FROGS IN A POND

PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES (+ STANDING, COOLING & CHILLING) SERVES 12

EQUIPMENT

26cm x 35cm baking dish

20cm x 30cm shallow pan

25cm x 30cm rectangular cake board CAKE

4 x 340g packets butter cake mix

2 x 85g packets create-a-jelly crystals blue and green food colouring 1 quantity buttercream

(see recipe on page 94) DECORATIONS

8 red frogs (light and dark red)

2 lime milk bottles

8 ready-made sugar flowers

2 flag cake toppers

1 each red and orange jubes

2 brown paper trees birthday candles

1 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Grease baking dish; line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above sides.

2 Make cake mixture according to directions on packets. Spread mixture into baking dish; bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Stand cake in dish for 10 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool.

3 Meanwhile, make jelly following packet directions; tint light blue with colouring. Pour into shallow pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until jelly is the consistency of unbeaten egg whites. 4 Meanwhile, using a long serrated knife, level cake top. Using picture as a guide, cut out a pond shape. Using a small serrated knife and a tablespoon, scoop out a recess in centre of cake, about 4cm deep, leaving a 2cm border around edges of pond. Secure cake on cake board with a little buttercream.

5 Reserve ¼ cup of the buttercream. Tint remaining buttercream green; spread over sides and top edge of cake. Spread reserved plain buttercream over recess of cake.

When jelly is ready, pour into recess in cake; refrigerate until jelly is set.

6 Using picture as a guide, decorate cake. Place frogs in and around jelly. To make lily pads, slice milk bottles into thin rounds, flatten slightly, then, using a small, sharp knife, cut a V-shape into each slice. Position lily pads and sugar flowers on set jelly.

7 Trim ends of cake toppers, push into jubes to make boats, then position on jelly. Decorate border with trees and candles.