Prepare the 18lb portion of Yos Banana Cake. Fold in the mini chocolate chips using 1 cup of chocolate chips per 6lb recipe. Divide the batter as follows:

• 4 lbs per 10 round pan
• 3 lbs per 9 bundt pan
• 2 lbs in the 7 bundt pan
• 1 lb in the 5 round pan

Bake the cakes at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

5 round 40 minutes

7 bundt 50 minutes

9 bundt 1 hour & 10 minutes

10 round 1 hour & 20 minutes

Let cool completely in their pans, and chill for a few hours.

Remove all the cakes from their pans.  Level the two 10 and the 5 round cakes and cut the caramelization off the bottom. Level all of the bundt cakes.

Starting with the two 10 round cakes, place one on top of the other. Trim around the top of the cake rounding the edges down. Flip both cakes over as one, and carve rounded edges again. Flip the cake back, and carve a gap out of the middle of the cake. Try to create a 3D letter C.  

Cut the 9 bundt cake in half, but not necessarily two equal pieces.  Round the edges of this cake in the same way as the 10 rounds.

Place one half of the bundt cake beside one end of the C cake you created, and the other half at the other end. Cut the cakes where they meet to have them join together. Try to create an S formation for the body of the snake. Continue to cut and carve the cakes the fit together.

Move on to the next 9 bundt pan and repeat the same process. Form the S formation however you like, and of course, to fit your cake board. Continue carving the snake cake by adding the 7 bundt and the 5 round cakes. Use these cakes to form the tail.

Carve the tail of the snake into a sharp little point.  Carve the head from the top cake, or use a large cake scrap to form and carve the head.

Once all of your cakes have been carved, make your final carving adjustments.

To make the coffee buttercream, place the instant coffee in a glass jar.  Boil some water and pour 2 tablespoons into the jar. Close the jar so that the lid is secure and give it a good shake, letting the coffee dissolve. Let cool, then whisk into the buttercream.

Fill the 10 cakes that form the C in the middle of your snake with coffee buttercream.  Spread a little buttercream between all the cake joints where two cakes meet.  Crumb coat the entire snake cake with coffee buttercream. Let set, then ice again.

Dye 4lbs of fondant a very light shade of yellow. Roll out the fondant in sections, about 1lb at a time.

Cover the centre of the snake cake, and tuck the fondant underneath. Cut the fondant where the seams meet.

Once completely covered, make a fondant paste by adding water to a small piece of fondant. Ice this paste onto the seams. Use a wet paintbrush to blend the paste into the snake.

Use a piece of the diamond sleeve to create texture. Stretch and press it all around the surface of the cake creating diamonds that flow in one direction.

Dilute a touch of ivory, brown and black with clear alcohol. Paint the entire snake with this light tan/brown colour.  

Darken the paint by adding more brown. Begin to paint the snake pattern by adding soft blob like shapes all along both sides of the length of the snake. While painting, lay pieces of paper towel onto the pattern and peel them back off, this will create texture and colour variances

Create a darker paint by mixing black and brown. Dilute it slightly with alcohol. Paint this colour in between the pattern along the whole snake. Use the paper towel method again.

This snake needs to see. Add the two eyes to the head of the snake using red or black candy beads. Paint them with black food colouring to give them shine. Poke two nostrils into the front of the face.  

Use a piece of dental floss to gently press in the marking of a mouth on the head of my snake.

If necessary, paint a second coat onto the snake if the colours lighten when dried. Repeat the paper towel method as well.