1 box cake mix (white)*
1 box brownie mix
6 plain flat cookies (3-1/2 inches to 4 inches in diameter)
2 cans ready to spread vanilla frosting (16 ounces each)
Red and yellow food coloring (paste is best, look for no taste red paste.. trust me)
20 or more spearmint-jelly-candy leaves
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 can ready to spread milk chocolate frosting (16 ounces)
 

• 1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease an 8-inch layer cake pan and one 2-1/2 to 3 quart metal or ovenproof glass mixing bowl with a rounded bottom.  (I use a caserole dish from pyrex.)
• 2.  Prepare the box of white cake mix according to the wedding cake mix recipe.  Fill the layer cake pan 2/3 full, then place the remainder of the cake mix into the prepared bowl.  Bake pan 30 to 35 minutes and bowl around 55 to 60 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on wire racks, 15 minutes for pan, 30 minutes for bowl.  Invert cakes on rack and let cool completely.
• 3.  Prepare the box of brownie mix for a cake brownie (look at box).  Bake as directed in the 8-inch layer cake pan.  Cool for 15 minutes in pan, then invert and let cool completely.
• 4.  "Tomato Slices"   Place plain cookies on a wire rack set over wax paper.  Put about 1/2 cup vanilla frosting in a small saucepan.  Stir over low heat until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in red food coloring (and a bit of yellow if needed) until frosting is tomato colored.  Brush or spoon on top and sides of cookies.  Let stand at least 30 minutes until firm to the touch.
• 5.  "Cheese"  Spoon another 1/2 cup of vanilla frosting into a small bowl.  Stir in yellow food coloring until cheese colored.  Cover to prevent drying.
• 6.  "Lettuce"  Sprinkle granulated sugar on work surface.  Working with 1 at a time, place spearmint leaves on the sugar and roll with a rolling pin until flattened and edges are jagged.
• 7.  Put remaining vanilla frosting in a medium-sized bowl.  Stir in milk chocolate frosting and red and yellow food coloring, little by little, until frosting is the color of a hamburger bun.  Place one cake layer on a serving plate.  Cover with frosting.  Arrange spearment-leaf "lettuce" on top and around edges.
• 8.  Place brownie cake onto the top of the bottom "hamburger bun" using spatulas.  Spoon "cheese" about 1 inch from edge of top of burger, letting some run down the sides.  Top with "tomato" slices.
• 9.  Trim "hump" (where cake has risen) off of bowl cake.  Place cake trimmed side down on wax paper and frost with remaining bun colored frosting.  Lift onto tomato-topped burger.

*You can substitute pound cake mix for the white cake.  You can also icing the sides of the brownie cake with dark chocolate icing and roll in crusted cookies or chocolate chips.  The idea is to have a heaver density cake mix to support all the layers of the hamburger.
 

Wedding Cake Mix Recipe (White)
1 package white cake mix
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1-1/3 cups water**
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 egg whites**

Beat all ingredients in a large bowl on low speed, scraping sides of bowl constantly, until moistened. (Batter will be thick.)  Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl frequently (batter will be slightly lumpy).  Pour into your pans.

** 3 whole eggs can be substituted for the 3 egg whites, decrease water to 1-1/4 cups.

Over the Hill Cake
 

Shamrock Cake
 

Sassy Tomato Cake

2 boxes pound cake mix (16 ounce)
2 cans ready to spread vanilla frosting (16 ounces each)
Yellow, red and orange paste food color ( paste is best, look for no taste red coloring.. trust me)
For decorations:  Candy icing recipe
 

• 1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 6-cup bundt pan and one 6-ounce custard cup (or cupcake).
• 2.  Prepare 1 box cake mix as directed on package.  Pour 1/2 cup of the batter into the custard cup.  Pour remaining batter into bundt pan.  Bake custard cup 20 minutes and bundt pan 45 minutes, or until pick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean.
• 3.  Cool pans on rack, custard cup for 5 minutes, bundt pan 15 minutses.  Invert cakes on rack and cool completely.
• 4.  Wash, grease and flour bundt pan.  Prepare second box cake mix.  Bake and cool as above.
• 5.  Trim bottoms of cakes with a serrated knife until flat.  Place one bundt cake flat -side up on serving plate.  Tuck stripes of wax paper under edges of cake to keep plate clean while frosting.  Place other cake flat-side down on first cake, lining up ridges.  (I sometimes icing inbetween these two layers.)
• 6.  Frosting:  For "hat":  Mix 1/2 cup vanilla frosting with yellow food color.  For "tomato" scrape remaining frosting into a large bowl and stir in orange and red food coloring until frosting is tomato red (color will darken on standing).  With a small spatula, spread the tomato-colored frosting on cake from bottom to top using vertical strokes.  Spread yellow frosting on sides and top of head.
• 7.  For decorations.  Make candy icing and shape into eyeglasses, smile and leaves.  Let candy icing harden.  Place on cake before serving.
• 8.  To serve.  First cut wedges from top cake, then from bottom cake.

Candy icing recipe

3 level Tablespoons Meringue Powder (Wilton's - found in any cake supply store)
4 cups confectioners sugar (approx 1 pound)
6 Tablespoons water (When using large counter top mixer or for stiffer icing, use 1 Tablespoon less water)

Beat all ingredients at low speed for 7 - 10 minutes (10 - 12 minutes at high speed with a portable mixer)  until icing forms peaks.

YIELD:  3 cups
 

Whale Cake

2 boxes pound cake mix (16 ounces each)
2 cans ready to spread vanilla frosting (16 ounces each)
Blue liquid or paste food coloring (paste works best)
5 large marshmallows
3 or 4 strands of fusilli pasta  (or long thin birthday candles)
2 starlight mint candies (may chose to just icing here, especially if cake is for small children)
2 red M&M candies (also may wish to just use icing here)
 

• 1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan and one 8 inch square pan.  Prepare double batch cake batter as directed on package using both packages of cake mix.  Divide batter between the pans.  Bake loaf pan 1 hour and 5 minutes, squre pan 50 minutes or until pick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean.  Cool in pans on rack 15 minutes before inverting cakes on wire racks to cool completely.
• 2.  Stand loaf cake on one side with top of cake facing you.  With serrated knife, cut cake diagonally starting about 3-1/2 inches from top right side.
• 3.  Trim square cake to 7 inches.  Cut in half diagonally.  Place halves on top of each other, lining up edges.  Cut out a broad "V" for the tail as shown in the photo of the cake.
• 4.  Scrape frosting into a bowl.  Stir in blue food color, a little at a time, until pale blue.
• 5.  Head:  Place small wedge of loaf cake (narrow end will be at front of head) cut side down near one end of serving platter.  Cover with frosting.  Cut 1 marshmallow in half.  Stick marshmallow "teeth" into frosting, starting at narrow end of of cake and ending with half a marshmallow.  Frost cut side of other half of loaf cake.  Gently place on teeth.  Cover cake with frosting.  Stick fusilli "sprouts" into head.  Glue M&M "pupils" on mints with dot of frosting.  Press into place.
• 6.  Tail:  Frost both pieces together.  Place in position next to head.  Cover with frosting.

The sailing ships I made out of egg shaped cupcakes.  I used a triangle piece of a fruit roll up attached to a small stick pretzel as the sails.  I frosted the cupcakes dark chocolate, and piped waves of blue icing around the bottom.
 
 
 

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