Swimming Pool Cake

Since it's a holiday...I'm going with a 'pool party' theme here today and featuring the cake we served  for my granddaughter Lucy's third birthday.  Having your own 'special' cake is always fun for the kiddos!  I'll leave you with a basic outline of the procedure but feel free to 'dip into your imagination' and come up with your own version of a pool cake.

• 1 chocolate cake (mix prepared as directed on package)
• 2 boxes blue Jello
• Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting (recipe to follow or use your favorite)
• Lifesaver Gummies
• Gummy bears
• KitKats
• red licorice sticks
• jawbreakers

1. Prepare cake batter according to package directions. Pour into two 9" round prepared pans (greased and/or lined with parchment). Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
2. Place one layer on cake plate.  Frost top with about 2/3 cup of the prepared frosting. 
3. Remove center area of second cake layer by cutting a 5" circle to form the swimming pool area. (This needs to be to cut at least 3/4 of an inch deep...I cut out entire round of top layer.) Place on top of frosted cake layer.
4. Next cover the entire cake with prepared frosting, including sides of pool.  
5. Create the 'fence' around the pool by arranging Kitkat pieces or biscuits sticks around the edge of the cake...leaving a 2 inch gap to make room for the ladder.  
6. Chill cake for 1 to 2 hours for frosting to set. 
7. Prepare blue jello as directed on jello package. Chill jello until almost set...then pour into the pool area of the cake to create the water. 
8. Next you can add the pool items...licorice ladder (held together with toothpicks), gummy life savers placed on the jello as 'floaties'...teddy bears around the pool and in the water...'beach balls'...umbrellas, etc.  Use your imagination.

  Serves 12-16
 
 Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

• 1 1/4 cups butter, softened at room temperature (not in microwave)
• 5 cups confectioners (icing) sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
•  dash of salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, cream butter until fluffy.
2. Combine icing sugar and cocoa (sifted). Alternately beat in sugar/cocoa mixture and cream...making several additions. 
3. Beat in vanilla and salt.

*If the frosting needs to be stiffer, add a little more sugar. If it is too thick, add additional cream, 1 tablespoon at a time.

I really should have baked a white cake and gone with the red, white and blue theme.  But we have the red and blue, and if you look really hard you might find a bit of white as well.  Happy July 4th to all of our American friends from all of us at Mennonite Girls Can Cook!