watermelon cake

Reprinted with permission from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade magazine and Hoffman Media, LLC.

For more information, go to www.semihomemademag.com

2 (18.25 oz) boxes white cake mix

1/2 tsp red food coloring, divided

5-oz craisins, currants, or raisins (could even use chocolate chips)

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3 (16 oz) containers fluffy white frosting

green food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 4 (9") round cake pans with nonstick baking spray w/ flour; line with parchment paper, spray again.


2. In separate bowls, prepare each cake mix according to package directions.  Stir 1/4 tsp red food coloring into one bowl of batter, leave other bowl white.  Pour pink batter evenly into 2 prepared baking pans.  Pour white batter into remaining pans.


3. In small bowl, combine craisins & flour, toss to coat.  Sprinkle craisins over pink batter.  Bake cakes for 16-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool - in pans - for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.


4. In small bowl, place half of one container of frosting.  Stir in remaining 1/4 tsp red food coloring, leave remaining frosting white.


5. Gradually tint another container of frosting with green food coloring.  Stir to get a pale green color.  Add green food coloring to 3rd container of frosting to achieve dark green.


6. To assemble cake, spread half of remaining white frosting onto 1 white cake layer.  Top with a pink cake layer.  Spread pink frosting on top, top with remaining pink cake layer.  Spread top of pink layer with remaining half of white frosting.  Top with remaining white cake.


7. Spoon green frostings into 2 separate pastry bags, fitted with leaf tips.  Starting at the center of the cake, pipe pale green frosting across the top and down the side, stopping at the bottom edge of cake.  Continue piping lines, 1-inch apart, all around cake.  Repeat process with the dark green frosting, piping in-between the pale green lines.

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adapted slightly from sandra lee semi-homemade

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