Fields of play

1.Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease deep 26cm x 36cm (10.-inch x 14.-inch) baking dish; line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm (2 inches) above sides.

2.Make cakes according to directions on packets. Spread mixture into dish; bake about 1 hour. Stand cake in dish 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.

3.To make butter cream, beat the butter (and any flavouring, if using) in a small narrow bowl with an electric mixer until the butter is as white as possible (this will result in a whiter butter cream which will give you better results if colouring it). Gradually beat in half the sifted icing sugar then the milk, then the remaining 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; secure cake, cut-side down, on cake board, with a little butter cream. Tint butter cream green; spread all over cake.

5.Combine sugar and green colouring in small plastic bag; rub together until sugar is evenly coloured. Sprinkle top of cake with green sugar.

6.To decorate the rugby league field: using white decorating gel, pipe on field markings, using outlines as a guide. Pipe black decorating gel around lollipop sticks for corner posts. Wrap thin strips of red fruit Roll-Ups around lollipop sticks for goal posts.

7.Decorate with toy balls, equipment and goal posts, as desired.