Name: Express train
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 2 x 340g packets buttercake mix; 400 gram jam roll; 22 centimetre x 37cm prepared board; green food colouring; 2 red licourice straps; 8 carnival pops; 1 red super rope licourice; 2 green smarties; 1 large yellow sour ball; 22 yellow smarties; 8 red smarties; 1 screw pop; artificial spider's web; Butter cream; 250 gram (8 ounces) butter; 3 cup (480g) confectioner's sugar; 4 tablespoon milk

Ingredients

2 x 340g packets buttercake mix

400 gram jam roll

22 centimetre x 37cm prepared board

green food colouring

2 red licourice straps

8 carnival pops

1 red super rope licourice

2 green smarties

1 large yellow sour ball

22 yellow smarties

8 red smarties

1 screw pop

artificial spider's web

Butter cream

250 gram (8 ounces) butter

3 cup (480g) confectioner's sugar

4 tablespoon milk

Method

1.Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line deep 23cm-square cake pan.

2.Make cakes according to directions on packet; pour into pan. Bake about 1 hour. Stand cake in pan 5 minutes; turn, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool. Using serrated knife, level cake top.

3.Cut square cake in half; cut 2.5cm piece from one half of square cake.

4.Cut 3.5cm piece from jam roll. Assemble cakes on board to form train, as shown; discard remaining cake.

5.To make butter cream; beat butter until white as possible, gradually beat in half the sifted icing sugar then milk, then remaining icing sugar. Beat until smooth.

6.Tint butter cream with green colouring; spread all over train.

7.Cut licourice strap into thin strips; using licourice, outline train’s edges and make window on train.

8.Trim and discard sticks from Carnival Pops; position as wheels. Cut eight 1.5cm pieces from Super Rope; position between wheels as axle.

9.Cut two 8cm pieces from Super Rope; position at front of train for bumper. Position green Smarties and Sour Ball at front of train for lights. Decorate train with yellow and red Smarties.

10.Place Screw Pop in position for funnel; place a little of the butter cream on top of funnel. Press the end of a piece of spider’s web into the butter cream for smoke.

Cut a 2.5cm piece from one half of the square cake and trim a 3.5cm piece from the jam roll. Assemble the cakes on the board to form the train; discard any remaining cake and jam roll. When it comes to eating this cake, remember that a small segment of stick is still embedded in each Carnival Pop (used for wheels). You could easily make carriages to trundle along behind the express train – make another square cake, cut it into blocks for carriages, scoop out the centres, ice and decorate them, then fill them with “cargo”.
Note

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Ingredients

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