Ingredients
- 445 g (15¾ oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 350 g (12 oz/1½ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
- 1 tablespoon natural vanilla extract
- 6 eggs, lightly beaten
- 550 g (1 lb 4 oz/4⅓ cups) self-raising flour
- 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) milk
- 1½ quantities buttercream
- 30 g (1 oz/¼ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
Decoration
- five 5 cm (2 inch) jam rollettes (mini jelly rolls)
- 2 round chocolate biscuits (cookies)
- 2 milk chocolate drops
- 1 white marshmallow, halved
- liquorice pieces
- 1 red jellybean
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Grease and line the bases of two 18 cm (7 inch) round cake tins and a 1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cup) basin.
2. To make the cake, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the sifted flour alternately with the milk until smooth.
3. Divide the cake mix evenly among the three tins and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
4. Spread the top of one round cake with some buttercream. Sandwich the round cakes together. Cut away the top and bottom edges of the cake sandwich to form a slight ball shape. This will be the fat body. Sit the pudding-shaped cake on top. Secure with skewers. Trim a diagonal slice around the bottom edge of the pudding for a neck.
5. Cut a diagonal slice off the end of four rollettes and attach them to the body with skewers to form the arms and legs. Cut a slice off the remaining rollette and attach it to the centre of the face with a skewer to form the snout. For ears, make two slits on the top of each side of the head then push a round biscuit (cookie) into each.
6. Put 4 tablespoons of the buttercream in a bowl. Add the cocoa to the remainder and beat well. With a palette knife, spread the chocolate icing over the body, arms and legs (reserving a tablespoon for piping). Ice the tummy, snout and ears with the white buttercream.
7. For the eyes, stick a chocolate drop on each marshmallow half with icing. Use liquorice for the lips and nose and a jellybean for the mouth. Ice paw marks on the arms and legs with reserved chocolate icing.
