This may look like a photo of flip-flop sandals but if you look closely you will see the flip-flops are sporting a couple ropes of licorish and a little frosting to hold them together. Yes, it's a great summer cake idea; sandals!
Resting on a bed of graham cracker crumbs for sand, this is an oh-so-cute cake I haven't posted or mentioned since 2009. Originally I found this recipe years ago when I subscribed to Taste of Home magazine. It's already 2013 and time to repost this one! Where has the time gone!?
Flip Flop Sandal Cake
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix
3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon meringue powder
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Pink, blue, yellow and green paste food coloring
Candy buttons
4 pieces red rope licorice
Graham cracker crumbs
Line a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan with waxed paper and grease the paper; set aside. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake according to package directions. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Trace flip-flop pattern onto waxed paper; cut out. Arrange pattern over cake; with a sharp knife, cut out. Flip pattern and cut out a second flip-flop. Discard scraps. Transfer cakes to a covered cake board.
For frosting, in a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and meringue powder. In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, combine the shortening, butter, milk and vanilla. Beat in sugar mixture.
Tint 1 cup frosting pink; frost tops of cakes. Tint 1 cup frosting blue; frost sides of cakes. Insert licorice ends into cakes to form straps of flip-flops.
Tint 1/4 cup frosting yellow. Using a #4 round tip, pipe decorative lines on top of shoes. Using a #17 star tip, pipe rosettes where straps meet. Tint remaining frosting green. Using a #352 leaf tip, pipe leaves around rosettes.
To finish, press candy buttons into sides of cakes; sprinkle cracker crumbs on board to form sand. Store in the refrigerator.
