Butterfly Stencil Cake Food

BUTTERFLY STENCIL CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with shortening; lightly flour.
• In large bowl, beat all ingredients except poppy seed, frosting, cocoa and candies with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in poppy seed. Pour into pan.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cakes springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Place on serving platter. Spread frosting on top and sides of cake.
• For butterfly design, hold handle of large wooden spoon crosswise over center of frosted cake (hold spoon close to cake); sift cocoa over handle to form outline of butterfly body. Hold bowl of spoon over cake at angle to butterfly body; sift cocoa over edge of bowl of spoon to form outline of wing part. Repeat to form 3 remaining wing parts. Decorate with almonds.

BUTTERFLY CAKES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a cupcake tin with 10 cases. To make the sponge, tip the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder and milk into a large mixing bowl and beat with either a hand whisk or electric mixer until smooth, pale and combined. Divide the batter between the cases and bake for 15 mins until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle of a cake comes out clean. Leave on a wire rack to cool.
• While the cakes are cooling, make the buttercream by beating together the icing sugar, butter and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Mix in the extra milk if the icing feels too stiff.
• Once the cakes are cool, use a sharp knife to slice off the tops, then cut the tops in half. Pipe or spread the buttercream on top of the cakes, then gently push two semi-circular halves into the buttercream on each cake, doing this at an angle to look like butterfly wings. You can serve the cupcakes at this stage, or decorate them with a little blob of jam in the centre and a scattering of sprinkles, if you like.