Even novice home bakers can decorate a beach-themed cake.
A beach cake makes a fitting end to a luau or water-themed birthday celebration. While many local bakeries almost certainly offer beach cakes, those interested in making their own can find a plethora of simple decorating ideas. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Sand Pail Cake
Turn a clean sand pail into a beachy dessert by filling it with cake and pudding or applesauce. Bake an 8-inch vanilla-flavored round cake and cut it into 1-inch slices. Non-bakers could also purchase a frozen pound cake, thaw it and cut it into chunks. Prepare a 3 oz. package of vanilla pudding or buy a 24 oz. container of applesauce. Layer the applesauce (or pudding) and chunks of cake inside of an 8-to-9-cup capacity sand pail, making sure to end with a layer of the pudding or applesauce. Crush a cup of graham crackers and sprinkle it on the top of the pail to resemble sand. Top the cake with shell-shaped candies and use a plastic sandbox shovel to serve it.
Just Beachy Sheet Cake
Use frosting, brown sugar and small figurines to transform a plain sheet cake into a beach scene. Bake a 9-by-13-inch sheet cake (caramel or vanilla work best) or buy one from your bakery. After the cake cools, turn it out onto a cake board or foil-covered tray. Add blue food coloring to a can (or batch) of prepared white frosting until you achieve a deep ocean blue shade. Cover the entire cake with the blue frosting and then press brown sugar onto approximately half of the cake to create a "beach." Add beach-themed figurines to the scene (available at most party or craft stores). You can even create a bonfire by inserting a small tea candle and piling candy "rocks" around it.
No-Bake Beach Dessert Cake
Fruit rolls, gum sticks, Jell-O and cookie crumbs combine to create a kid-friendly no-bake dessert cake. Crush 2 ¼ cups of vanilla wafer cookies and combine two cups of them with a stick of melted butter. Press the mixture into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Mix a package of cream cheese with ¼ cup of sugar and add half of a 12 oz. tub of whipped dessert topping. Pour the mixture over the crumbs. Prepare an 8 oz. package of blue gelatin (following the quick-set directions) and refrigerate it for five minutes before spooning it on the top of the dish. Place the cake in the refrigerator and chill for at least three hours.
To decorate the cake, spread the rest of the whipped topping over the cake. Sprinkle the remaining wafer crumbs over roughly half of the cake to make a beach. Place blue sprinkles on the remainder of the cake to create the ocean. Bend sticks of gum into "S" shapes to resemble chairs and place them on the beach area. Put a paper cocktail umbrella beside each chair. Cut a fruit roll into small sections and place one beside each chair to look like a towel. Add jawbreaker beach balls and figurines of hula dancers or surfers.
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