SEVEN-LAYER DIP CAKE

Seven-Layer Dip Cake image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 1h45m

Yield 10 to 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 16- to 18-ounce box yellow cake mix (plus required ingredients)
1 3.4-ounce box instant vanilla pudding (plus required ingredients)
1 to 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 pounds strawberries
2 cups coconut flakes
Yellow, green, black and red food coloring
1 cup yellow candy melts
1/4 cup orange candy melts
8 maraschino cherries
1 1/2 cups whipped cream
1 16-ounce tub vanilla frosting

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Prepare the cake mix as directed; divide between the pans and bake as directed. Let cool on a rack.
For the refried beans, make the pudding as the label directs; fold in the cocoa powder until combined. Transfer to a large resealable plastic bag and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the salsa, hull the strawberries and finely chop. Mash with a fork until juicy; set aside.
For the lettuce, combine the coconut, 2 drops yellow food coloring, 1 drop green food coloring and 2 teaspoons water in a resealable plastic bag; shake and massage to distribute the color.
For the cheese, melt the yellow and orange candy melts together in the microwave, stirring, until smooth. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a resealable plastic bag and snip a small corner. Make lines back and forth on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets; let set.
For the olives, thinly slice the cherries; combine with 3 to 4 drops black food coloring in a resealable plastic bag and shake to distribute the color. Transfer to a paper towel?lined plate; blot dry.
Stack the cakes and trim with a paring knife so that they are about 1 1/2 inches smaller in diameter than your serving bowl. Transfer 1 cake to the bowl.
Pipe the pudding around the cake and up against the glass bowl; stop when the pudding is about three-quarters of the way up the side of the cake.
For the sour cream, put the whipped cream in a resealable plastic bag. Pipe on top of the pudding and cake. Place the second cake on top.
For the guacamole, tint the frosting with yellow and green food coloring, plus a few drops of red. Transfer to another resealable plastic bag; pipe around the second cake layer.
Strain the strawberries through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to remove as much liquid as possible. Spoon the strawberry pulp on top of the cake and frosting.
Sprinkle the coconut on top of the strawberry layer. Break the candy melt strands into small pieces; sprinkle on top of the coconut. Top with the maraschino cherries.