Easter cake "Chick"

Ingredients:

Cake

• 2 packages of ready-made yellow sponge cake mix (516 g each) + additional ingredients according to package instructions
• Butter to grease the pans
• Flour to dust the pans

Glaze and decoration

• 1.5 cups of sugar
• 0.5 tsp cream of tartar
• A pinch of salt
• Whites of 3 large eggs
• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1 teaspoon yellow food coloring
• Yellow decorative sugar for covering the cake
• Small chocolate discs

Preparation:

1. Grease and flour a 22x32cm baking dish and two ovenproof bowls, one litre and one 1/2 litre.
2. Mix the dry mixture into a dough; divide the dough into the pans. Bake at 350°F (175°C) until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes for the pan and small bowl, and about 50 minutes for the large bowl.
3. Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Trim the flat sides of the cakes from the bowls with a serrated knife to make them even. Use a chef's knife to trim the 4 corners of the rectangular cake; set aside 3 triangles for the tail and beak.
4. Place the flat cake layer on a board or cake stand; use toothpicks to attach two triangles to the short end for the tail. Place the large cake layer from the bowl on top of the flat cake layer as shown, then place the smaller cake layer on top as shown. Insert a wooden skewer through the cake layers to secure them. Trim another cake triangle to make the beak; use toothpicks to attach it to the smaller cake layer.
5. Prepare the glazeIn a saucepan, combine the sugar, cream of tartar, salt, and 2/3 cup water. Heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Beat the egg whites with a mixer until foamy. Slowly whisk in the hot sugar mixture, then increase the mixer speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts and food coloring.
6. Cover the cake with a thick layer of yellow icing, giving the bird a rounded shape. Use the edge of an offset spatula to spread the icing onto the beak and tail.
7. Sprinkle the cake with yellow decorative sugar. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Attach the chocolate disc eyes. When slicing the cake, remove the toothpicks and skewer.