Ingredients
4 x 340 g packets moist chocolate cake mix
500 g packet white fondant icing
liquid yellow food colouring, to tint
cocoa powder, to decorate
Cola sour straps, to decorate
candy spearmint leaves, to decorate
chocolate coins, to decorate
writing icing pens, to decorate
Small pirate figurines, to decorate
Butter frosting
450 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, chopped
3¾ cups icing sugar mixture
liquid blue food colouring, to tint
Method
- Grease a 26cm x 34cm rectangular roasting pan, 6cm deep (24-cup capacity). Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above edge.
- Prepare cake mixes, one at a time, according to packet directions. Spoon into prepared pan. Smooth over top.
- Cook in a moderately slow oven (160C) for about 1½ hours, or until a skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil during cooking if top starts to over-brown. Stand for 30 minutes. Turn out onto 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 smooth. Tint blue. Spoon 1½ cups of the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a plain 5mm nozzle.
- Trim top of cake to sit flat. Invert onto a cake board. Spread evenly with frosting. Pipe waves around base of cake.
- Knead fondant on a clean bench until smooth. Tint pale yellow. Knead until evenly coloured, dusting with icing sugar if fondant becomes sticky. Roll out between two sheets of baking paper into a rectangular shape, about 5mm thick. Cut into a 26cm x 34cm rectangle and, using a small sharp knife, trim into a ragged map shape.
- Lift map onto cake. Brush lightly with cocoa powder. To make palm trees, use kitchen scissors to cut sour straps and mint leaves, as pictured.
- Decorate map with palm trees, figurines and coins. Draw on map details with writing icing.
