Directions for a Flip Flop Birthday Cake

Turn an ordinary cake into a decorative birthday party centerpiece.

Creative cakes can become a much-talked about centerpiece at a birthday party and flip flop cakes fit in nicely with a beach, luau or any other summertime theme. They are relatively simple to make, so even a novice baker can create a birthday party dessert decoration with just a few easy-to-follow steps.

Things You'll Need

• Cake mix
• 10-by-12 inch rectangular baking pan
• Wax paper
• Knife
• Fondant in two colors
• Rectangular cake tray
• Sewing tape measure
• Yellow and red food coloring
• 6 wooden skewers
• Large petal flower cutter
• Fondant ball tool

Instructions

1. Prepare a store-bought cake mix and pour the batter into a 10-inch by 12-inch rectangular baking pan. Bake according to the instructions on the box and allow the cake to cool at room temperature.

2. Place a sheet of wax or parchment paper on top of the cake and trace out the shape of two large flip flops. Remove the wax paper from the cake and cut out the templates. Place the templates onto the cake and cut around them with a sharp serrated knife to make the flip flops. Put the flip flop cakes onto a rectangular plastic cake tray.

3. Roll out two sheets of fondant into a large rectangle that is approximately one-eighth inch thick. For a girl's party you can use pink and yellow fondant, and for a boy's party you can use blue and green fondant.

4. Measure the height and circumference of both cakes with a sewing tape measure and cut out two strips of one of the fondant colors according to these measurements.

5. Pour one whole can of store bought icing into a bowl and mix in red and yellow food coloring to make orange icing. Spread the icing on the top of both of the flip flops and insert three wooden skewers into the spots for the toe straps on each cake. Place one skewer near the top and slightly to the left on one cake and another near the top and slightly to the right on the other. Place the remaining skewers halfway down the cake and near the outer edges.

6. Wrap the fondant around each of the flip flops and then gently mist the fondant and smooth it out around the cakes.

7. Cut out two more strips from the same fondant color used for the flip flop. The strips should measure approximately six inches long by one inch wide. Pinch together the two strips at one end and attach to the skewer on the cake. Put some crumpled up wax or parchment paper on the flip flop and lay the strips on top of the paper and run them to the other skewers on the cake to make the flip flop straps. Repeat this process to make the straps for the other flip flop cake.

8. Cut out two flowers from the alternate color fondant using a large petal flower cutter and mold them into shape with a fondant ball tool. To do this, push down in the center of the flower with the ball tool and use your fingers to lift and mold the flower petals.

9. Apply a teaspoonful of icing to just above the top skewer on one of the flip flops and apply the fondant flower. Repeat this step to apply a flower to the other flip flop cake.

10. Decorate the plastic cake tray that the flip flop cakes are sitting on with additional flowers in the two alternating fondant colors.

References

• Top Party Ideas: Step-By-Step Hawaiian Flip Flop Cake