A Medieval Dragon Birthday Party Cake

Bundt cake3 cake doughnuts2 long, chocolate-covered snack cakes (such as Yodels or Ho Hos)2 (16-ounce) cans white frostingTeal gel food coloring12 yellow candy Runts1 large marshmallow2 brown M&M's5 vanilla sugar wafer cookies2 each yellow, orange, and red Starburst candies12-ounce package orange candy melts

You will need:

1. Cut the cake and the doughnuts as shown at right.

2. Form the dragon's body by arranging the cake, doughnuts, and snack cakes as shown. Trim any uneven pieces as needed.

3. Set aside 1 teaspoon of white frosting, then color the rest teal. Cover the cake and doughnuts with a light layer of the teal frosting, then set aside until the frosting is slightly stiff to the touch, about 30 minutes. Frost the entire dragon body.

4. Place the candy Runts as shown for claws.

5. Make each eye by cutting the marshmallow in half and adhering an M&M pupil to it with the white frosting. Set the eyes in place.

6. For the spikes and eyebrows, use a serrated knife to cut the sugar wafer cookies on the diagonal, then push them into place.

7. To make the flames, work with one Starburst at a time. Unwrap the candy and microwave for 5 seconds to soften it. Roll it out, trim it to a taper with scissors, then wrap it around a chopstick, as shown. Once the candy becomes slightly firm again, wiggle it off the chopstick. Push all of the flames into the cake.

8. Melt the candy melts according to the package directions, then put them into a squeeze bottle or a quart-size ziplock bag with a tiny hole cut in one corner. Place the wing templates from familyfunmag.com/printables under a piece of parchment paper and pipe the wings, following the pattern. Let the wings harden, then press them in place.

Tip: The wings can be fragile. We suggest making four so that you have spares and inserting them in the cake just before serving.

Originally published in the March 2014 issue of FamilyFun