Recipes page at Cooking with Jule

Dinosaur Cake

Ø       Cake mixes ( choice of cake flavor )  ( # dep. On size of cake)

Ø       Icing ( with  softened butter and/or cream cheese to add to pre-made kinds )

Ø       10 X sugar

Ø       Filling ( flavor choice of canned varieties ) Or thin layer of icing in middle
   ( which is what I did )

Ø       Food coloring ( black, red, green, brown is needed )

Ø       Good and Plenty candy (white ones for teeth, two red for nostrils ) Black Licorice Hat candy ( for eye )

Ø       Large Parchment paper for tracing, or oak tag cut out pattern/shape of cake

Ø       Fork or cake comb for pulling lines across cake

Bake cake in sheet pans ( size – as large as possible )  making two layers for equal size. (Spray pan really well for easy removal later.)  Cool, cover ( but let some air in ) and refrigerate.

Make a large quantity of white/cream colored icing. ( I made this cake from carrot cake mixes and purchased pre-made cream cheese icing, to which I added bulk and flavor by adding softened cream cheese, 10X sugar and powdered ginger spice, and a tad of lemon juice  ) 

Separate icing into smaller bowls, to color according to need.  Mostly brown and green with less quantity of red. ( you may have to go to the Party Box on rte. 17 S. in Lodi to get the earthy-toned food colorings.  You do not want to use the pastel colors bought in supermarkets.  Black can be used to darken any pastels if that is all you can get.)

Choose one pan to be the base of the cake.  Spread filling over this layer.  Transfer second layer directly on top of base layer.  Lay your pattern over the top of the layers.  Take a very sharp knife and cut around your pattern.  It is best to have a full picture of the dinosaurs head or what have you in front of you at all times, esp. when icing and decorating.  Remove all extra cake and clean pan around cake with paper towels.

It is best to ice the cake when the layers are cold (prevents crumbling on cut edges) so, place the cake in the fridge for a while. Icing should be room temp.

Decorating.  Use a metal spatula and regular dinner knife.  When icing the cut edges.  It is best to glob on extra and smooth it over gently, as you do not want to spread crumbs onto the outside of the icing/cake, ruining the look!   Put on the all over base color first (brown) Draw lines over the brown before putting on green-- leave space for the red tongue.  Highlight with the moss green icing.

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