Happy Leap Day Brownies!
What a fun day! Happy Leap Day! Here's a treat you can make in honor of this day--frogs do leap...
Last leap day I decided to make some brownies from a mix and add a cute frog made out of frosting on the top. You can find inspiration for cake decorating in many different places. This frog came from an Ed Emberley drawing book. I can't free-hand draw a frog by myself, but when I follow a simple drawing guide like those in Ed Emberley's books it isn't too difficult. He shows you how to draw people, animals, trucks, and other objects by breaking them down in to simpler lines and shapes. You could look for his books at the library or in the usual places you find books!
There are wonderful tutorials available online that show you how to cut out cakes and make them into various shapes and sizes--that's great if you have a lot of time! A simple alternative would be to draw (with frosting) the thing on top of a regular shaped cake--like this frog on top of the brownies. An even easier idea would be to add plastic toy frogs (or other jumping animals) to the top of cupcakes or cakes.
When my son wanted a dinosaur cake a few years ago I did the "easy" version of a dinosaur cake...
This has a 9x13 cake for the base with a volcano made from cake baked in small bowls. It is frosted all over with chocolate butter-cream frosting. I washed and dried some dinosaurs from our toy animal collection and added them to the top. Some thin red frosting became the hot lava.
From the family cookbook:
For cake decorating ideas, check out books at the library, look at cake decorating websites, or go to a bakery and look at their cakes. Make your own specialty cake pans out of cardboard, foil, and tape. You can cover strips of cardboard from a cereal box with foil. Bake a cake in an oven-safe bowl or round casserole dish to make a soccer ball, basketball or baseball. Try adding tinted coconut around the base to create grass. Add toys, candy, pictures or even photographs to your cake. For a baby shower, add pacifiers or rattles. Add decorated sugar cookies or frosted animal cookies.
There are wonderful tutorials available online that show you how to cut out cakes and make them into various shapes and sizes--that's great if you have a lot of time! A simple alternative would be to draw (with frosting) the thing on top of a regular shaped cake--like this frog on top of the brownies. An even easier idea would be to add plastic toy frogs (or other jumping animals) to the top of cupcakes or cakes.
When my son wanted a dinosaur cake a few years ago I did the "easy" version of a dinosaur cake...
From the family cookbook:
For cake decorating ideas, check out books at the library, look at cake decorating websites, or go to a bakery and look at their cakes. Make your own specialty cake pans out of cardboard, foil, and tape. You can cover strips of cardboard from a cereal box with foil. Bake a cake in an oven-safe bowl or round casserole dish to make a soccer ball, basketball or baseball. Try adding tinted coconut around the base to create grass. Add toys, candy, pictures or even photographs to your cake. For a baby shower, add pacifiers or rattles. Add decorated sugar cookies or frosted animal cookies.
Those Leap Year brownies are so cute! I wonder if one of my kids would want to make that for a treat tonight.
ReplyDeleteThis one is really looking one of great designed brownies. As I have found one of extreme and wonderful creativity from this source. It's completely looking one of surprising featured source for me. Thanks for sharing.
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Did you need a cake board and support for the volcano on the dinosaur cake? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your question! I didn't add a cake board for the volcano (but it wouldn't hurt). I may have added some dowels or straws for additional support. It may depend on how big the volcano is and how long you need to keep it all together (and if you're transporting the cake).
DeleteThank you for your reply! I plan to make a similar cake with a different theme. One more question. Do you have any tips for removing a 9x13 from the pan? Thanks again!
DeleteI realized that one of our recent posts answers this question. My sister explains it well: http://heritagerecipes.blogspot.com/2017/08/large-layer-cake-instructions-revised.html
DeleteI make sure and prep the pan carefully ahead of time (rubbing a thin layer of shortening on it and then adding a dusting of flour). You can also grease the pan and line it with parchment paper. After baking the cake I allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Then, I place a wire rack over the pan, hold it in place, and flip it over and set the rack on the counter. Usually the cake will gently release from the pan and I can lift the pan off. I then will put another wire cooling rack on the cake and flip it back so it's not upside down.