Dinosaur cake ingredients:
• 2 cups (500 mL) boiling water
• 1 cup (250 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup (250 mL) butter, softened
• 2 cups (500 mL) granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) vanilla
• 2-3/4 cups (675 mL) all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 (7 mL) tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) each baking powder and salt
• 30 gumdrop leaves
• Assorted candies
Icing:
• 1-1/4 cups (300 mL) butter, softened
• 5-3/4 cups (1.425 L) icing sugar
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream
• Purple and green food colouring
Cake directions:
Grease two 9-inch (1.5 L) round cake pans; line bottoms with waxed or parchment paper. Set aside. In small bowl, whisk water with cocoa until smooth; let cool to room temperature. In large bowl and using electric mixer, beat butter with sugar just until blended; beat in eggs, 2 at a time, and vanilla.
Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir into butter mixture alternately with liquid, making three additions of flour and 2 of liquid. Pour into prepared pans. Bake in centre of 350 F (180 C) oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Invert onto baking sheet, then invert onto rack; let cool. Peel off paper.
