Snowman Hemisphere Cake

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4 (160°C for fan assisted ovens) and grease the Hemisphere Cake Pans - we used Cake Release.
2. Cream the margarine and caster sugar together until pale and light. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition, then add the vanilla extract.
3. Sift in the flour and continue to mix until smooth and thoroughly blended.
4. Divide the mixture between all the prepared cake pans, level out and bake the medium cakes for 65 to 75 minutes and the small cakes for 35 to 40 minutes.
5. Mix the softened butter with the icing sugar and vanilla extract and beat until smooth and creamy.
6. Using the jam and a little of the buttercream, sandwich the medium cakes together to make the body and the small cakes together for the head. Then spread a thin layer of the remaining buttercream over the entire surface of both cakes. Once completely covered, place in the fridge for around 20 minutes to set.
7. Start by making the stick arms. Take a small amount of ready-to-roll white icing and knead until it has softened, then add a few drops of brown food colouring (continuing to knead until the colour is even). Model the brown icing with a little gum tragacanth into the shape of two stick arms and add a small piece of dried uncooked spaghetti into the end of each arm. Allow to fully harden and set aside. Alternatively you can use Mint Chocolate Sticks for arms.
8. Lightly dust a clean work surface with icing sugar and roll all of the ready-to-roll white icing until it is slightly larger than the medium cake and about 5mm thick. Position over your cake and using the palm of your hand or an icing smoother, smooth and shape the icing. Trim any excess icing using a knife. Re-roll the excess icing and repeat this step for the smaller cake, again reserve the excess icing.
9. Decorate the snowman's head and body before attaching these together. Start by using the ready-to-roll black icing, to make the eyes, buttons and mouth and attach to your snowman with a little cooled boiled water.
10. Roll out a carrot nose, using a little of the reserved ready-to-roll white icing, mixed with orange food colouring. Attach to the cake using a little dried uncooked spaghetti.
11. To make the hat, mould 150g of ready-to-roll blue icing into a hat shape. Roll out some white icing into stripes and attach with a little cool boiled water and allow to harden.
12. Cut the plastic dowel to size, so that it is long enough to support the medium and small cake. Insert through the centre of the medium cake, and then place the small cake on top of the medium, using the dowel to support the cake. Once in place, add the hat to the top of the snowman, using some dried spaghetti.
13. To make the scarf, take the last of the ready-to-roll blue icing and mould into a scarf shape, brush the back with a little cool boiled water and wrap around the snowman's neck, crossing over at the front. Use a knife to create tassels on either end of the scarf. Add contrasting white stripes to the scarf using the water.
14. Finally, insert the arms carefully into the sides of the cake.