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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 (8-inch) round cake
• 1 (8-inch) square cake
• 1 ½ cans (3 cups) vanilla frosting
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 bags gumdrops
• ¼ cup red decorating sugar
• Green food coloring
• 1 strand black licorice lace
• 1 tube black decorating icing
• 2 Junior Mints
• 2 large marshmallows
• 3 spearmint "leaves" (leaf-shaped gummy candy)

What you'll need:

• A bread knife
• A large serving platter
• A rolling pin or a heavy bottle
• Kitchen shears or scissors

Trimming the cakes:

1. Place the cakes on a clean work surface. Using a bread knife, cut cakes as shown in the template.
2. Arrange the pieces on a serving platter or tray to make the dragon's head. Secure the cake pieces together with some vanilla frosting.

For the gumdrop decorations:

1. Lightly sugar your work surface.
2. Press the green, yellow, and white gumdrops into the sugar and flatten to make 1 ½-inch circles; set aside.
3. Sugar your work surface again.
4. Press 4 to 5 of the orange gumdrops together. Using your rolling pin or a heavy bottle, roll out to make a 2 by 4-inch strip. Cut out a flame shape as pictured with kitchen shears or clean scissors. Repeat with more orange gumdrops and red gumdrops until you have 4 to 5 flames of each color.
5. Clear your work surface. Spread the red decorating sugar onto your work surface.
6. Press 3 red gumdrops together and roll out onto the red sugared surface. Cut out an oval shape for the dragon's eye, as pictured. Repeat to make the other eye.

Frosting the cake:

1. Tint the remaining vanilla frosting green with the green food coloring.
2. Spread the top and sides of the cake with the frosting and make smooth.

For the candy decoration:

1. Add the eyes and scales on the top and sides of the cake, as pictured.
2. Cut the black licorice into 2-inch pieces and use as eyelashes.
3. Using the black decorating icing, pipe thin black ovals on the red eyes for the pupils. Add the Junior Mints for the nostrils.
4. Arrange the orange and red flames at the mouth area of the cake.
5. Cut the marshmallows in half on the diagonal to make the teeth. Press the cut marshmallows above the flames as the teeth.
6. Add the spearmint leaves to the top center of cake, as pictured.

Cake Anatomy:

Cake Cutout: