How to Make a Christmas Tree Cake

Pre-heat the oven 180OC / 160C fan assisted ovens / Gas mark 4.

Grease the cake tin.

Empty the contents of the cake mix into a large bowl and add the water, eggs and oil.

Gently mix for about 2 mins until smooth and creamy.

Pour the cake mix into the cake tin and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes or until firm to the touch.

Leave in the tins to cool enough to handle, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Turn the cake over and place on the cake board. Cut strips of greaseproof paper and slide under the edges of the cake (this is optional but it really helps keep the board clean if you are a messy icer or the kids are helping!).

Empty the Betty Crocker buttercream into a bowl and mix in a small amount of green food colouring until you have a nice even green mix. Dollop the icing on to the cake and spread all over, making sure the sides are covered.

Remove the greaseproof paper and tidy the edges if needed.

Using the white fondant roll out three long sausages to make the tinsel and place on the cake. Dust the tinsel with the pearl white lustre powder to give it a bit of a shimmer.

Roll out the yellow fondant and cut out some stars.

Paint one of the stars with the gold glitter (slightly dampen the star first to make it a little bit sticky) and place on the cake for the star at the top of the tree. Stick the rest of the stars on the board around the top of the tree.

Break the flake up and place around the bottom of the tree to make the trunk.

Add the sweets to make the Chrismas decorations and decorate the board as you like.

Finally, to make the ribbon, roll out some red fondant and cut in to three strips. The longest strip needs to be long enough to go over the tree trunk.

Take the middle sized strip and fold both ends to the middle to make a bow.

Fold the shortest strip over the bow and place on top of the longest strip.

Pop the complete bow and ribbon acorss the trunk to finish.