Alien Cake
- Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease round pans; line bases and sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above sides. Grease one hole of the patty pan.
- Make cakes according to directions on packets. Drop 1 heaped tablespoon mixture into patty pan hole; bake about 20 minutes.
- Spread 1 2/3 cups mixture into small round pan; bake about 45 minutes. Spread remaining mixture into large round pan; bake about 50 minutes. Stand cakes in pans 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire racks to cool.
- Make butter cream: Beat the butter in a small narrow bowl with an electric mixer until the butter is as white as possible. Gradually beat in half the sifted icing sugar, then the milk, then the remaining sifted icing sugar. Beat until the butter cream is smooth and spreadable. Tint pale orange.
- Trim a 2cm strip from large cake to make top of alien's body. Trim a 1cm strip from small cake to make base of alien's head. Shape top edges of cakes to make rounded.
- Secure large cake, cut-side up, on cake board with a little butter cream. Secure small cake, cut-side up, on cake board with a little butter cream, joining two flat sides with butter cream. Spread remaining butter cream all over cake.
- Knead ready-made icing on surface dusted with a little sifted icing sugar until icing loses its stickiness. Roll out 3/4 of the icing on surface dusted with sifted icing sugar, until large enough to cover patty cake. Brush rounded side of patty cake with warmed jam, cover cake wtih icing; trim edge.
- Tint half the remaining ready-made icing green; roll out on surface dusted with a little sifted icing sugar into a 3mm thickness. Cut a 2cm round from green icing, place on patty cake to make eye; position on alien's head.
- Place Skittle on eye, secure with a little water. Tint remaining icing orange; roll out on surface dusted with a little sifted icing sugar into a 3mm thickness. Shape into mouth, position on cake.
- Using picture as a guide, decorate cake with Tic Tacs for teeth, swirl pops for antennae, flying saucers for feet and Froot Loops for spots.
