Liquorice Allsorts Cake

Great news, guys - my daughter has decided (all on her own accord - not even one hint from me!), that she'd like a movie party for her next birthday. So I'll get a chance to make a popcorn cake, after all!

I've also always wanted to make a cake with liquorice all sorts. And this non-party of Jack's was the perfect opportunity, considering it was a non-themed celebration. 

If you recall, I'd put Friday morning aside to decorate the cake. But then  I had to spend that time making replacement cookies, instead. 

As a result, putting this together was a bit more rushed than I'd have liked. Especially considering I had just started placing all the candies when I got called to an emergency caesar, and then while I was at the hospital, another emergency caesarean was booked. 

Be warned - if I have a birthday cake to decorate, someone in Hillcrest Hospital is going to be have an emergency caesar 🙈

A couple of notes on constructing this cake:

 - I didn't use a number 1 pan, but simply cut out the strips from a square cake. 

- I used this recipe for the chocolate cake 

- I didn't, but should have, started with placing the candies along the edges, and worked inwards from there. (To create a neat outline, that's why!)

On the subject of the sweets:

-  cut diagonally through some of the liquorice allsorts to create triangles, to vary the shapes

- have both small and large candies; some sugar coated, some chocolates for textural interest; and some colour co-ordinated decorated cookies as focal points 

And, lastly,  something important that I learnt for the first time with this cake - liquorice and chocolate are an awesome combination!

Happy decorating!

xxM