone on top of each pink lamington stack to form turrets.

7.Trace 6cm x 7cm portcullis shape on baking paper. Pipe melted chocolate over shape, pipe outline around doors and drawbridge. Leave to set.

8.Carefully peel away baking paper from portcullis, position over doorway, secure with butter cream. Secure chain in place with melted chocolate. Position doors and remaining wafer for drawbridge. Arrange toys etc, as desired.