Things You'll Need:
- Cake
- Frosting
- Food coloring
- Spatula
- Freezer
- Pastry bags
- Pastry bag tips nos. 1, 3 and 16
- Small paint brush
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Step 1
Choose a cake mix that is your child's favorite flavor. Buy either chocolate or white frosting. You can dye the frosting a color that contrasts to the color of the character you will choose later. For example, if you are choosing Elmo, make the background yellow or blue, but not red
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Step 2
Bake the cake according to package directions. You can make it any size, but a 9- by 13-inch rectangular pan usually ensures that it will be big enough for everyone at the party to have some. If you are having a smaller party, you can make a 9-inch round cake instead.
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Step 3
After the cake has cooled, give it a light coating of frosting and put it in the freezer. After 15 minutes, check on the cake, and if the frosting has formed a light crust it is ready. This is called a "crumb coat" and will help the frosting to go on smoother afterward.
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Step 4
Frost the cake using more of the same colored frosting and smooth it out using a spatula.
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Step 5
Choose a picture of your child's favorite character like Spiderman, Elmo, Barbie or Sponge Bob. Enlarge the picture until it is the right size for the cake. If you found the picture online you can enlarge it with a word processing program. If you found it in a coloring book or on something else around the house, use a copy machine.
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Step 6
Lay the picture on the table and put a piece of wax paper on top of it. Use a piece of tape to hold them in place.
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Step 7
Trace the image using piping gel in a pastry bag with a no. 1 tip. Then turn the wax paper upside down on the cake in the center.
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Step 8
Transfer the image onto the cake by lightly pressing down on the piping gel with a small paint brush. Remove and discard the wax paper.
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Step 9
Dye some white frosting the colors that you will need to fill in the character.
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Step 10
Fill in the image using stars. Fill a pastry bag with a no.16 tip and the appropriate color of icing. Apply pressure to the bag until the icing has formed a star. Release the pressure before pulling the tip away from the cake.
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Step 11
Outline the whole character in black icing using a no. 3 tip.
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Step 12
To complete the look, you can make a border around the cake using tip no. 16.
