This fun and festive sheet cake of DJ Lance features black licorice glasses and an orange coconut hat. Whip one up as part of our Yo Gabba Dance Party.
1 box (18.25 oz.) yellow cake mix
2 cups shredded coconut
Yellow and red food coloring
1 can (16 oz.) milk chocolate frosting
1 cup vanilla frosting
2 brown candy coated chocolates (M&M's)
3 black licorice twists (Twizzlers)
1 sheet red fruit leather
2 each yellow and purple fruit chews, (Laffy Taffy)
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Invert and cool completely.
Step 2
Place the coconut and 2 teaspoons of warm water in a large resealable bag. Add about 11 drops of yellow and 2 drops of red food coloring. Rub the bag, mixing the color into the coconut, to coat completely and tint the coconut orange. Adjust the color with more coloring if necessary.
Step 3
Place the cake on a cutting board, and using the template, cut out the head shape. Use a toothpick to score the top of cake where the hat begins. Transfer the cake to a serving platter.
Step 4
Spoon 1/4 cup of the milk-chocolate frosting into a small resealable bag. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the vanilla frosting into a small resealable bag. Spread the remaining milk-chocolate frosting on the face area on the cake and make smooth. Spread the remaining vanilla frosting on the hat area of cake. Press the tinted coconut into the vanilla frosting to make the hat.
Step 5
Snip a 1/4-inch corner from the bag with the milk-chocolate frosting and pipe a nose in the upper part of the chocolate-frosted cake. Snip a small corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting and pipe a 1 1/4-inch oval on either side of the nose for the eyes. Add the chocolate candies as the pupils. Cut the black licorice into four 2 1/2-inch pieces, four 1 3/4-inch pieces and one 1-inch piece for the eyeglasses. Place the longer pieces of licorice above and below the eyes. Add the shorter pieces on either side to make squares and the smallest piece to connect the two squares over the nose.
Step 6
Cut out a mouth shape from the red fruit leather and place on the cake. Press the two like-colored fruit chews together, softening in the microwave for 2 seconds, and roll out flat. Use a 2-inch star-cookie cutter and cut out a star from each color. Overlap the stars and place on the hat area.
