Puppy Dog Birthday Cake

Over three weeks ago, in August, while we were in Germany, my baby turned two.  His current favorite thing is puppies, so I looked for puppy cake ideas.  I found a picture of one with no directions, but it looked easy enough, so we attempted it.  

You just bake two round cakes (8 or 9-inch).  Leave one intact and cut the other into sort of a yin-yang shape.  (Bring back memories of the 90's, anyone?!)  Then trim the pieces if necessary to make them look more puppy-dog-ish.  Frost the head in one color, adding sophisticated texture, if desired, as shown above.  With a different color, make a mound of frosting for the "snout".  The mouth is two red fruit snacks & the nose is part of an Oreo.  The rest of the mouth is Nutella, piped from a sandwich bag.  The eyes are PB M&M's.  The cake is a simple yellow cake from my mom's old Betty Crocker cookbook.

Puppy be smokin'.

Starlight Yellow Cake

from Betty Crocker, via Cinnamon Spice

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups milk

1.  Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease bottom and sides of 2 round pans 9 X 1 1/2 inches, with butter and lightly flour.

2.  In a large mixing bowl beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until combined.  In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternatively with milk, mixing until just combined. 

3.  Pour into pans, dividing equally. Bake 9-inch rounds 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

4.  Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack and cool completely before frosting.

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