Blue Tang Fish Cake

Grease a 20cm round cake pan. Line base and side with baking paper, extending paper 3cm above pan edge. Line a 12-hole muffin pan (1/3-cup capacity) with paper cases.

Prepare cake mixes, one at a time, according to packet directions. Spoon one cake mix into prepared round cake pan. Smooth over top. Divide remaining cake mix evenly among paper cases.

Cook round pan in a moderately slow oven (160C) for about 40 minutes, or until cooked when tested. Stand for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Cook muffin pan in same oven for about 25 minutes, or until cooked when tested. Stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To make frosting, beat butter in a large bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, ½ cup at a time, beating until well combined. Spoon 1 cup of frosting into a bowl. Tint yellow with colouring and reserve 1 tblsp. Tint remaining frosting dark blue and reserve 2 cups.

Spoon dark blue frosting into a piping bag fitted with a 2D large drop flower decorating nozzle. Pipe onto seven of the cupcakes. Spread 1 cup reserved blue frosting over remaining cupcakes. Decorate with blue candy-coated chocolate buttons.

Trim top of round cake to sit flat. Invert. Cut cake vertically in half. Carve the edge of one half into a fish head. Cut out a small wedge for a mouth. Carve centre of remaining cake half to form a tail. Discard cake trimmings (see Kitchen Notes, page 56).

Spread top and sides of head with remaining reserved blue frosting. Mark to form a pattern. Repeat process with tail and yellow frosting.

To make fish, arrange head, cupcakes and tail on a cake board.

Cut ice-cream wafer diagonally in half. Discard one half. Spread and mark one side of wafer with reserved yellow frosting. Insert into a cupcake for a fin. Position a White Choc Melt and red candy-coated chocolate button secured on top with a dab of frosting for an eye.

HOW TO CUT AND ASSEMBLE 

For the finished cake, you will only need 2 sections of the round cake, one for the head and one for the tail. (Freeze remaining cake scraps to use in another recipe.) For the fish scales, we used blue candy-coated chocolate buttons available from confectionery suppliers, or visit candybarsydney.com.au to buy them online.