Flip-Flop Cakes

Total Time

Prep: 2 hours Bake: 30 min. + cooling

Makes

12 servings

Updated: Oct. 16, 2022
I made this cake for a summer birthday party—it would be fun for a beach party or any summer get-together. You could also set a pair of sunglasses on the graham cracker "sand."—Renae Calkins, Owosso, Michigan

Ingredients

  • 1 package white cake mix (regular size)
  • 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 tablespoon meringue powder
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
  • Pink, blue, yellow and green paste food coloring
  • 4 pieces red rope licorice
  • Candy buttons
  • Graham cracker crumbs

Directions

  1. Line a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan with waxed paper and grease the paper; set aside. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake according to package directions. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
  2. Trace flip-flop pattern onto waxed paper; cut out. Arrange pattern over cake; with a sharp knife, cut out. Flip pattern and cut out a second flip-flop. Discard scraps. Transfer cakes to a covered cake board.
  3. For frosting, in a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and meringue powder. In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, combine the shortening, butter, milk and vanilla. Beat in sugar mixture.
  4. Tint 1 cup frosting pink; frost tops of cakes. Tint 1 cup frosting blue; frost sides of cakes. Insert licorice ends into cakes to form straps of flip-flops.
  5. Tint 1/4 cup frosting yellow. Using a #4 round tip, pipe decorative lines on top of shoes. Using a #17 star tip, pipe rosettes where straps meet. Tint remaining frosting green. Using a #352 leaf tip, pipe leaves around rosettes.
  6. To finish, press candy buttons into sides of cakes; sprinkle cracker crumbs on board to form sand. Store in the refrigerator.