Recipe

Age two birthday snail cake

This cute snail cake is perfect for a kids' birthday party at home or school - your children will love the cute little bugs.

Jan 31, 2010 1:00pm
  • 20 mins cooking
  • Serves 6
    • Print
    Print

Ingredients

Two
  • 470 gram (15-ounce) packaged buttercake mix
  • 65 gram (2 ounces) butter
  • 3/4 cup (120g) icing (confectioners') sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • green food colouring
  • 3 teaspoon cocoa powder
  • black and red decorating gel
  • 6 banana lollies
  • 6 brown rainbow choc-chips
  • 1 x 30cm/12-inch (3mm/¹/8 inch) brown chenille stick (pipe cleaner)
  • 3 sour worms
  • 35 gram (1 ounce) mini m&m's
  • 7 mint leaves

Method

Two
  • 1
    Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced). Line muffin pan with the paper cases.
  • 2
    Make cake according to directions on packet. Drop 2½ level tablespoons of the mixture into each paper case, bake about 20 minutes. Stand cakes in pan 5 minutes; turn, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.
  • 3
    Meanwhile, to make butter cream, beat butter in small bowl with electric mixer until as white as possible. Beat in sifted icing sugar and milk, in two batches.
  • 4
    Tint half the butter cream green. Divide remaining butter cream into two small bowls. Stir 2 teaspoons of the sifted cocoa into one bowl, stir remaining sifted cocoa into remaining butter cream.
  • 5
    Using the cakes in the brown paper cases, spread the dark brown butter cream over three cakes, spread the light brown butter cream over three cakes.
  • 6
    Using picture as a guide, use the black gel to draw spirals on the brown cakes for snails' shells. Position bananas for bodies. Use the red gel to pipe mouths on the snails. Secure the rainbow choc-chips for eyes with a little butter cream. Cut the chenille stick into 12 x 2.5cm (1-inch) pieces; position in cakes for feelers.
  • 7
    Using picture as a guide, spread green butter cream over remaining cakes. Sprinkle glitter carefully over each cake to make snails' trails. Using the handle of a teaspoon, make a small hole in three of the cakes; gently push worms into position in holes. Decorate cakes with mini M&M's and mint leaves.
  • 8
    Assemble cakes on prepared board in the shape of the number two. Secure with a little butter cream.

Notes

equipment 12-hole (1⁄3-cup/80ml) standard muffin pan 12 standard paper cases (6 green, 6 brown) 30cm x 45cm (12-inch x 18-inch) rectangular prepared cake board We set this cake up on artificial grass instead of a board. To create a wonderful world for an insect-themed party, cover the party table with the grass and decorate the table with different types of plastic insects.

The Latest from New Zealand Woman's Weekly Food