Tropical Time Birthday Cake

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Orange Candy Melts Candy (4 oz.)
• Yellow Candy Melts Candy (4 oz.)
• Red Candy Melts Candy (4 oz.)
• White Candy Melts Candy (4 oz.)
• Bright Pink Candy Melts Candy (4 oz.)
• Vibrant Green Candy Melts Candy (4 oz.)
• Dark Green Candy Melts Candy (4 oz.)
• Black Candy Melts Candy (2 oz.)
• Favorite cake mix or recipe
• Creamy White Decorator Icing - 4 lb. Tub
• Teal Icing Color*
• Kelly Green Icing Color*
• Orange Icing Color*
• Lemon Yellow Icing Color*
• Pink Icing Color
• Metallic Cake Paint Set (gold paint used)
• Tropical Printable PDF Template (link to pattern online)
• Tape
• Cake Boards (2 needed)
• Waxed paper
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Disposable Decorating Bags
• 8 x 3 in. Round Pan
• Cooling Grid
• Cake Turntable
• 13 in. Angled Spatula
• Icing Smoother
• 4 in. Lollipop Sticks
• 5-Piece Decorating Brush Set

DIRECTIONS:

To print the patterns, click on the "Download Project PDF" button (above).

1. Melt candy. Print Tropical template; tape to cake board. Tape waxed paper over template.
2. Melt candy, separately, according to package directions. Prepare three decorating bags, separately, 1 oz. melted Orange, Yellow and Red candy. Add melted white candy to each bag, about 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired shades of light orange, light yellow and light red are achieved. Set aside.
3. Prepare eight decorating bags, separately, with melted Pink, Vibrant Green, Dark Green, Yellow, White, Red, Orange and Black Candy Melts candy.
4. Make candy icons. Cut 1/4 in. off tip of each bag. Following template, make 3 to 4 of each icon using the following color combinations:
5. Flamingo - Pink candy
6. Leaves - Vibrant and Dark Green candy
7. Pineapple - Yellow and Dark Green candy
8. Watermelon - Dark Green, White and Light Red candy
9. Strawberry - Red and Dark Green candy
10. Orange - Orange (peel) and Light Orange candy
11. Lemon - Yellow (peel) and Light Yellow candy
12. Using Yellow candy, pipe lattice on pineapples. Using Black candy, pipe seeds on strawberries and watermelons and eyes on flamingos. Using White and Black candy, pipe beaks on flamingos.
13. Reserve remaining melted white candy.
14. Chill all candy pieces until set, about 10 to 15 minutes.
15. Make candy name. On waxed paper-covered cake board, pipe desired name using melted White candy. Helpful Hint: Use a computer to create a template for piping your name. Name template should measure about 8 in. wide and 4 in. tall. Chill until set, about 15 to 20 minutes. If needed, pipe thin amount of white candy on back of name for added support.
16. Bake cake. Prepare cake batter following recipe instructions. Bake and cool two cake layers. Trim both layers to 2 1/2 in. tall; fill and stack layers for 5 in. high cake.
17. Using white icing, lightly crumb coat cake.
18. Tint icing. Tint 1 cup icing each light teal and light orange and 1 1/2 cups icing light pink using color combinations provided. Using Lemon Yellow icing color, tint 1 cup icing light yellow.
19. Prepare four decorating bags separately with light teal, light yellow, light orange and pink icing. Cut 1/4 in. off tip of each bag.
20. Place cake on turntable. Starting at bottom with light teal icing, pipe icing around bottom of cake. Continue with light yellow, light orange and light pink, using remainder of light pink icing to ice top of cake. Using icing smoother, smooth icing.
21. Decorate cake. Using decorating brush and gold cake paint, paint name gold. Repeat for a total of two coats.
22. Using remaining melted white candy (re-melt if necessary), attach lollipop sticks to back of name. Insert into top of cake.
23. Carefully remove icons from waxed paper; place on sides of cake.