Melt candy. Print Tropical template; tape to cake board. Tape waxed paper over template.
Melt candy, separately, according to package directions.
Prepare three decorating bags, separately, 1 oz. melted Orange, Yellow and Red candy. Add melted white candy to each bag, about 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired shades of light orange, light yellow and light red are achieved. Set aside.
Prepare eight decorating bags, separately, with melted Pink, Vibrant Green, Dark Green, Yellow, White, Red, Orange and Black Candy Melts candy.
Make candy icons. Cut ¼ in. off tip of each bag. Following template, make 3 to 4 of each icon using the following color combinations:
- Flamingo – Pink candy
- Leaves – Vibrant and Dark Green candy
- Pineapple – Yellow and Dark Green candy
- Watermelon – Dark Green, White and Light Red candy
- Strawberry – Red and Dark Green candy
- Orange – Orange (peel) and Light Orange candy
- Lemon – Yellow (peel) and Light Yellow candy
Using Yellow candy, pipe lattice on pineapples. Using Black candy, pipe seeds on strawberries and watermelons and eyes on flamingos. Using White and Black candy, pipe beaks on flamingos. Reserve remaining melted white candy.
Chill all candy pieces until set, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Make candy name. On waxed paper-covered cake board, pipe desired name using melted White candy.
Helpful Hint: Use a computer to create a template for piping your name. Name template should measure about 8 in. wide and 4 in. tall.
Chill until set, about 15 to 20 minutes. If needed, pipe thin amount of white candy on back of name for added support.
Bake cake. Prepare cake batter following recipe instructions. Bake and cool two cake layers. Trim both layers to 2½ in. tall. Fill and stack layers for 5 in. high cake.
Using white icing, lightly crumb coat cake.
Tint icing. Tint 1 cup icing each light teal and light orange and 1½ cups icing light pink using color combinations provided. Combine Teal and Kelly Green icing colors to get light teal color shown. Combine Orange and Lemon Yellow icing colors to get light orange color shown. Combine Pink and Orange icing colors to get light pink color shown. Using Lemon Yellow icing color, tint 1 cup icing light yellow.
Prepare four decorating bags separately with light teal, light yellow, light orange and pink icing. Cut ¼ in. off tip of each bag.
Place cake on turntable. Starting at bottom with light teal icing, pipe icing around bottom of cake. Continue with light yellow, light orange and light pink, using remainder of light pink icing to ice top of cake. Using icing smoother, smooth icing.
Decorate cake. Using decorating brush and gold cake paint, paint name gold. Repeat for a total of two coats.
Using remaining melted white candy (re-melt if necessary), attach lollipop sticks to back of name. Insert into top of cake.
Carefully remove icons from waxed paper; place on sides of cake.
Intermediate
