Best Birthday Bug Cake Recipes

LADYBUG CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Generously grease 2-quart round heatproof bowl with shortening; lightly flour. Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs or egg whites. Pour batter into bowl.
• Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around side of bowl to loosen cake; remove from bowl to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• On serving plate, place cake, rounded side up, trimming bottom if needed. In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup of the frosting and the black food color until blended. Mix remaining frosting and red food color until blended. Spread red frosting on two-thirds of cake; sprinkle with red sugar.
• Spread black frosting on remaining one-third of cake for head. Place remaining black frosting in decorating bag fitted with small round tip. Pipe wings and dots on sugared portion of cake.
• Add marshmallow pieces for eyes; pipe pupils with black frosting. Pipe red frosting for mouth. Insert licorice pieces into cake for antennae. Store loosely covered.

LADYBUG CAKE AND CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottoms and sides of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with shortening or cooking spray. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• Make cake mixes as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs. Divide half of the batter between cake pans. Divide remaining batter evenly among muffin cups, filling about two-thirds full. Bake as directed on box for 8-inch rounds and cupcakes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Reserve 5 cupcakes; save remaining cupcakes for later use. For easier handling, refrigerate or freeze cake 30 minutes to 1 hour or until firm.
• On serving plate or foil-covered tray, place 1 cake layer, rounded side down. Remove paper liners from 3 of the reserved cupcakes; position cupcakes against front of cake, slightly angled, for ladybug's head. Spread thin layer of chocolate frosting over bottom cake layer and cupcakes to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• In another medium bowl, mix vanilla frosting and red food color. Spread second cake layer with red frosting. Cut second layer in half crosswise; frost rounded top and cut sides. Refrigerate or freeze 30 minutes to 1 hour. Frost bottom cake layer and 3 cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Position red cake halves, rounded side up and slightly angled, on bottom layer to look like ladybug's wings. Place peppermint patties on red cake for spots.
• Cut marshmallow crosswise in half; push 1 blue candy into each. Attach marshmallows to ladybug's head for eyes. Insert licorice twist pieces for antennae.
• For baby ladybugs, cut off and reserve rounded tops of remaining 2 cupcakes. Spread flat cupcake tops with chocolate frosting. Spread cutoff tops with red frosting; cut each crosswise in half. Position red halves, rounded side up and slightly angled, on cupcakes to look like wings. Add brown candies to wings for spots. Flatten gumdrops; attach 1 gumdrop to front of each cupcake for head. Use frosting to attach blue miniature candies for eyes. Insert string licorice for antennae.

VANILLA BACKYARD BUGS AND/OR SWEET RIDES CAKELETS

Steps:

• Have all ingredients at room temperature. Position rack in the lower third of oven and preheat to 350F for Sweet Rides car cakelet pan, or preheat to 375F for Backyard Bugs cakelet pan. Brush pan with unsalted vegetable shortening and lightly flour; tap out excess flour ~ or brush with vegetable shortening AND then spray with baking spray that contains flour!
• Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of electric mixer.
• In a separate bowl whisk together the melted butter, sour cream, eggs and vanilla until combined.
• Pour butter mixture into flour mixture and beat with electric mixer on the loweest speed until the dry ingredients are moistened (15-20 seconds). Scrap down the sides of the bowl, increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds.
• Spoon HALF THE BATTER into the prepared pans, dividing evenly and filling each well to within 1/2 inch of the rim ~ DO NOT OVERFILL! Tap the pan firmly on the counter top to release any air bubbles.
• To ensure good detail on the cakes, spread the batter so it is slightly lower in the center of the wells.
• For the Backyard Bugs cakelet pan, bake in a preheated oven at 375F for about 18 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes then invert pan onto rack and cool at least an hour before decorating. REPEAT with remaining batter if you only have the Backyard Bugs pan ~ one recipe makes 16 cakelets!
• For the Sweet Rides cakelet pan, bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes then invert pan onto rack and cool at least an hour before decorating. REPEAT with remaining batter if you only have the Sweet Rides pan ~ one recipe makes 16 cakelets!
• OPTIONAL GLAZE: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and sugar and heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Using a pastry brush, brush cooled cakes with the glaze ~
• DECORATIONS: Be creative and use piped frosting on cakelet edge details, dust with powdered sugar, or sprinkle cakes with colored sugar and/or non-perils while glaze is wet.