HOPPY FROG CAKE

Hoppy Frog Cake image

KIDS will jump at the chance to sample the cute confection here! It's a real catch as a dessert for the frog-themed birthday party. To shape this web-footed fellow, our kitchen staff prepared a yummy round yellow cake for a body and then added whole cupcakes for eyes and a halved one for feet. The legs required no baking at all-they're Twinkies snack cakes! Tinted frosting, a licorice mouth and chocolate-candy pupils finished the colorful critter. Want to create your own? Just follow the recipe.

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 55m

Yield 12-15 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 individual cream-filled sponge cakes
FROSTING:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 milk chocolate M&M's
Green paste or gel food coloring
Shoestring red licorice

Steps:

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Fill 12 greased muffin cups two-thirds full. Pour the remaining batter into a greased 9-in. round baking pan., Bake cupcakes at 350° for 20-25 minutes and cake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cupcakes for 5 minutes and cake for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire rack to cool completely., To assemble, place the 9-in. cake in the center of a 15x13-in. covered board. Place two cupcakes above the cake for eyes. Arrange sponge cakes below the cake for legs. For feet, cut one cupcake in half using a zigzag cut. Place each half with a rounded edge touching a sponge cake. (Save remaining cupcakes for another use.), For frosting, in a small saucepan, whisk flour and milk until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool. In a small bowl, cream the butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla. Beat in milk mixture until smooth, about 4 minutes., Use 1/3 cup white frosting to frost the bottom two-thirds of eyes; add M&M's for pupils. Tint remaining frosting light green; spread over eyelids and over the top and sides of the rest of frog. Arrange one long licorice piece for the mouth. Place two 1-in. licorice pieces at the ends of the mouth.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 446 calories, Fat 25g fat (12g saturated fat), Cholesterol 89mg cholesterol, Sodium 324mg sodium, Carbohydrate 52g carbohydrate (35g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 5g protein.