Penguin Cake-Yums!

Penguin Birthday Cake Design

How to make a penguin birthday cake with chocolate frosting and circus peanuts

By Karen Tack, Parenting.com

 

Ingredients:

• 2 cakes baked in 1-quart Pyrex bowls
• 2 cakes baked in (12 oz) ovenproof glass bowls
• 1 can (16 oz) dark chocolate frosting
• Black food coloring
• ½ cup vanilla frosting
• 1 thin chocolate cookie (Famous Chocolate Wafer)
• 3 orange circus peanuts
• 2 white Jelly Belly Mint Cremes*
• 2 black round candies or brown M&M's
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

What you'll need:

• A serving platter
• A chopstick or wooden dowel
• A resealable sandwich-size plastic bag (Ziploc)

Trimming the cakes:

1. Trim the top side of all of the bowl cakes to make level.
2. Trim ½ inch from the curved bottom of one (1-quart) cake and place it wide side up on a serving platter. Spread the top of the cake with some of the chocolate frosting. Place the other quart cake on top, flat side down to make a ball.
3. Repeat the trimming and assembling process with the 2 (12-oz) bowl cakes.
4. Spread some frosting on the top of the larger ball and place the smaller ball cake on top as the head. Insert a chopstick or wooden dowel in the center to help balance the cakes (see template).

Frosting the cake:

1. Tint the dark chocolate frosting black with the black food coloring. Spread the black frosting over the cake to cover and make smooth.
2. Spoon 1 Tbsp of the vanilla frosting in a resealable plastic bag. Spread the remaining vanilla frosting on the front of the larger round cake for the penguin's chest and make smooth.

To complete the decoration:

1. Cut the chocolate cookie in half with a serrated knife. Press the cookie pieces on either side of the cake for the penguin's wings.
2. Snip a small corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting. Pipe dots of frosting on the penguin's face and attach the Jelly Belly Mint Cremes for the penguin's eyes.
3. Pipe a small amount of frosting onto the Mint Cremes and attach the black round candies (or brown M&M's) for the penguin's pupils.  Dot a small amount of vanilla frosting onto the black round candies for the sparkle in the penguin's eyes.
4. Trim 2 triangular notches into 2 of the circus peanuts with a small knife, as pictured, for the penguin's feet. Attach the feet to the bottom of the penguin's body.
5. Cut one end of the remaining circus peanut into a triangle for the penguin's beak.  Make a small slit perpendicular to the penguin's body in the center of the beak, as pictured.  Place the mouth in the center of the penguin's face.
6. Sprinkle the base of the cake with coconut.

*Jelly Belly Mint Cremes can be purchased Jelly Belly's website.

Cake Anatomy:

Source