Kids' Perfect Party Book

Serving size: Serves 10 or more
Cooking time: More than 2 hours
Special options: Kid friendly
Course: Dessert
Favourite flavours: Cakes/baking

INGREDIENTS

3 x 340g packets butter cake mix
36cm x 46cm prepared board (see below)
2 litres vanilla ice-cream
300g frozen raspberries
6 egg whites
1 1/3 cups (295g) caster sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) strawberry topping
2 tablespoons chocolate topping
2 strawberry and cream lollies

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease and line deep 26cm x 36cm baking dish.

Make cakes according to directions on packets, pour into dish; bake about 1 hour. Stand cake in dish 20 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.

Using serrated knife, level cake top. Turn cake cut-side down. Cut ghost shape from cake, including making eye and mouth holes. Place cake on prepared board, cut-side down; discard remaining cake. Freeze cake for 3 hours.

Soften ice-cream slightly in large bowl; stir in raspberries. Return ice-cream to container; return to freezer until ice-cream is frozen.

Remove cake from freezer; position small round and oval bowls for eyes and mouth (see note, below).

Using large ice-cream scoop, scoop out ice-cream; place scoops all over top of frozen cake and close to the bowls to hold them in place. Return cake to freezer for about 1 hour, or until ice-cream is frozen.

Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced.

Beat egg whites in medium bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form; gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until dissolved between additions.

Spread meringue quickly all over ice-cream cake, leaving bowls uncovered. Bake about 2 minutes or until meringue feels firm.

Fill eye cavities with strawberry topping and mouth cavity with chocolate topping. Place one strawberry and cream lolly in each eye socket; serve immediately.

Cake board
Place cake as directed, on a board covered with greaseproof decorative paper, contact or any type of patterned foil-like gift wrapping. Using masonite or a similarly strong board, cut your selected paper 5cm to 10cm larger than the shape of the board; use a non-toxic craft adhesive to clue paper to bottom of board.

We used two round heatproof bowls about 4cm in diameter and one small oval heatproof bowl about 9cm long to make the ghost’s eyes and mouth.

Start making the meringue about 30 minutes before serving the cake.