Musical Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease or spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan. Bake as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For easier handling, refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes or until firm.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix chocolate frosting and black food color to make black frosting. In small bowl, mix 1/3 cup of the vanilla frosting and black food color to make gray frosting. Place gray frosting and 2/3 cup white vanilla frosting in separate resealable plastic freezer bags; seal bags. Cut small corner off each bag. In another medium bowl, mix remaining vanilla frosting and desired food color to make guitar color.
• Using serrated knife, cut rounded top off cake to level surface; place cake cut side down on work surface. Cut cake as shown in template (template can be found under the Tips below). Place cake pieces on tray as directed in template, attaching to tray with small amount of frosting.
• Spread thin layer of guitar frosting over top and sides of guitar body to seal in crumbs. Spread thin layer of black frosting over top and sides of guitar neck and headstock. Refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes to set frosting.
• Frost entire cake with same colors. If desired, place remaining black frosting in resealable plastic freezer bag and cut small corner off bag to pipe frosting. To extend guitar neck 1 to 2 inches onto body of guitar, pipe and fill in neck with black frosting. With white vanilla frosting, pipe and fill in contrasting design on body of guitar. On white design, pipe black rectangle about 1 inch from end of neck to create pickup. With gray frosting, pipe on frets, bridge and any additional accents as desired. For strings, add black licorice. Add small fruit candies at ends of strings. For tuning pegs, add gumdrops. For buttons on body, add tropical fruit candies. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease or spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan.
• Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate or freeze cake about 1 hour or until firm.
• Using serrated knife, cut rounded top off cake to level surface; place cake cut side down. Cut 9x2-inch strip of cake as shown in diagram for guitar neck. Cut body of guitar from remaining cake. Place pieces on tray.
• Place 1/2 cup frosting in small bowl. Stir in 4 to 6 drops green food color. Into remaining vanilla frosting, stir 6 drops yellow food color. Attach guitar neck to body with small amount of frosting. Frost guitar neck with a thin layer of green frosting and frost top and sides of guitar body with a thin layer of yellow frosting to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes to set frosting. Frost entire cake with same colors.
• Press 3 gumdrops on each side of neck for tuning pegs. On neck, draw crosswise lines with decorating gel, 1 inch apart, for frets. Place wafer cookie on center of body. Place tart and tangy candies around wafer cookie. Place stick of gum 1 inch under wafer cookie. Place licorice on neck for strings. Press remaining gumdrops into frosting below gum stick. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Make cake as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For easier handling, refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes or until firm.
• Use serrated knife to cut cake as shown in diagram (for piano bench, cut 4 1/2x1 1/2-inch piece; cut horizontally in half to make bench lower than piano, if desired). Place cake on tray. Place about 2 tablespoons frosting in small resealable food-storage plastic bag. Frost cake with thin layer of frosting to set crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze 30 to 60 minutes to set frosting. Frost entire cake.
• Cut 1 bar white chocolate into 1 3/4x1/2-inch strips. From remaining bar, cut 2 1/2x1 1/2-inch piece for music. Cut milk chocolate into 1x3/8-inch pieces. Place white and milk chocolate pieces on cake for piano keys. Cut off tiny corner of bag with frosting; pipe frosting notes on white chocolate "music." Place above keys. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for 24 cupcakes. Cool in pans 15 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
• Frost cupcakes with COOL WHIP. Top each with 2 cookies for the music notes.
• Pour chocolate into resealable plastic bag. Cut off 1 small corner from bottom of bag. Squeeze chocolate from bag to add stems of music notes. Keep refrigerated.

Steps:

• To prepare the cakes: Place 9-inch cake layer in center of cake board. Cut 8-inch cake layer as shown below and assemble. Fasten cakes together with frosting. Brush loose crumbs from surface of cake with a soft pastry brush. Smoothly frost top and sides with remaining frosting.To decorate cake: Press candy-coated chocolate candies on side of cake. Make design of musical clef with malted milk balls on top.