Butterfly Cakes - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 (15 oz) boxes sponge cake mix
None None Buttercream
20 tbsp butter
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tbsp milk
None None To Decorate
None None violet, yellow, pink, green and blue food coloring
34 None pink M&Ms
26 None blue M&Ms
1 oz edible cake decorations, such as flowers or sprinkles
1 (6 inch) mauve pipe cleaner
2 None pink heart-shaped lollipops

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F. Grease and line 3 cake pans with parchment paper, extending paper 2 inches above the sides.
Prepare cake mix according to directions on boxes. Divide batter evenly between pans and bake for about 45 mins. Let cakes cool in pans for 5 mins then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
Meanwhile, to make the buttercream, beat butter until as white as possible. Gradually beat in 1/2 the powdered sugar then milk. Add remaining powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
Trim cake tops level then place, side by side, cut-side down. Cut out a butterfly shape, securing pieces together with buttercream.
Divide buttercream into 3 portions. Tint 1 portion violet and 1 portion yellow. Divide remaining portion into 3 smaller portions. Tint 1 pink, 1 green and 1 blue. Spread top and sides of cake with buttercream in a decorative pattern. Position the M&Ms around edges of different colored buttercream sections. Decorate with sprinkles or flowers. Twist pipe cleaner to resemble antennae. Position decoratively on cake along with lollipops.