Xylophone Cake

You will need a serving tray at least 13 x 8 in.

1 box (18.25 oz) cake mix, any flavor
2 tubs (16 oz each) vanilla frosting
Purple (or lavender), blue, green, yellow, orange and red paste (gel) food color

Bars: 6 Twinkies snack cakes, cut in half horizontally (you?ll need only top halves) and 12 black Jujubes candies (from two 1.5-oz boxes or 1 large-size box)
Strands of cherry Pull-n-Peel Twizzlers or red licorice laces

Hammers: 2 striped candy sticks (or candy canes with curved end broken off) and 2 toasted coconut marshmallows

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13 x 9-in. baking pan with wax paper. Lightly coat with nonstick spray. Prepare cake mix; bake in prepared pan as package directs. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Put 3 tablespoons frosting into each of 6 custard cups or small paper cups. Tint each with a food color. Cover when not using.

Purple bar (shortest): Cut a 2-in.-long piece from middle of 1 Twinkies top (reserve this piece to extend yellow and red bars). Use purple frosting to glue end pieces together. Place on wax paper; frost sides and top. Blue bar: Cut a 1-in.-long piece from center of another top (reserve this to extend orange bar). Use blue frosting to glue end pieces together, then frost. Green bar: Frost 1 entire Twinkies top green.

Yellow bar: Cut a 1/2-in. section from reserved 2-in. piece (save remaining 1 1/2 in. for red bar). Cut a top crosswise in half; glue 1/2-in. piece in middle. Frost yellow. Orange bar: Cut another top in half; glue reserved 1-in. piece in middle. Frost orange. Red bar (longest): Cut last top in half; glue reserved 11/2-in. piece in middle. Frost red.

Press Jujubes into frosting as shown. Leave bars uncovered at room temperature 24 hours to set frosting.

Invert cooled cake on rack; peel off paper. Slice hump off top until flat. Measure 2 in. from corner on 1 end of cake; mark with a toothpick. At other end of cake, measure 2 in. in from opposite corner; mark with a toothpick. Cut cake diagonally in half using toothpicks as a guide. (click here for diagram)

Place half the cake on serving tray. Frost top with frosting remaining in first tub. Top with remaining cake. Frost top and sides with remaining tub frosting. Press strands of Twizzlers into frosting along bottom and side edges, and lengthwise on top near both sides. Leave uncovered at room temperature 24 hours to set frosting.With a broad spatula, place bars on cake. Hammers: Insert candy sticks into marshmallows; place next to cake. Serves 14

Diagram