Line a large tray with parchment paper and set aside.

Roll out the blue icing on a sheet of parchment paper to a large rectangle about 3mm thick. Trim down to 15cm x 20cm, re-roll the trimmings and wrap well. Repeat with the red icing. Wet a pastry brush with vodka and dampen the surface of one rectangle, then carefully stick the other directly on top. Cut the two-layer rectangle into twelve 5cm squares.

Work with one square at a time and cover the rest with cling film to prevent them drying out. Using a sharp knife, cut a 2cm incision in from each corner towards the centre. e cuts should not meet in the middle – instead dab this area with a tiny bit of vodka on your finger. Lift one corner, fold it into the centre and stick, then dab the top with vodka. Lift the matching corner of the next side along, fold that in and again dab with vodka. Repeat with the remaining two corners to create a pinwheel.

Repeat the previous step to make 12 pinwheels in total. Make both blue/red and red/blue combinations by alternating which colour is on top when you start folding. Arrange on the prepared tray as you go, then set aside.

Divide the white icing in half and roll one piece into a ball, keeping the other wrapped in cling film. Cut the ball into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a small ball (about 1.5cm diameter). Place one on top of each lollipop stick and squeeze slightly so it looks like a little hat on the stick. Dab vodka on one flattened side of this hat and then gently stick it to the back of a pinwheel. Lay it gently back on the tray.

Roll out the other piece of white icing, again on a sheet of parchment, to 2mm thick. Use the tip of the piping nozzle to stamp out around 100 tiny dots, then roll the trimmings into 12 tiny balls (about 5mm diameter). Dab one side of each dot with vodka and stick onto the inside of the pinwheels, repeating to create polka dots until all are used. Dab the centre of each pinwheel with vodka and press on one of the tiny balls to finish, flattening it gently. Leave the tray in a warm, dry place for about 24 hours or until the fondant is dry and hard.

To make the buttercream, beat the butter in a medium bowl until pale. Sift in the icing sugar and beat well until you have a smooth mixture. Blend in the vanilla extract. This can be made a day or two in advance and kept in the fridge, but bring to room temperature before using.

Once the pinwheels have hardened, assemble the cakes. Divide the buttercream evenly between the cake tops, shaping it into a small dome. Roll out the remaining red and blue fondant, again on parchment, to about 2mm thick. If you like, lay an embossing mat on top and roll over again to emboss the icing. Alternatively, use an embossed rolling pin directly on the icing. Stamp out six discs from each colour with the fluted cutter and lay one on top of each cake. Brush with lustre dust if you like. Place on a tray in the fridge for 20 minutes until firm.

Insert a pinwheel stick down through the centre of each cake. Arrange on a stand and serve at once.

This recipe is from my first book, No-Bake Baking, which is available in all great bookstores worldwide and on Amazon.

Photo (c) Donal Skehan