School Bus Cake

Submitted by Mom2Rose

"Source: Taste of Home"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 15mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 12-16

ingredients

• 517.37 g package yellow cake mix (or adjust water, oil and eggs for cake mix you are using)
• 315.37 ml water
• 118.29 ml vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 236.59 ml butter, softened
• 236.59 ml shortening
• 1892.72-2129.31 ml confectioners' sugar
• 59.14 ml milk
• 4.92 ml vanilla extract
• 1.23 ml salt
• 9.85 ml black gel food coloring (or black paste coloring)
• 2.46-3.69 ml yellow liquid food coloring (or yellow paste coloring)
• 2 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, cut in half
• 2 yellow gumdrops
• 6 red gumdrops

directions

1. Prepare cake mix according to package directions using oil, water and eggs.
2. Pour batter into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pans.
3. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
4. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Place cakes end to end on a 22-in. x 8-in. covered board.
6. Level if needed.
7. From the top of one end, form the front of the bus by cutting out a section 1 inches deep and 3 inches long (Save the removed piece for another use.)
8. For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter and shortening until fluffy.
9. Add 6 cups confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla and salt; beat until smooth.
10. Add enough remaining confectioners' sugar until desired consistency is reached.
11. Tint 3/4 cup frosting with black food coloring; set aside.
12. Tint remaining frosting yellow.
13. Frost top and sides of cake with yellow frosting.
14. Frost cut edge of cookies with yellow frosting to form wheel wells; place two cookie halves on each side of bus.
15. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert a #5 round tip.
16. Fill the bag with black frosting.
17. Outline windows on both sides of bus; pipe strips under windows.
18. Pipe windshield and back window; fill in with black frosting.
19. Pipe lines on front of grille.
20. Place yellow gumdrops on front of bus for headlights; place red gumdrops on front and back for lights.