Cake:
your favorite box cake, any flavor
yellow and green food coloring
green, orange, yellow, and pink decorator gel
white decorator frosting
decorating tip
gumdrops
silver non pareils
round cake pans

White Buttercream Icing:
16-ounce package confectioners sugar
6 tbsp butter or margarine, softened
3 to 4 tablespoon milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Note: This cake uses one round cake pan. Therefore, you can make two Easter egg cakes, or make cup akes with the remaining batter.

Prepare cake mix as directed. Pour half the prepared batter into round cake pan and bake as directed on box. Allow to cool thoroughly before frosting and decorating.

Prepare the white icing -- in a medium bowl, with mixer at medium-low speed, beat all ingredients until the icing is smooth and of easy spreading consistency. When finished, remove 3/4 cup of the frosting to a seperate bowl. Add a two drops of green food coloring to the small bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add three drops of yellow food coloring to the large bowl of white frosting, stir thoroughly.  If you prefer pinks, add a few drops of red food coloring, 3 for light pink, 6 or so for dark pink.

Prep
When cake is COMPLETELY cooled, cut a straight line, off center, down the cake so that you are removing a rectangular piece from the center of the circle. (See photo) Place rectangle at the bottom of your cake platter, position remaining half circles together to form oval. Place above the rectangle as if sitting on it.

Decorate
Using the green frosting, carefully frost the rectangle. Using the yellow frosting, completely cover the "egg". Smooht frosting with a flat cake spreader or a smooth butter knife. To decorate the cake, simply pipe designs in zig zags, swirls and lines across the cake with decorator gel and decorator frosting. Use non pareils to dot across the cake's surface. Use decorator gels and dot in alternating colors along the decorator frosting piping. Cut the ends off of gumdrops to decorate the top of the cake (see photo, above). Line gumdrops along the bottom of the green "grass".

You can decorate the egg however you please. Use a different color for the frosting if you prefer. Creativity is the key!

Shop for Cake Decorating Supplies at FabulousFoods.com

Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. She and her husband live in southeastern Wisconsin. She is also the owner of FamilyCorner.com Magazine.