Double Dino Cupcake Cake

Righty, so I'm throwing you in at the deep end here... but everyone's gotta start somewhere with fondant right? urm...right.

I've chosen this cake as it's my best selling one. It took a while the first time I did it (getting colours right, fiddling with shapes etc), but once you done it once you can tinker with it so that it suits anyone.... SO HERE GOES....

YOU WILL NEED

1 Cake board
1 round cake
2 cupcakes
Fondant
Green, blue, red, yellow, black colouring
Butter cream
Your chosen filling

Step 1: Make your cakes! You're gonna need a nice round cake and 2 cupcakes.

None of these need to look amazing as long as they taste good..you're going to be covering them.

Step 2: Cover your big cake in butter cream and then cover with cling film. 'Why?' you ask. You're doing a crumb coat. Leave in the fridge for an hour or so.

EXCITING FACT: A crumb coat will catch all of the messy crumbs on your cake so that the second layer of butter cream with be smooth and make your fondant look smoother.

Step 3: Take your crumb coated cake out of the fridge and put it on your cake board.  Do a second layer of butter cream.

EXCITING TIP: before you do your second coat,slip pieces of greaseproof paper under your cake edges. This will stop your cake board from getting messy and can be pulled out whenever you fancy.

Step 4: Roll out your green fondant for the main cover of the cake.

EXCITING TIP (No.2): Get yourself a mat/plastic sheet (as mentioned in my equipment page). If you don't,the fondant will most likely stick to your surface as stress you out!

EXCITING TIP (No.3): Use the rolling pin (as shown in the picture) to life the fondant when you are ready.

Step 5: Place your fondant over the cake and then cut off the excess.

Use the smoother (as shown in the picture and in the equipment page) to smooth any lumps/bumps/cracks.

NOTE: Don't worry if your edges at the bottom aren't perfect... there are small ways to cover these at the end.

Step 6: Trim the top of your cupcakes flat and then turn upside down. Cut out a little dome like you would if you were making a butterfly cupcake (you mind the ones you used to make with your mum and get at school fares?)

Fill with whatever you fancy (jam/nutella/caramel) and then pop the top back on.

Cover with butter cream

Step 7: Cover your cupcakes with fondant. They might be a little bumpy, but as long as you've coated them with butter cream they should smooth out.

Step 8: Cut off the excess fondant.

EXCITING TIP (No.3): Rather than trim it right to the edge, I actually left a little bit of excess and tucked it under. This made it easier to add to the cake later.

Step 9: With your excess coloured fondant, mold the shapes of your Dino heads and tails.

NOTE: Don't get frustrated if the shape isn't perfect on the first shot, I had to play about with sizes/shapes until I got what I wanted.

Its a good idea to do this before you add the Dino body to the cake so you can judge sizes.

Step 10: Add your Dino pieces to the cake.

EXCITING TIP (No.4): To make sure the bodies are secure on the top, you can push a chocolate finger biscuit/mikado/toothpick through the cake (leaving it poking half way out) and slide the bodys over the top to secure.

Step 11: To make the grass, push your excess green fondant through an ordinary sieve. Carefully trim this of and add to wherever you want on the cake.

FINAL EXCITING TIP: The grass comes off easily if you don't secure it to the cake. Use edible glue (or a dab of water if you don't have that).

Step 12: Cut out names and any extra little pieces you want to add; collars with ages, spots/stars on the Dino's back etc.



TAA DAAAAAA!

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