Ingredients

• 125g butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 x 250g packet choc ripple biscuits
• 1/2 teaspoon chocolate strands sprinkles

Chocolate icing

• 160g block dark milk chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup thickened cream

Lettuce

• 12 green jubes, cut into 4 thin slices
• 6 green skittles fruits

Carrots

• 1 green lolly snake
• 3 orange lolly snakes

Sugar snap peas

• 3 green lolly snakes
• 18 green mini M&M’s, halved

Corn

• 6 green jubes
• 142g packet rainbow nerds (see notes)

Tomatoes

• 1 green lolly snake
• 45g packet French Fries
• Green writing icing
• 36 red mini M&M’s

Caterpillars

• 18 pink mini M&M’s
• 18 orange mini M&M’s
• 1cm piece licorice strap, very thinly sliced

Method

• Step 1 Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Line 3 x 12-hole (2-tablespoon-capacity) patty pans with paper cases.
• Step 2 Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, eggs, milk, flour and cocoa on low speed for 2 minutes. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes or until pale and creamy. Divide mixture among prepared pan holes. Bake for 12 minutes or until cakes spring back when lightly touched. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove cakes from paper cases.

• Step 3 Meanwhile, make chocolate icing. Place chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100%), stirring halfway through, for 1 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until thick and spreadable. Using a wooden spoon, beat until pale and creamy.
• Step 4 Process biscuits in a food processor until crumbs form. Transfer to a shallow dish. Reserve 2 tablespoons of icing. Spread tops of cakes with remaining icing, then dip in crumbs to coat. Sprinkle with choc strands.
• Step 5 Make lettuce. Using fingers, press 8 jube slices to flatten. Press slices around 1 skittle, slightly overlapping, to form a lettuce. Repeat with remaining jube slices and skittles to form 6 lettuces. Using a little reserved icing, attach lettuces to 6 cakes, pressing to secure.
• Step 6 Make carrots. Trim heads from orange snakes and discard. Cut snakes into 12 x 3cm lengths. Trim 1 end of each piece to form a carrot shape. Cut green snake into 6 x 2cm lengths. Cut each piece in half lengthways, then thinly slice lengthways into strips. Press green strips onto the top of orange pieces to form carrots. Using a little reserved icing, attach 2 carrots to 6 cakes, pressing to secure.
• Step 7 Make sugar snap peas. Trim heads from snakes and reserve. Cut snakes into 4 equal lengths (you’ll need 12 pieces). Cut a deep slit into the side of each piece to form a pocket, being careful not to cut the whole way through. Trim ends to form a point. Insert 3 mini M&M halves into each slit to form peas. Very thinly slice reserved snake heads to form tendrils. Using a little reserved icing, attach 2 sugar snap peas and tendrils to 6 cakes, pressing to secure.
• Step 8 Make corn. Cut 1 jube into 4 slices. Using fingers, press and stretch 3 slices to slightly elongate. Place 5 yellow nerds along the centre of each slice to form kernels. Fold up the sides to enclose slightly. Cut remaining jube slice into thin pieces. Using the picture as a guide, press pieces onto the end of each corn cob. Using a little reserved icing, attach 3 corn cobs to 1 cake, lightly pressing to secure. Repeat process with remaining jubes, nerds and 5 cakes.
• Step 9 Make tomatoes. Cut snake into 1cm pieces. Cut each piece in half lengthways and thinly slice. Push 3 French Fries into the top of 6 cakes to form tepee shapes. Place snake pieces in and around French Fries. Drizzle writing icing onto fries to form vines. Using a little writing icing, attach mini M&M’s to vines to form tomatoes, holding until secure.
• Step 10 Make caterpillars. Using reserved icing, attach 5 mini M&M’s, alternating colours, onto 6 cakes. Using reserved icing, attach licorice to remaining mini M&M’s to form antennae. Place on cakes to form caterpillars. Using a toothpick and a little icing, make 2 dots on the front of each head to form eyes.
• Step 11 Arrange cupcakes in garden beds (see notes). Serve.