DD is about to turn 3 and wants a butterfly cake - HELP!

[10thingsihateaboutpoo]

Dd is about to turn 3. I can bake simple things like a victoria sponge, brownies, etc, but a butterfly cake scares me! I want to make it myself but can anyone point me in the direction of an easy recipe? Will i need special tins? What of icing/decoration would be best? She wants a cake shaped like a butterfly rather than just with butterflies on. Luckily she's young so her standards will be low :-)

I saw a great easy cake tutorial using standard sponges. Let me search for a link!

I'd do it by making a normal sponge and cutting it up. Sure I've seen a pic somewhere - will have a look

Ha ha cross posts Tess :)

Something like this?

You can often hire cake tins from shops for a couple of quid- places like lakeland, steamer trading etc. I hired a number 3 tin last year for DD and it turned out ok!

Hoby craft sell butterfly cake tins.

I couldn't bloody find a link!

You make a normal round cake, cut it in two so have 2 half moon shaped. Turn them around and you have wings. I m not sure if i explain it well.

Do you have to make it? Asda do a lovely butterfly one.

So do M & S.

I was going to suggest butterfly cutters and cover a cake with lots of different coloured ones - or shades of one colour?
but if she wants it in a shape?? Depends how persuadable she is? If she could help stamp out the butterflies to make her own cake would that help persuade her?

Google Betty Crocker Butterfly cake. Tutorial explaining every step and it is really surprisingly easy too.

O got some cutters that cut out and press detail onto icing in Wilkinsons the other day, £2 for three. You can get them on Amazon as well, search butterfly icing cutter.
But the link big area gave is nice and easy, decorate with butter icing and then smarties, sweets etc.

Wow, thanks for all the replies! Relieved to discover i can bake a round cake then cut it up i can manage that. What icing do i need to make to then stick smarties etc on it? Butter icing??

Yep butter icing would work we'll And be easy, you could add food colouring to it as well if you wanted and decorate with smarties, jelly tots etc.

Thanks, easy sounds good, i've not decorated a cake before (unless sprinkling some sugar on top counts?!)

Another stupid question. Obviously i can make the cake the day before, but can i decorate it the day before too? Or does butter icing not like being left overnight?

You can get allsorts of coloured sprinkles etc so it will be simple to do. Have you seen the cake thread with pics of cakes?

It will be fine to leave overnight just cover it, I use an upturned mixing bowl over the plate or cakeboard so that it's airtight.

Thanks everyone :-)