Easter Baking: Sunflower Peep Cake

We just made the cutest cake and for once a cake that looks really fun was very easy to decorate! I got this idea from a magazine clipping I saved from years ago, and I have no idea which one as there's just a photo that I had sitting in my dessert file or I'd tell you. I've been trying to get ER more involved in the kitchen, and this was something she could do and have fun with.

You will need:

• One cake mix, we used a yellow cake one
• All the ingredients called for on the cake mix box: eggs, oil, water etc.
• One container of chocolate frosting
• Chocolate chips
• Package of chick shaped marshmallow peeps, ours had three little boxes all sealed up as one

So as you can see this is really more of a decorating how to than a real recipe since you begin with a boxed cake but a baker I am not and if not for the good people at Betty Crocker we'd never have cake!

Begin by following the directions on the box and make the yellow cake, with the ingredients called for. Mix and bake in round pans, we used nine inch round pans and made two cakes from the one package.Take nap while cakes bake, and then eat a snack to fortify yourself for all the decorating work ahead. Be sure to dump juice all over yourself, necessitating a change of clothes before beginning any work.

Let cakes cool, stack one of top of the other and put a layer of chocolate frosting in between layers. Frost the entire cake with chocolate frosting and gather chocolate chips and peeps.Place peeps around the perimeter of the cake, forming a circle and press firmly into frosting. As you can see some of the frosting may pull away from the cake as it sticks to the peeps, don't worry about this as you'll be covering this up.This next step is the most crucial and important one there is...do not skip!

Take a break from all the "hard" work you've been doing for a peep eating break. Like I said, don't skip or your entire cake will be ruined!After reviving yourself with a much needed sugar rush, finish decorating cake by adding the chocolate chips in the center of the cake.

Voila, you are now ready for your audition at the Food Network! Your family and friends will be very impressed, heck it does look pretty good considering the master decorator is only two and a half!Enjoy with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream along with your family to celebrate the beginning of spring or in our case to celebrate my parent's wedding anniversary that was last Sunday.

This has been added to a few recipe blog parties: Tasty Tuesday at Forever Wherever, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, and Kitchen Tip Tuesday at Tammy's Recipes. It is also my Tackle it Tuesday at Five Minutes for Mom, because anytime I bake and try to make it cute it's a tackle for me!

Update March 2010, also shared at: Life as Lori's Spring and Easter Party and Strut Your Stuff Easter and Spring at Somewhat Simple.