DOTTY DRAGON CAKE 

 A dotty dragon with a big round tummy - full of cake I suppose! 

MATERIALS

• 2 x 1 liter ( 2 pint / 5 cups) bowl-shaped cakes,
• 25cm ( 10 in ) round cake board
• 2kg ( 4lb ) sugarpaste / rolled fondant .
• mauve, green, yellow & black food coloring pastes
• icing/confectioners' sugar in a sugar shaker
• 280g ( 90z / l generous cup ) buttercream
• sugar glue 

EQUIPMENT

• large rolling pin
• sharp knife
• cake smoother
• food-safe plastic dowelling rod
• templates
• fine paintbrush 

DOTTY DRAGON CAKE METHOD:

Colour 315g ( 10oz ) of sugarpaste mauve . Roll out and cover the cake board, trimming excess from around the edge. Trim the crust from each cake and slice the tops flat. Sandwich the cakes together using buttercream, then spread a layer over the surface.

Color 1.6kg ( 3lb 3 oz ) of sugar paste green. Using 75g ( 2 oz ). pad out the tail area tapering the end to a point. Roll 45g ( 1 ½ oz ) into a ball and use it to pad the neck area Roll out 1kg ( 2lb ) of green sugar paste and cover the cake and tail completely, smoothing around the shape. Cut away any pleats and smooth the joins closed.

Position the cake on the cake board and smooth the surface with a cake smoother. To help support the head, push a dowelling rod down through the neck, leaving 5cm ( 2n ) protruding from the top. Roll 280g ( 90z ) of green sugar paste into a ball for the head, then pinch around the top to narrow and give height. Push the head down onto the dowelling rod, securing it in place with a little sugar glue at the base.

Cut a wide mouth, pulling down the bottom lip slightly. Push the end of the fine paintbrush into the mouth to dimple, then push in for the nostrils at the Using 7g ( ¼ oz ) of green sugar paste, shape two pointed ears and stick in place. Roll two white balls for the eyes, then color a tiny amount of sugar paste black and make the pupils.

Color the remaining sugar paste yellow. Using the template, thinly roll out and cut the dragon's tummy patch. Stick in place, then mark lines using the back of a knife. Split 75g ( 2 ½ oz ) of green sugar paste in half. Create two teardrop shapes for the feet and make two cuts to separate the toes. To make the arms, split 75g ( 2 oz ) of green sugar paste in half. Roll a sausage with a rounded end and make two cuts to separate the fingers, smoothing to remove ridges. Stick in position, then make the other arm as before.

With 7g ( ¼ oz ) of green sugar paste, shape a triangle for the pointed t Roll out the remaining green and cut two wings using the template. Roll the side of the paintbrush into the surface to indent, then stick it in place with sugar glue. To finish, stick small, flattened balls over the dragon's back using the trimmings of mauve sugar paste.

USEFUL TIP

You could stick sugar-coated chocolate buttons, or similar sweets on his back, instead of making sugar paste dots.

Also Read: PLAYFUL KITTEN CAKE