School Bus Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) package yellow cake mix (or adjust water, oil and eggs for cake mix you are using)
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup shortening
• 8 -9 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons black gel food coloring (or black paste coloring)
• 1/2-3/4 teaspoon yellow liquid food coloring (or yellow paste coloring)
• 2 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, cut in half
• 2 yellow gumdrops
• 6 red gumdrops

Recipe

• 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.