Unique Homemade Dolphin Birthday Cakes

Created these cute 3-D jumping dolphins on a sheet cake for my daughter's Ocean Party for her 8th birthday. Used both chocolate and vanilla cake recipes so kids would have their choice of flavors. The kids especially liked the hard sugar sea creatures used as accents.

Jumping Dolphins Cake Directions

• Bottom Layer: Bake one 12" x 18" sheet cake in chocolate using a double cake recipe. Let cool and remove from pan according to directions. Place on a large wrapping paper covered piece of cardboard. Tuck pieces of wax paper just under the edges that can be removed when done frosting the cake.
• Raised Dolphins: To create the raised dolphins, copy and print out the 4 pieces of dolphin cake patterns shown here. (Click photo to enlarge, copy, past into Accessories > Paint program, print.) Tape together to create a 12" square.
• Foil Patterns: Using long pieces of Reynold's Release aluminum foil, fold over three times to create stiff guides 8 layers thick. Bend the foil strips to match the dolphin cake patterns. Place in a 12" square cake pan that has been greased and floured (use parchment paper, too, if you have it).
• Batter: Pour in cake batter (1-1/2 recipe) in and around dolphin patterns. Bake. Cake will pull away from foil patterns slightly.
• Assembling the Dolphins: Remove extra cake from around outside edges of dolphins. Gently remove dolphins and set on top of frosted bottom layer, assembling large dolphin body and tail. Frost. Add M&M eyes.
• Finishing Touches: Make whitecaps in the water with white sugar. Add hard sugar sea animals along edges and in open ocean areas for added color.