Want to do something different for Dad this Father's Day? Why not make him one of these cool cakes?
Shirt cakes
Batter for a two-layer cake
2 cups creamy white frosting
Paste food coloring
Writing tip & decorating bag
Small gumdrops, sliced crosswise, or candy-coated milk chocolate pieces, fruit leather for executive tie, licorice ropes, shortbread cookie for the cowboy
Directions
Pour batter into a greased and floured 13x9x2 inch baking pan and bake according to recipe directions. Cool in pan on a cooling rack. Tint frosting with desired food coloring. Reserve 1/4 cup of the frosting and tint darker for piping. Spread lighter frosting on top surface of cake in pan. Make the collar by building up and shaping the frosting.
Use writing tip, decorating bag, and reserved dark frosting to outline the collar, shoulder seam, sleeves, pocket and center placket of shirt.
Oxford: For buttons, place gumdrop slices or candy-coated milk chocolate pieces on center placket, cuffs, and collar. If desired, serve cake in a shirt box lined with tissue paper.
Executive: Prepare Father's Day shirt as above, except omit buttons and reserve and tint only 2 tablespoons of frosting a darker color; use to pipe outline on collar and shoulder seam only. Cut a tie shape from desired flavor(s) rolled fruit leather and place on cake.
Cowboy: Prepare Father's Day shirt as above, except divide and tint frosting with paste food coloring as follows: tint 3/4 cup with a dark color, 2 tablespoons with a contrasting dark color, and the remaining with a lighter complimentary color. Spread the light-tinted frosting on top of cake. Form collar with about half of the 3/4 cup dark-tinted frosting. Spread remaining dark tinted frosting in 2-inch squares atop cake, making a checkered pattern. Pipe the 2 tablespoons contrasting frosting around collar and on shirt for yoke and center placket. For western tie, place a shortbread cookie at collar front and tuck ends of two 7 inch lengths of shoestring licorice under cookie.
Skillet cake
Batter for a 2-layer cake
1 can sour cream white frosting or creamy white frosting
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 apricot halves, well drained
2 round chocolate cookies or 2 chocolate covered peppermint patties (2-1/2 inches in diameter)
8" oven-going skillet -- those with handles that can withstand oven temperatures (check the manufacturer's instructions). If you do not have an 8 inch oven-going skillet, bake the cake in an 8-inch round baking pan. Remove and cool the cake, then slip it into an ordinary 8 inch skillet and decorate.
Directions
Grease and 8 inch oven-going skillet. Pour batter into skillet and bake in a 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in skillet on wire rack.
Reserve 1/2 cup of the frosting. Combine the remaining frosting and the cinnamon; spread atop cake to the edge of the skillet.
Spread the reserved white frosting atop cake to form two "egg whites." Place apricot "yolks: in the center of "egg whites". place cookies or mint patties alongside "eggs" to resemble sausage patties.
Serves: six
Dad's cookout cake
Playing in the kitchen is fun with this easy-to-use and frugal recipe for Modeling Candy Clay to make the details of this wonderfully appealing cake. No need to keep a fire extinguisher handy, just a fork will do the trick!
Modeling candy
14 oz. bag of Wilton Candy Melts (sold at Michael's, Wal-Mart and other craft stores)
1/3 cup light corn syrup
Candy or icing colors (food coloring)
Directions
Melt candy as directed on the package. Stir in corn syrup and mix only until blended. Shape mixture onto a 1-inch square of waxed paper and let set at room temperature until dry. Wrap well and store at room temperature until needed. Modeling candy handles best if hardened overnight.
To use: If you wish to tint candy, add candy, icing or food coloring. Knead a small portion at a time. If it gets too soft, set aside at room temperature or refrigerate briefly. Lasts for several weeks in a well-sealed container.
Rolling out: Sprinkle surface with corn starch to prevent sticking. Thickness of rolled-out candy should be approximately 1/8-inch. HINT: Secure pieces together with dots of buttercream icing, if necessary.
Details for the cake
Grates: With thinned Royal Icing, "paint" nine pieces of "spaghetti" size rounds gray. These can be piped right onto waxed paper and dried, then handled like clay to put on top of cake.
Hamburgers and hot dogs: Flatten rounds for hamburger and rolls for hot dogs. Indent and paint marks on hot dogs. Use a cut bag to flow thinned Royal Icing cheese over hamburgers. With leftover modeling candy clay, make a 1-inch wide rim piece, the circumference of the top of the grill.
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