Polka Dot and Ombre Cake

Brooke had a very PINK party for her baby last week and asked me to make an ombre cake for it. It was easy and turned out OK. (This is about wayward crafts, you know.) Now that I have done it once, I know I could do it better the next time.

The cake needed to feed about 40 people, so I used a 10" round pan. I used 1 cake mix to make 2 thin layers. I used gel food coloring this time, but if I did it again, I would use liquid because you can measure liquid more accurately.  So...add 4 drops of food coloring to the cake mix and mix as directed. Pour 1/2 of the mix into a prepared cake pan. (It will be about 2 1/2 cups) and bake according at 350 for about 18 minutes. Since I only have one pan, I had to wash the pan now to use for layer two. Add 2 more drops of food coloring to the remaining mix and bake. Continue increasing the amount of food coloring each time. I made 6 layers. I would have liked to have had more variation in the color, but you take what you get.

After I stacked and frosted the cake, I decided to decorate it with pink polka dots to match the birthday girl's romper. You could use fondant, but I decided to use white chocolate which I dyed. Follow the directions for melting a small bit at at time. I added just a touch of gel coloring each time. I spread the melted chocolate onto wax paper. You have to watch the chocolate carefully so that you cut it with a round cookie cutter at the right moment--right before it becomes completed solid. Once you have your polka dots, add them to the frosting immediately after you frost the cake.

Use a round tip to make a dot border and enjoy.