Flower Box Cake

Flower Box Cake

1/4 cup butter

1 package (10-1/2 ounces) miniature marshmallows

Red and blue liquid food coloring

4 cups Frosted Cheerios

15 leaf-shaped spearmint gumdrops

15 wooden skewers (8 inches)

3 strawberry-flavored Fruit by the Foot fruit rolls

6 large marshmallows

Colored sugar

3/4 cup chocolate frosting

1 loaf (10-3/4 ounces) frozen pound cake, thawed

12 crisp rectangular cookies (about 3 inches x 1-3/4 inches)

For hyacinths, combine the butter and marshmallows in a saucepan; cook and stir over low heat until melted. Divide into two large bowls. Stir 2-3 drops each of red and blue food coloring into one bowl; stir 1-2 drops red food coloring into another bowl. Add 2 cups cereal to each bowl; stir until well coated. Insert one gumdrop on nine skewers. With greased hands, quickly shape about 1/2 cup cereal mixture into a 3-to 4-inch long hyacinth shape around gumdrop. Place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and chill for 4 hours or until firm.

For each tulip, cut six 2-1/2-inch long pieces of fruit roll. With a kitchen shears, trim one end of each piece into tulip petal shape. Trim 1/4 inch from each corner of opposite end. With a small pastry brush, lightly brush water on one end of marshmallow; dip in sugar. Lightly brush water on sides and bottom of marshmallow so top of petal is 1/2 inch above sugared end.

Repeat five times, overlapping the side of each petal by 1/8 inch. Fold bottom of petals under marshmallow, overlapping tapered ends Brush with water if needed to hold petals together. Insert a skewer through petals into center of marshmallow. Insert a gumdrop into the other end of skewer to hold marshmallow in place.

Frost top and sides of cake; place cookies vertically around cake. Just before serving, insert flowers into cake, trimming bottom of skewers to varied lengths.

*This recipe is a little labor intensive, but the end result is very nice and cute. I made it once for Mother's Day and it turned out great.*

Recipe and picture from TasteOfHome.com