Dorothy the dinosaur cake

1.To make carrot cake, preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line bases and sides of pans. Combine oil, eggs, combined sifted flour and bicarbonate of soda, coconut, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl; stir in carrot, mix well. Divide mixture between the cake pans. Bake cakes about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Stand cakes in pans for 15 minutes; turn, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.

2.For modelling chocolate, melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave; cool. Stir in corn syrup or glucose. It is normal for the chocolate to harden immediately. Continue to stir until combined. Wrap chocolate in plastic and refrigerate 3 hours.

3.For butter frosting meanwhile, beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until as white as possible; beat in sifted icing sugar and milk, in two batches. Tint green, then set aside.

4.Place cakes side by side and cut dorothy shape out using template (see notes) as shown. Using the picture as a guide, cut a rectangle of cake from the base and place on left side for arm. Cut dorothy’s head from template and cut out a second head from the scraps; cut in half if too high. Position second head on top of cake to make dorothy’s head higher than the rest of the cake; secure with a little butter frosting. Position dorothy on prepared board and cover completely in green butter frosting. To make icing the cake easier, insert bamboo skewers to hold cake in place. Reserve a little of the butter frosting.

5.For chocolate spots, tint chocolate yellow. Pour chocolate into a piping bag (or baking paper rolled into a cone-shape) and pipe about 30 circles of varying sizes onto a sheet of baking paper; cool. Reserve a little of the melted chocolate.

6.Knead modelling chocolate on a work surface until smooth and pliable. Roll out to about a 30cm circle; using a small sharp knife, cut a 25cm semi-circle for the hat. Cut out dorothy’s eyes, teeth, gloves and spikes for her tail.

7.Place chocolate spots on dorothy’s body, flat side up. Position eyes, teeth, gloves and spikes on dorothy, as shown. Gently curl dorothy’s hat to fit on head, position top of hat with a little melted chocolate. Secure flowers on dorothy’s hat and glove with the reserved butter frosting. Use black writing icing to draw on dorothy’s eyebrows and pupils.