Welcome to How To Cook That, I'm Ann Reardon and today we're making a Slug cake from Best
Fiends.
That's right, there have been so many requests for Best Fiends from you guys and Best Fiends
offered to sponsor a video so here we are.
The first thing you'll need to do is make one and half times of my chocolate cake recipe
and there's a video showing how to make that cake and all the recipe quantities on the
HowToCookThat.net website and I'll put a link to that below for you.
So once you have made the batter you want to pour that into 2 trays and then bake it
in the oven for about 15 minutes or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out
clean.
Then you want to leave those to cool completely before going on to the next step.
Now while that's cooling, for those who don't know what Best Fiends is, 'Hi Mum' it's an
app, it's free you can get it on the app store, I'll put a link below and if you download
it you'll get $4.99 worth of bonus gold and diamonds that'll help you in the game.
It's basically a puzzle adventure game where you join the objects of the same colour together
to try and defeat the slugs which are the enemies or the fiends up the top.
As you progress you collect different characters and then you can upgrade those characters
to make them more powerful so it makes it easier to defeat the slugs.
Well, technically, the higher the level you get to, the harder it is.
I'm on level 127, let me know in the comments below what level you're up to.
You can also connect the app to Facebook and there is a leaderboard there where you can
compete against friends and see what level they're up to.
And up until February 26 this month there's also a special Valentines heart challenge
where you can compete to get extra rewards and rare things that you can't normally get.
And there's also going to be a special gift for you on Valentines Day.
Now that our cakes are cooled, what we want to do is place the template over the top and
the template is also available on the HowToCookThat.net website.
And then just cut around each of those so that we get the different shapes we need for
each layer.
For the frosting we're going to use buttercream made with butter and icing sugar and then
we are going to add some cream to some white chocolate just to make a simple ganache to
make the frosting even more creamy and yummy.
Pop that in the microwave stirring every 30 seconds until the chocolate is melted.
Stir that through and once it is combined we are going to set it aside to chill in the
fridge.
I am not going to use this between the layers just on the outside.
Place your butter and icing sugar into a bowl and mix until you have a lovely smooth looking
frosting.
Spread a small amount of frosting onto a cake board.
And you'll notice I've put the support rod to one side, that's because if you look at
the template we want to have the support in the body and then room for the tail on one
side.
Add the first layer of cake into place and spread it with jam, I am using strawberry
jam you can use apricot if you prefer.
Then smother that in buttercream.
Add layer two and with each layer check where it should sit using the template, because
the cake swerves in some of the pieces to sit more to one side than the other.
Add layers 3, 4 and 5 and then after that the cake starts to lean forward again so this
part is going to need some support.
Add 3 supports down into the cake at the level that the top of the cake is up to.
And then add a small round cake board on top.
The sticks just stop it from squashing the cake below.
Stack up the next two layers of cake and then double check with the cake ruler I've given
you that you are at the right height.
Then add the final two layers into place.
Place the template on one side and cut around the shape of your slug.
Do the same at the front using the front template so you get the shape of the slug.
Now collect up the offcuts and mash them up using a fork until you get a paste-like consistency.
Use that mixture to build up under the cake board to make the where the slug slopes out
for his top lip.
And add anywhere else on the slug that needs building up if you've cut too much off.
Add a couple of lines across the back of the tail, don't make the tip of the tail we will
make that later out of fondant.
Then mix the ganache into the rest of the buttercream and use it to cover the whole
outside of the cake.
Grab some acetate and use it to smooth up and around the frosting.
Now take a bit of time here to get it all perfectly smooth because it doesn't change
once you put the fondant on it, you need your buttercream base to be just how you want it
to look.
Then pop that in the fridge to firm up.
Take some more of this cake mixture and roll it into a ball, Cut it in half to get two
even pieces then roll each of them to make the two eyeballs.
Take cake spike and dip it into chocolate and poke it into the ball.
This just glues it onto the stick so it doesn't fall off in our next step.
Once that is set, dip the whole thing into the white chocolate and then lift it up and
tap the stick on your finger or the edge of the bowl to let any excess drip off so you
end up with two nice smooth eyeballs.
Once that is set wrap some black fondant around the bottom half and a bit around the stick.
And then add another piece over the top leaving a gap so it looks a bit like a ninja.
Roll a thin piece of black and using a straw cut out two circles for the pupils.
And then add them into place in the centre of each eye.
Cut another ball of black in half and then flatten and shape it to make two rectangles
with rounded corners.
Then take a knife and make two indents across the top of each one.
Stand your eyeballs up in the top of a roll of paper towel and then add the eyebrows on
top curving slightly upwards on the edges.
Now roll two tiny little balls white and add them onto each pupil in the top corner.
Take some more white fondant and cut around each of the teeth templates so that you have
those and then take the template off and just use your fingers to smooth around the front
edges so that it looks nice and tooth shaped and then leave those to one side.
Now take your cake out of the fridge and cover the whole thing in black fondant.
Now the tricky thing with covering tall cakes like this is the weight of the fondant can
pull down and make it tear up the top.
So you need to work fairly quickly to attach it to the cake so that it's not still pulling.
I also like to spray it with a little vegetable oil to keep it moist.
And then just keep lifting and lowering the fondant smoothing it over the shape of the
cake.
Lifting and lowering, smoothing out the folds without creasing it.
Trim the excess off around the base leaving a little bit extra.
Then trim it closer with a knife and tuck it under at the base.
Use the template to cut a strip of deep red and place that just under the top lip for
his gums.
Then make an indent there in the gum where the teeth will sit and add each tooth into
place pushing it up into the gum.
Next add some brown fondant onto the cake board to cover it.
The add some lighter colour strips so it looks like the rings on the top of a tree stump.
In some of the earlier levels the slugs are sitting on a tree stump so we'll make it look
a bit like that.
Cut some long strips of green fondant that are pointy at both ends and cross them over
each other.
Once you have 3 crossed over, pick it up in the middle and squeeze to make the stem of
the grass.
Then pop it into place onto the board and support it using a tissue or baking paper
and leave it to firm up.
Now we need to make the tip of the tail.
For that roll a large tear drop shape, make it bend over to one side bit and then tuck
it under at the back of your slug.
Add the eyeballs into place leaning forward slightly, that's one ... and that's two and
you have a Best Fiends Slug cake!
Despite looking like it belongs in the garden actually it tastes awesome when it's on your
plate.
Let me know what other apps you'd like to see as cakes.
Solve this puzzle to figure out the coded web address, there are prizes for the first
ones there.
And don't forget to download the Best Fiends game, there's a link below and play on Valentines
Day if you already have it.
Subscribe to HowToCookThat for more crazy sweet creations.
Click here for the latest video, here for the recipe and here for more cakes.
Make it a great week and I'll see you on Friday.