Marching into your kids birthdays with a soldier cake

Instructions

1. Oven Temp: 160c (fan)/180c/Gas Mark 4
2. Makes: 1 x 7” square Soldier Cake
3. Freezing: Cake is suitable for freezing undecorated.
4. Preheat the oven to 160c (fan)/180c/Gas Mark 4.
5. Start by well greasing a 7” square cake tin and then line the base with non-stick baking paper.
6. Put all the chocolate cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat together until you get a well combined and even mixture.
7. Pour the mixture into the tin. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or so until it becomes springy to the touch and a skewer comes away clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.
8. Take it out of the oven and place on the wire rack. Allow to cool.
9. While the cake cools, beat together the frosting ingredients until they are well mixed and have a light and fluffy texture.
10. When the cake is cooled place it onto a serving plate and cover with chocolate frosting.
11. Decorate by placing a chocolate roll at each corner and fill the sides with chocolate finger biscuits. Scatter some chocolate curls on the top of the cake.
12. Now let's make the soldier. Knead a small amount of the ready to roll icing, in each colour, for it to soften. Mix red with white to make a pink colour for the face. Shape the pieces as follows.
13. Feet - roll a small ball of black and slightly flatten it.
14. Legs - Make a thick sausage of blue icing. With a knife mark the centre for the legs.
15. Body – Roll a ball of red icing to create the body. Mark the arms with a knife and imprint the buttons with a tip of a skewer.
16. Belt – roll a small ball of yellow and flatten it into a disc.
17. Neck & Face – From the pink icing roll a ball for the head and mark on two eyes with the point of a skewer and make a smile using a straw. Roll another smaller ball and flatten it into a disc for the neck.
18. Hat – Make a thick sausage of black for the hat.
19. Starting with feet spear each piece onto one stick of dry spaghetti, use just a little dab of water to glue the pieces together. Leave the end of the spaghetti halfway inside the soldiers hat.
20. Place the soldier into the centre of the cake.
21. Decorate the base of the cake with ribbon and serve.

Tips:

1. The dry spaghetti is used to support the upright soldier and will prevent it from falling over.
2. Dust your hands with a little icing sugar if you find the ready to roll icing a little sticky to work with.