Helicopter

1.Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 20cm x 30cm rectangular cake pan; line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above sides.

2.Make cake according to directions on packet; pour into pan. Bake about 30 minutes. Stand cake in pan 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.

3.Level cake top; turn cake cut-side down. Using image as a guide, cut out cake pieces to make a helicopter shape. Position cake pieces on cake board to form helicopter. Set aside leftover cake pieces for later use.

4.To make butter cream, beat butter in a small bowl with an electric mixer. Gradually beat in half the icing sugar and beat until as white as possible. Add milk and continue beating, then add remaining icing sugar. Beat until a smooth, spreadable consistency.

5.Tint ½ cup butter cream apricot; spread over tops and sides of `skids’. Position ‘skids’ on cake board. Secure body of helicopter over ‘skids’ with a little butter cream. Tint remaining butter cream blue; spread all over body of helicopter.

6.Using picture as a guide, decorate helicopter with remaining lollies.

7.Cut one ice-cream wafer into a propeller shape for tail; press into position at rear of helicopter. Secure brown candy to propeller with a little butter cream. Make a cross with two pipe cleaners and secure in centre with third pipe cleaner, then fold this in half, twist to form stem, push through centre of helicopter dome. Trim remaining four ice-cream wafers into helicopter blade shape, secure to pipe cleaners with a little butter cream.

8.Place coconut and a few drops of green food colouring in ziptop plastic bag; rub with fingertips until coconut is evenly coloured. Sprinkle coconut around helicopter for grass; position mints in a circle around cake to represent helicopter pad.