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31 Incredible Birthday Cake Designs

Step-by-step recipes, designs and color pics of the easiest (and cutest) birthday cakes for boys and girls

Ingredients:

• 1 (13 by 9-inch) cake
• 1 can (16 oz) vanilla frosting
• Red food coloring
• Purple food coloring*
• 11 to 12 multicolored jelly-fruit slices
• 7 yellow Runts
• 1 large bag M&M's
• 1 tube brown decorating icing

What you'll need:

• A serving platter
• A bread knife
• 1 resealable sandwich-size plastic bag (Ziploc)

Trimming the cakes:

1. Place the cake on a clean work surface. Using a bread knife, trim the top to make it level. Use the template to cut out the dinosaur shape. Use 1 Tbsp of frosting to attach the tail piece of cake.

For the red and purple frosting:

1. Spoon 1 Tbsp of frosting into a small bowl and add red food coloring to tint it a dark red. Spoon the red frosting into a small resealable plastic bag.
2. Add purple food coloring to the remaining vanilla frosting to tint it a light purple.

Frosting the cake:

1. Place the cake on a serving platter. Spread the top and sides of the cake with the purple frosting and make smooth.
2. Snip a very small corner from the bag with the red frosting. Pipe a mouth with the red frosting.

For the candy decoration:

1. Cut 4 of the jelly-fruit slices (one of each color) in half crosswise. Attach the whole and halved fruit slices along the dinosaur's spine for its dorsal plates (see photo).
2. Press the yellow Runts into the top of the head and tail for its spikes.
3. Press the M&M's (red, orange, yellow, and green) all over the top of the cake for the dinosaur's spots. Insert 3 green M&M's, thin side up, as toenails on each foot. Use one brown M&M for the eye.
4. Pipe an eyebrow and a nostril with the brown decorating icing.

Cake Anatomy:

Cake Cutout: