Here we have used a terrarium, not to hold small plants, but to contain an absolute treat of a chocolate cake – biscuits, pistachios and luscious buttercream carefully arranged all together inside the glass. Not only is this idea a truly unusual approach, but it is also delightfully delicious.
1. Pre-pipe and freeze five or six succulent plants in light and medium green buttercream, some ‘rose-like’ and some ‘spiky’ (see Piping Flowers).
2. Crumble the biscuits to fine crumbs. Place in a re-sealable bag and add moss and leaf green edible dust powder then shake until you get an even colour.
You can use a clear glass cake stand with a dome cover as an alternative if you cannot find a terrarium glass ball. Then use a big spoon, fork, tongs or even a small sweet-shop scoop with a pretty ribbon tied around it to serve.
3. Crush some pistachio nuts to make small bits.
4. Cut about a quarter of the cake and break it into pieces, rubbing them together to crumble them into a bowl.
5. Cut the remaining cake into small bite-size squares.
6. Pipe a thin layer of chocolate buttercream on two sides, or all sides, of a cake square, then dip it into the crushed biscuits. Repeat with all the other cake squares.
7. Lay them out on a board, cover with cling film then set them aside. You can cover all the sides of the cake squares with frosting and biscuit if you prefer.
8. Scoop the crumbled cake and biscuit into the terrarium and gently mix together with a spoon.
9. Put the crumbled cake and cake squares into the terrarium, arranging them randomly.
10. Sprinkle in the crushed pistachio nuts. You can also add other types of nuts if you wish. We chose pistachios as they match the moss colour of the crushed biscuits. You can also use small chocolate chips to look like stones or rocks.
11. Finally, put your frozen succulents inside. Arrange them as you wish.
