It is amazing how fast the years go by when you have kids. Watching them grow makes time so visual. Before you know it they are dressing themselves and making choices in their little lives that reflect their personality.
This year my daughter turned four. I asked her what type of birthday party she wanted. She has a very decisive personality. I noticed that from very early on! I knew I would get an immediate decision.
Of course, she wanted another dinosaur party–a pink dinosaur party, this time around. Somehow I knew that would be the answer since dinosaurs are still a big part of her life. She just loves them… and also the color pink. Last year, she had a similar party. This time around we had the reptiles come to our house rather than having the party at the Jurassic Parties location. So, that meant another dino cake for sure! With recent inspiration from my sister and having the past few birthday cakes made from her skilled grandmas, I decided I would try it myself. Of course, I was given a few parameters from my ‘boss’ ~ it was to be a T-Rex, pink on the outside and pink on the inside. So, with the proper amount of research and some planning, I was able to make my dinosaur princess a pink T-Rex cake to grace her party table!

Assembly of Body

I found a Dino cake on the internet, that passed the test of cuteness and my skill level, of course, for basic appearance and assembly instructions.
For the cake, I used a strawberry cake recipe (which I doubled) and a vanilla cake recipe both from the internet. The pink frosting is a red raspberry butter cream and between the layers of cake I used a red raspberry jam as well. For the teeth and the spikes, I used white chocolate and a little food coloring. The eyes and nose were made of candy I purchased from a local candy store. Instead of using cake dowels to hold it together, I used a few candy cane sticks.
Because of the limited time I have in my life these days, I baked the cakes about a week before the party. I wrapped them tightly in plastic wrap and froze them. I made the frosting and assembled the cake the day before the party and refrigerated it overnight to set the icing.
A mixture of crumbled chocolate graham crackers and Oreos made the perfect “dirt” setting around the cake as well as a fine added crunchy topping for the cake when served. The kids loved it!

Nyaa’s Pink Dinosaur Cake

Hardware you will need:

Crumb Layer

2 Pyrex or oven safe 6″ bowls
2- 8 ” round cake pans
Three candy cane sticks or food dowels
Parchment paper
Candy to make the eyes and nose
Large oval shaped serving dish
Lady fingers for the arms (or use leftover cake parts)
Powdered food coloring
Graham Crackers and Oreos, crumbled

Recipes I used

The Strawberry Cake recipe here.
Make enough for one bowl cake and one round.

The Vanilla Cake recipe here.
Make enough for one bowl cake and one round.

Coloring White Chocolate

White Chocolate Teeth, Claws and Spikes

1 bag of white chocolate chips melted
Powdered Food coloring of choice

Soften white chocolate chips in the microwave (be careful not to over heat). Remove and stir until creamy. Separate portions to add specific color to mixture. Spread out parchment paper on a cool surface and spread chocolate out to an even thickness. When cool, cut to shapes needed.

Red-Raspberry Buttercream

2 cups butter (room temperature)
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon red raspberry extract

Cutting the White Chocolate

Beat 2 cups butter until creamy. Gradually add 4 cups sugar and continue beating until fluffy. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon extract.

Assembly

I used jam (Red Raspberry) as the filling between the layers. It was nice and sticky to help hold the layers together, but I am sure you can use frosting if you desire.

Body

1. Slice the bowl cakes into three layers, horizontally.
2. Spread a small amount of frosting on the large oval shaped dish that the cake is to be served.
3. Position the first layer (small end) of one of the bowl cakes on the front half of the dish. Stacking the layers (every other cake flavor) with jam spread in between. In the end you should have rebuilt the bowl cakes to
look like a sphere.
4. Frost a crumb layer on the body shape, then refrigerate for at least 1 hr.

Head

5. Follow the template of the original dino cake on the internet here. Cut out the head and tail sections. It is easiest to cut the two round cakes opposite of each other so that the flat of each cake marries.

Building the Dino Cake

6. Insert candy cane sticks into the body and leave enough of the cane showing to attach the head sections. Remember to add the jam between the layers.

Tail

7. Sandwich the tail in place with jam in between.

Adding White Chocolate Decorations

Final Assembly

8. Frost lady fingers and attach with small candy cane sticks or food dowels.
9. Add a crumb layer to all the new parts and refrigerate until ready to frost.
10. Frost cake to add the correct volume.
11. Position Teeth, Claws, Spikes and facial features.
12. Add graham cracker oreo mixture for dirt surrounding the base of the cake.