I am attempting to make a very hungry caterpillar cake for Lily's birthday and i have managed to get the shape right but am worried about the icing. I am doing a textured buttercream but obviously need it to be quite dark green and then bright red for the head. I have added loads of green food colouring but think it still looks a bit wishy washy, is there anything else i can try? Also i think the buttercream does not taste as nice due to all the food colouring but i might be imagining this!!

Also how far in advance do you think i can make the sponge as i dont want to be doing it all on the day. I guess i would need to put the buttercream on on the day though?

Thanks in advance for any advice that you can give! xx

Use paste colours as they are more concentrated then liquid, I only used a tiny bit on the end of a cocktail stick for Chloe's cake. For a dark green one, try a holly coloured paste, you can get super strength colours too, sugarflair do a paste one, this is where I get mine from and you only need a really small amount

http://www.surbitonart.co.uk/acatalog/Sugarflair_Colours.html

I make mine a couple of days before, then let it cool, wrap it well in clingfilm, then decorate it the next day, the buttercream will be fine for a few days so it would be fine doing it a day or two before, just keep it somewhere cool and dry, just not in the fridge as it can make the colours run x

Good luck Kate - you are brave! I would never even attempt to make a proper cake, Im hardy capable of making a jam sponge!
(thank goodness for LisaG!)

Thanks Mandy!

Lisa it will prob be a disaster and Dan will be rushing to the shop on the morning of her party to buy a cake