Step 1- The day before making the cake
Find a large dish and line it with Glad wrap. Combine jelly crystals and water (less than directed) in a large bowl and pour into dish once crystals are completely dissolved. I used 4 boxes of jelly, but only added not quite the water as per the directions for three boxes. This made the jelly dark in colour and helped during the cutting process. Put it into the fridge.
Bake a tray of brownies. I used three packet mixes in the same tray. This made the brownie nice and thick, so the final result looked brick like.
Step two- Prepare to put it all together
Make some green butter cream icing before you start, that way it will be slightly melted by the time you need it, which is perfect to achieve the look you want for the grass.
Have some sharp knives ready, and a clear (washed!) ruler.
Put brownie on a flat surface, ready to cut.
Step 3 - The dirt bricks
I worked with two inch squares. Cut out the brownie as below. Use the three outer pieces.
Carefully place these on the cake plate.
I know others have needed skewers to hold their cake together, but I didn't need to. It was a very dense cake and wasn't going anywhere!
Step 4 - The sandstone bricks
You can make a tray of marshmallow crispy treats, but I didn't have the time. The option I chose was to use LCM bars. I measured the LCM bars and it ended up being an LCM bar and a half wide and deep.
Cut three, two inch pieces, then cut one in half lengthways and one in half through the side. Then squash each brick together using the pieces to make cubes. It is a very easy process after the first attempt. I did use two+ boxes of LCM's though!
Place these cubes gently on the cake plate, just aside from where you want their finished position to be.
Step 5 - The grass
With the icing in a small glad bag, simply trim one corner with scissors. Test making 'grass' in the centre (where no one will see) until you are happy with the look, then cover the top of all the dirt bricks.
I deliberately made lots of hanging down bits to make it look authentic. Jack noted that he was very happy with this part in particular.
To make the tree use a chocolate finger biscuit. Mash some left over LCM bar around it, stick it in the cake and then cover it with the green icing.
Step 7 - The water
Carefully lift the jelly out of the dish and place it on a countertop. Then measuring carefully, cut one (2x2 inch) brick out at a time, placing each block straight onto the cake plate and moving the LCM bricks into place to support it.
The cake is designed the way it is to support the jelly without the need of an external tray.
Place the cake in the fridge until it is needed.
Jen.x
