Recipe for treasure chest cake?

[TheScottishPlayer]

I'm planning on making a treasure chest cake for DS's birthday, and while I've a good idea on how to put it together, I don't actually have a recipe.

Does anyone have a recipe they could point me in the direction of, or has anyone made a treasure chest cake before that could share some tips? Any suggestions on chocolate icing particularly welcome.

Thanks.

I have two, one is based on a basic Victoria sponge base, the other is a box of gingerbread filled with sweets. Which would you like?

Thank you - victoria sponge please!

240g caster sugar
240g raising flour
240g marg or butter
4 large eggs
2tsp baking powder
A splosh of vanilla essence

Mix it all together with a spoon/blender/food processor, put it in a large lined square cake tin (about 8in), gas 4/180C, about 30-40 mins until a skewer poked into it comes out clean.

When cooled, cut in half vertically through the middle, one half is the chest, the other (with a little carving) is the lid.

Chocolate buttercream is easy:
Cocoa powder or instant hot chocolate
Icing Sugar
Marg

Put a big scoop of marg in a large bowl, add cocoa and icing sugar in roughly equal amounts (depending how brown you want the buttercream). Use a fork to squash the powder into the marg, then when it's all incorporated, stir it like mad until it goes a lighter colour and looks like frosting (which it is in essence)
Cover the cake smoothly, then use a fork for "graining" effects to make it look more wooden.

Brilliant, that's exactly what I needed thanks.

I would have been quicker but I had to drop DD at youth club and DS at scout camp, also DS has left the recipe book at school so I had to type it from memory.
When I did a pirate birthday party, I also set jelly snakes in blue/green jelly as shark infested water, and got the DCs to decorate their own pirate bandanas (cut up old sheets) which also served as party bags.

No problem - I won't be making it until this weekend. Blue jelly has already been purchased! Thanks again.

I made a treasure chest cake recently and a (much more experienced) cake baking friend advised putting a thin layer of the butter icing on first as a crumb layer before putting the proper icing on. I think it definitely helped. I made a square chocolate cake, sliced in half and used trimmings from a failedearlier version to prop up the top layer at the front. Chocolate butter icing (melted chocolate, melted marg and a little water mixed with icing sugar) to sandwich and cover it. Used unravelled fruit yo-yos for the straps, silver balls for the studs, and filled with chocolate coins and sweetie necklaces. DD was v impressed (am worried I have set the bar a bit high for her big sister's and all future birthdays though!) Good luck!