TRIPLE CHOCOLATE FUDGE Layer CAKE
1 box Betty Crocker Triple Fudge or Dark Chocolate Fudge cake
3 eggs (per box instructions)................................1/2 cup oil (per box instructions)
1/2 cup milk...........................................................1/2 cup water
1 individual container chocolate fudge prepared pudding
1 TB. dark unsweetened cocoa powder...............1 TB. dark chocolate syrup
1 tsp. instant coffee powder
Prepare 2 8" layers per instructions on cake box ~ substituting the milk, water and pudding for water called for on box, plus adding cocoa, syrup and instant coffee.
Cool cakes on rack when done.
When cool, put bottom layer upside-down on cake board or plate. Put wide strips of waxed paper under all the edges. It's best to use a cake board (so you don't get a plate too messy), and you can put the cake board onto a silpat mat too (to catch spills). Use about 1/3 of a can of Strawberry frosting to put between the layers (I stir it with a spoon first). Put the top layer on and brush off any cake crumbs on the top and sides.
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1-2 cans Pillsbury Supreme Strawberry Frosting
1 can Creamy Vanilla Frosting
1 tube dark pink GLITTER cupcake frosting
1 tube black frosting
Sprinkles * birthday candles * Sparkling Sugar
Pink or Yellow Starburst candies (for the "belt")
Dark pink Starburst or Strawberry Whoopers (even better) for the bottom edge
Faux FONDANT
1-2 cans Pillsbury Supreme Strawberry Frosting & 1 can Creamy Vanilla frosting
Take off the lid of the frosting. Microwave for 15 seconds; stir with a spoon and microwave another 15 seconds. Stir and let it cool a few minutes, so that it's warm but not hot.
Drizzle STRAWBERRY frosting over the top of the cake in a circular motion with a spoon. Use a spoon to drizzle some down the sides of the cake and smooth it over with the back of the spoon. You just want to do a LIGHT COAT (as a base, and to set the crumbs). Let it sit at least 10 minutes (longer is better). ** If you need it melted again, just do it for 15 seconds and stir. Do a second coat the same way.
After the second coat is done, I used a small bowl of water to dip my fingers into and smooth over the frosting lightly. ** Let it harden for about 20 minutes ~ then do a third coat, but just on the sides (smoothing over with your dampened fingers).
Now, microwave the Creamy VANILLA frosting for about 15 seconds, stir with a spoon and put over the top in a circular motion (let it drip a little down the sides). I actually "smashed" some of the drips against the side of the cake with my finger (so they'd be wider and not as "drippy"). If you need more coats to the top, do another coat. ("there's too much frosting" ~ said no kid ever!) Put your sprinkles on the vanilla frosting while it's still tacky and let it all set for an hour or so.
IMPORTANT FROSTING NOTE: The faux fondant was a tip I'd heard and thought I'd try out. Truthfully, I think that just beating the frosting with a fork in the container ~ then heavily spreading it on the cake with a butter knife or off-set spatula works just as well. Then, you can smooth it out with dampened fingers. You will only need 1 or 2 applications of frosting then (let it harden between coats).
DECORATIONS:
I used the tube of glittery dark pink frosting to do the piles on top of the cake. But, then I also added a small squiggle of light lavender frosting on top of the dark pink too.
"BELT" around the cake: I smashed down light pink Starbursts and cut them in half. Stick them onto the cake a little higher than halfway down (if they won't stick well, add a dab of frosting to the back). TIP: If you bend them into a slightly rounded shape, they'll fit the side of the cake better.
BOTTOM decoration: I'd planned to put the Strawberry Whoppers all around the bottom, and they looked perfect! But, I think they were stale and didn't taste right ~ so I substituted dollops of the darker pink GLITTER frosting instead.
Now, you just need to wait until the frosting is completely hardened to squeeze on the "eyes" with some black frosting (tube). Or, you could melt some dark chocolate and create the eye shape on waxed paper; let it harden and stick those on. I used a heart-shaped candy for the mouth, stuck on with a dab of frosting. A dark pink jelly-belly would work too, or any little candy that you like.