Ladybug Cake 

Make a cake that looks like a Ladybug!

 

       
You will need:
•    1 large pudding bowl for the body – check out the picture to give you an idea of sizes
•    1 smaller pudding bowl for the head
•    Baking paper to line the bowls so that it’s easier to get the cooked sponges out
•    2 pkts of sponge cake mix from the supermarket
•    3 cups or more red frosting or butter icing coloured with red food dye.  Butter icing is dead easy to make. It’s just sieved icing sugar and soft butter beaten together.  Use about 2 times more icing sugar than butter and make it so it’s like toothpaste consistency.  Add a couple of drops of milk if it’s too stiff –but it’s very easy to overdo it so be careful - drop by drop is best or you might get into one heck of a state.
•    Junior M & Ms or mini Smarties
•    2 green gumdrops
•    Black shoestring liquorice

Ok… so here’s what you do:

1.    First off you’d better put the oven on at the temperature advised on the sponge packet or you aren’t going to get anywhere

2.    Line the 2 pudding bowls with the baking paper – cut to fit reasonably well but no need to be really fussy.  It just makes it so much easier to turn the sponges out of the bowls and stops a lot of frustration

3.    Make up the sponge mix as directed on the packets

4.    Pour the mix into 2 pudding bowls – you’ll probably have too much for the smaller bowl so doesn’t waste it! You could let the kids lick the bowl now and be ‘the best parent in the whole wide world’ but I’d give the bigger bowl a bit more mixture instead. Your ladybug will have a nice chubby ladybug body…and better her than you so maybe you should lay off licking the bowl out too.

5.    The smaller sponge will be ready quicker than the big one so keep your eye on it in the oven.  Check them by pressing the sponges gently in the middle with your finger.  If you leave a bit of a dent in the top then they aren’t cooked.  The sponges should spring back into shape and feel spongy.  You can also check to see if the middle is done by pushing a metal skewer (or something similar) down into the middle.  If it comes out clean then everything’s fine.  If it’s got sponge mix sticking to it then put the bowl back in the oven for a bit longer. When the sponges are cooked – let them cool off a little before turning them out of the bowls.  Leave them ‘dome side up’.

6.    When they are completely cold put them on your serving plate and then cover them with the red frosting.  Don’t even think about doing this if the sponges are still a little bit warm – the frosting will melt and you will get into one terrible mess.  Put the frosting on the sponges in quite a thick layer and smooth it over – but be gentle and don’t fuss around with it too much otherwise you’ll ‘churn up’ sponge crumbs into the  frosting and your ladybug’s red coat will have cake bits in it.  If this does happen then just don’t panic!  Either pick them  out or, when you go on to the next stage of decorating the red body with Smarties, push the Smarties into the red frosting on top of any dodgy bits to camouflage it.

7.    Ok – so now you have a nice spotty body.  Wonderful!

8.    Put the green gumdrop eyes on with a Smartie pupil – use a bit of frosting to stick the pupil on.

9.    Cut some liquorice for a little smiley mouth and the liquorice antennae. Put those on the cake and you are done!!

 

Unique Cake Topper Candles

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What are Cake Topper Candles? These are fun additions to your party cakes or cupcakes which will really add a new dimension to your party table. With everything from Birthday Puppy, and Farm Party to Ladybug and Pirate, you will find a theme to suit your next party!