Kite Birthday Cake

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and bananas.
• Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto rack to cool completely. Transfer cake to a large platter or covered board. (15x12-in.).
• In a saucepan, combine cake flour and milk until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla. Add flour mixture; beat until sugar is dissolved and frosting is fluffy.
• Place 2 tablespoons frosting each in three bowls; tint one pink, one yellow and one purple. Place 3/4 cup frosting in a bowl; tint blue. Frost top of cake blue and sides white. Form three clouds with some of the white frosting (see photo); set remaining white frosting aside.
• With the point of a toothpick draw two small kites and two large kites on the blue frosting (see photo). Fill in kites with some of the purple, pink and yellow frosting.
• Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; insert round tip #3 (or pipe directly from bag). Fill bag with remaining purple frosting; pipe kite strings on the two small kites. Repeat with yellow and pink frosting on medium kites. Pipe colored bows on the top of kite strings.
• Cut a small hole in the corner of another pastry or plastic bag; insert round tip #3. Fill bag with remaining white frosting; pipe crossbars and an outline around each kite. Using round tip #7, pipe a border around top edge of cake.