-
1
For the cake: Grease and line a 15cm, a 23cm and a 30cm cake tin, all around 7.5cm deep, with non-stick baking paper.
-
2
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan /gas mark 4.
-
3
You may need to do this in batches as it makes a large quantity and wont all fit in one bowl at once.
-
4
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then gradually add the eggs, together with the vanilla extract, beating between every addition.
-
5
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder.
-
6
Fold the flour mix into the egg and sugar, then stir in the red colour and mix well.
-
7
Transfer to the prepared tins and bake for the following times: Small tier 30-40 mins, Medium tier 65-75 mins, Large tier 75 -85 mins.
-
8
The cakes are ready when risen and firm and a knife inserted in the centres comes out clean.
-
9
Allow each to cool in their tin for a few minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
-
10
Remove the paper carefully.
-
11
To make the buttercream: Beat together the softened butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
-
12
Add the cream cheese and a few drops of vanilla extract and beat again.
-
13
Cut the cakes in half horizontally with a long-bladed serrated knife and sandwich them together again with buttercream.
-
14
Stick each to a cake board with a little buttercream, then spread a layer of buttercream over the tops and sides.
-
15
Chill until this sets, then spread the remaining buttercream in a thin layer over the cakes to give a flat finish.
-
16
Measure over the top and sides of each cake and roll out and cut a circle of the ready to roll icing to this diameter.
-
17
Lift over the cake and smooth with your hands, trimming around the bottom edge as necessary.
-
18
Hold a dowel at the side of the largest cake and mark with a pencil where it is level with the icing it mustnt stick up.
-
19
Cut the rod and three others to the same length.
-
20
Push the rods into the cake about 5cm in from the edge of the cake, evenly spaced in a square formation.
-
21
Repeat for the medium-sized cake.
-
22
Stack the cakes one on top of each other.
-
23
For the arrows, we used chocolate sticks with strips of astro belts cut to look like feathers affixed with a small amount of melted chocolate.
-
24
For the sword, spray a Refresher or hard candy bar silver and fix to half a Crunchie with melted chocolate, adding a boiled sweet to decorate.
-
25
To make the roses: Keeping back a little for the figures, knead the white icing until soft.
-
26
For each rose, make a small cone shape and stand it on the work surface.
-
27
Roll little balls of icing and flatten into petal shapes before sticking to the cone with a little water.
-
28
Build up the rose by adding petals of increasing size.
-
29
Finally, twist off the surplus icing at the base.
-
30
For the figures: Colour the remaining white icing pink, by kneading in a tiny amount of colour.
-
31
Make simple heads and bodies, then dress them in scraps of brown icing.
-
32
Paint on features with black colour.
-
33
Make a tiny knife with icing painted black.
-
34
For the blood: Lightly beat the egg whites in a large bowl.
-
35
Add the sieved icing sugar, little by little, beating well until a thick pouring consistency is achieved.
-
36
Beat in the glycerine to add gloss, then add red colour until the icing looks blood-like.
-
37
When fully assembled, pour the blood all over the cakes, as if emanating from the slashed throat of the kneeling figure.
-
38
Once thats done, sit back and wait for The Rains of Castamere to play.
-
39
Then its party time!
