Serving size: Serves 10 or more
Special options: Kid friendly
Course: Dessert

Lazy ladybird cake

INGREDIENTS

Cake:
340g packet buttercake mix
25cm x 30cm cake board
125g butter, softened
1½ cups (240g) icing sugar mixture
2 tablespoons milk
black and red colouring

Decorations:
1 black licorice strap
14 chocolate freckles
2 x 15cm (3mm) black chenille sticks (pipe cleaners)
2 yellow Smarties

METHOD

Preheat oven to moderate; grease one hole of 12-hole (1/3 cup/80ml) muffin pan and 1.25-litre (5 cup) pudding steamer. Make cake according to directions on packet, pour ¼ cup of mixture into muffin hole and remaining mixture into pudding steamer; bake muffin in moderate oven about 20 minutes and steamer cake about 35 minutes. Stand cakes in pans 5 minutes; turn onto wire rack to cool. Using serrated knife, level steamer cake top.

Using serrated knife, cut segment from muffin so you have a flat edge to attach it to the ladybird's body; trim bottom of steamer cake to make more rounded shape for the ladybird's body. Place cake top-side down on cake board you have covered with greaseproof decorative paper, contact, or any type of patterned foil-like gift wrapping.

Beat butter in small bowl with electric mixer until as white as possible. Gradually beat in half of the icing sugar, milk, then remaining icing sugar.

Tint ¼ cup of butter cream with black colouring and remaining butter cream with red colouring. Spread red butter cream all over body of ladybird.

Position muffin against body for head, secure with a little butter cream; spread all over with black butter cream. Pull an outside strip of licorice from the strap; position along centre of body. Position freckles on body.

Curl one end of each chenille stick; position on cake for antennae. Position Smarties on cake for eyes.