Little Car Cakes

Directions

• 1

  Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottoms only of three 8x4-inch loaf pans, or spray bottoms with cooking spray.
• 2

  Make cake batter as directed on cake mix box. Divide batter evenly among pans.
• 3

  Bake 25 to 32 minutes (28 to 37 minutes for dark or nonstick pans) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Freeze cakes uncovered about 1 hour for easier frosting.
• 4

  Remove 1/4 cup frosting from each container; set aside. To make purple frosting, stir 8 drops blue food color and 8 drops red food color into 1 container frosting. To make bright green frosting, stir 3 drops green food color and 3 drops yellow food color into other container frosting.
• 5

  Place 2 loaves, rounded sides down, on tray. To seal in crumbs, frost one with a thin layer of purple frosting; frost the other with a thin layer of green frosting. Cut remaining loaf crosswise in half; taper the cut edges slightly to form windshields. Place one half on each cake for cab, placing about 3 inches from front edge and with tapered windshield side toward front of car. Frost windows of cabs with a thin layer of reserved vanilla frosting; frost top and edges with a thin layer of colored frosting. Refrigerate or freeze cakes 30 to 60 minutes to set frosting. Frost entire cars with same colors.
• 6

  Use licorice to outline windows and make bumpers. Add starlight candies for headlights and taillights; add cookies for wheels and the spares. Place gumdrop on top of 1 car for beacon and add candles for radio antennas. Store loosely covered.