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Dinosaur Birthday Cake

Easy Dinosaur Birthday Cake Recipe

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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 620
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp fine salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • Green gel food coloring
  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract (for frosting)
  • 2 to 3 tbsp milk
  • Green gel food coloring (for frosting)
  • Candy eyes, fruit leather or candy melts for spikes

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a greased 9x13 pan with parchment. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  2. Beat ¾ cup butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in eggs, vanilla, and oil. Alternate dry ingredients and buttermilk, then tint batter green.
  3. Bake 32 to 36 minutes until a toothpick has a few moist crumbs. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
  4. For frosting, beat 1 ½ cups butter, then slowly add powdered sugar. Mix in vanilla, milk, and green coloring until spreadable.
  5. Cut a paper dinosaur template and place it on the cooled cake. Carve around the outline and move the shape to a serving plate.
  6. Crumb coat and chill 20 minutes. Frost the cake and add candy eyes, fruit leather spikes, and any sprinkles.

Notes

Let the cake cool fully, at least 1 hour, before you cut it. If you want to make it ahead, bake the layer a day early, wrap it well, and frost the next day. The unfrosted carved shape freezes well for up to a month.