  | My next-to-youngest granddaughter requested an OWL CAKE for her last (8th) birthday ~ with lipstick and eyelashes! I add the Twix "sticks", because that's one of her favorite candies. The inside of the cake was turquoise and chocolate checks (I have a checkerboard pan set), but you can use any flavor cake mix. I prefer canned frosting when I'm transporting a cake, since it will harden up and not smudge. |
1 cake mix with ingredients called for (except that I substitute sour cream for any water called for ~ that will make it very moist, but a little denser).
1 Jiffy small-sized cake mix or cupcake mix (with ingredients called for)
1 can chocolate frosting .................................... 1 can strawberry or cherry frosting
2 Oreo cookies .................................................. 2 brown m&ms
1 orange Now & Later candy .............................2 yellow Now & Later candies
(or any taffy-type candy, that can be gently molded)
1 Twix bar, cut in half .......................................small tube pink gel decorator icing
Bake the cake per instructions, in 2 8" or 9" pans. Make the smaller cake mix in an 8" round pan (it's ok if it isn't as tall as the others). Cool cakes on rack.
Meanwhile, spread a bit of either frosting in a circle in the center of your cake plate or cardboard (so the cake won't slide). While the cakes are cooling, mold the orange Now & Later into an elongated triangle shape. Flatten the 2 yellow Now & Laters and cut half-way up each one (to make 3 toes); mold them with your fingers so they're slightly rounded. *** Carefully cut the 2 Oreo cookies in half, so that all of the frosting is on one side (Cook's treat: you can eat the "naked" chocolate side).
If necessary, take a long, serrated bread knife to slice across the top of the cake pans, so the cakes are even (another Cook's treat: eat any scraps you cut off!) *** Turn one layer upside-down over the frosting spread on your cake board. **** (This is where I put cut strips of waxed paper, under all the edges of the cake, so the frosting doesn't get on the board/plate) ***
Frost the bottom-side-up layer with whichever frosting you like and put the other layer on top. *** Do a VERY THIN layer of frosting (the cake should show through) over the sides and top of the cake ~ This is a "crumb coat", so any crumbs won't creep out and show on the finished cake. Let it harden about 5-10 minutes. *** Finish frosting the sides and top of the cake with PINK frosting. ***
With a long serrated knife, cut the extra 8" cake into 3 pieces ~ with the center piece being a little bit wider than the sides. *** Crumb coat the sides (wings) with chocolate frosting. ** Cut a square about 1/3 of the length of the center section ~ then cut that on a diagonal, to make the triangle ears. If they're too short, you can cut another square & make a second layer for the ears. If necessary, stick the layers of the ears together with frosting and then crumb coat them with chocolate frosting. **
Gently pick up the "wings" (I use a long metal spatula) and set against the outer edges of the cake. Do the final chocolate frosting coat on them. ** Just move the "ears" to the top of the head; press against the head (can put a little frosting there to hold them); frost them completely with chocolate frosting.
Turn the Oreo halves frosting-side-up and stick a brown M&M on them (with a dab of chocolate frosting). Push the orange Now & Later nose into the frosting. Draw on a lipstick mouth with the pink or red gel decorator tube. Draw "eyelashes" on with a toothpick, using some chocolate frosting. *** Stick the yellow Now & Later "feet" into the bottom side of the cake and mold the "toes" around the Kit Kat twigs.
1 Jiffy small-sized cake mix or cupcake mix (with ingredients called for)
1 can chocolate frosting .................................... 1 can strawberry or cherry frosting
2 Oreo cookies .................................................. 2 brown m&ms
1 orange Now & Later candy .............................2 yellow Now & Later candies
(or any taffy-type candy, that can be gently molded)
1 Twix bar, cut in half .......................................small tube pink gel decorator icing
Bake the cake per instructions, in 2 8" or 9" pans. Make the smaller cake mix in an 8" round pan (it's ok if it isn't as tall as the others). Cool cakes on rack.
Meanwhile, spread a bit of either frosting in a circle in the center of your cake plate or cardboard (so the cake won't slide). While the cakes are cooling, mold the orange Now & Later into an elongated triangle shape. Flatten the 2 yellow Now & Laters and cut half-way up each one (to make 3 toes); mold them with your fingers so they're slightly rounded. *** Carefully cut the 2 Oreo cookies in half, so that all of the frosting is on one side (Cook's treat: you can eat the "naked" chocolate side).
If necessary, take a long, serrated bread knife to slice across the top of the cake pans, so the cakes are even (another Cook's treat: eat any scraps you cut off!) *** Turn one layer upside-down over the frosting spread on your cake board. **** (This is where I put cut strips of waxed paper, under all the edges of the cake, so the frosting doesn't get on the board/plate) ***
Frost the bottom-side-up layer with whichever frosting you like and put the other layer on top. *** Do a VERY THIN layer of frosting (the cake should show through) over the sides and top of the cake ~ This is a "crumb coat", so any crumbs won't creep out and show on the finished cake. Let it harden about 5-10 minutes. *** Finish frosting the sides and top of the cake with PINK frosting. ***
With a long serrated knife, cut the extra 8" cake into 3 pieces ~ with the center piece being a little bit wider than the sides. *** Crumb coat the sides (wings) with chocolate frosting. ** Cut a square about 1/3 of the length of the center section ~ then cut that on a diagonal, to make the triangle ears. If they're too short, you can cut another square & make a second layer for the ears. If necessary, stick the layers of the ears together with frosting and then crumb coat them with chocolate frosting. **
Gently pick up the "wings" (I use a long metal spatula) and set against the outer edges of the cake. Do the final chocolate frosting coat on them. ** Just move the "ears" to the top of the head; press against the head (can put a little frosting there to hold them); frost them completely with chocolate frosting.
Turn the Oreo halves frosting-side-up and stick a brown M&M on them (with a dab of chocolate frosting). Push the orange Now & Later nose into the frosting. Draw on a lipstick mouth with the pink or red gel decorator tube. Draw "eyelashes" on with a toothpick, using some chocolate frosting. *** Stick the yellow Now & Later "feet" into the bottom side of the cake and mold the "toes" around the Kit Kat twigs.
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