How to Make a Robin Cake

Pre-heat the oven 180OC / 160C fan assisted ovens / Gas mark 4.

Empty the contents of the cake mix into a large bowl and add the water, eggs and oil.

Gently mix for about 2 mins until smooth and creamy.

Grease the hemisphere tins and sit in their rings on a baking tray. Divide the mixture between the two halves and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes or until firm to the touch.

Leave in the tins to cool enough to handle, then run a sharp knife across the top of the cakes, using the edges of the tin as a guide, to trim off any excess.

Turn out of the tins and leave to cool. When completely cool wrap in clingfilm and pop in the freezer for about 30 minutes until hard to the touch. I find this helps to stop the cakes crumbling too much when icing them.

Remove from the freezer and trim the bottom of one cake and stick to the board with buttercream.

Cover the bottom half chocolate icing.

Place the top half on to the bottom half and cover with the chocolate icing – you want a nice thick even layer all over.

Working from the bottom of the cake to the top, push the tip of a pointed knife into the icing then pull up to create a v-shapped indent and peak.

Your cake should look like a spiky brown ball.

Roll out the red fondant and using a large round cutter, cut a circle.

Make two semi-circles in the orange fondant and cut three lines for the toes.

Shape an orange beak and stick on to the robin along with the red round, feet and candy eyes.

Roll out the chocolate fondant and use the large round cutter to cut two oval shapes for the wings.

Slightly wet the bottom side of the wing and stick to the cake. Turn the tips up slightly.

To make the hat, roll a lump of red fondant into a cone shape, bend the tip over then put on the robins head.

Roll a long even sausage with the white fondant and stick around the red hat on the cake.

Stick half a cocktail stick into the tip of the cake, roll a ball with the white fondant and stick on to the cocktail stick.