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School Bus Cake

Here comes the big yellow bus! Kayla could hardly wait to board a real one to go to kindergarten, so I made her birthday cake to look like a school bus. It wasn't very complicated to decorate, yet everyone immediately recognized the sweet vehicle. -Leslie Miller, Butler, Pennsylvania

12-16 ServingsPrep: 35 min. Bake: 40 min. + cooling

Ingredients

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup shortening
8 to 9 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black paste or gel food coloring
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon yellow paste or liquid food coloring
2 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, cut in half
2 yellow gumdrops
6 red gumdrops

Directions

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter into
two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans.
Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near
the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from
pans to a wire rack to cool completely.
Place cakes end to end on a 22-in. x 8-in. covered board. Level if
needed. From the top of one end, form the front of the bus by
cutting out a section 1 in. deep and 3 in. long (Save the removed
piece for another use.)
For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter and shortening until

2 of 2

School Bus Cake (continued)

Directions (continued)

fluffy. Add 6 cups confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla and salt;
beat until smooth. Add enough remaining confectioners' sugar until
desired consistency is reached.
Tint 3/4 cup frosting with black food coloring; set aside. Tint
remaining frosting yellow. Frost top and sides of cake with yellow
frosting. Frost cut edge of cookies with yellow frosting to form
wheel wells; place two cookie halves on each side of bus.
Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert a
#5 round tip. Fill the bag with black frosting. Outline windows on
both sides of bus; pipe strips under windows. Pipe windshield and
back window; fill in with black frosting. Pipe lines on front of
grille. Place yellow gumdrops on front of bus for headlights; place
red gumdrops on front and back for lights. Yield: 12-16 servings.