First Birthday Lion Cake

Ingredients

• 1 box cake mix yellow
• 1 cup banana very ripe mashed (2 medium)
• 0.5 cup vegetable oil 
• 0.3 cup water 
• 3  eggs 
• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 6 oz vanilla yogurt french yoplait®
• 1 serving purple gel food coloring yellow
• 1 serving purple gel food coloring 
• 0.8 cup corn flakes/bran flakes 
• 6  pretzel sticks 
• 2  m&m candies 
• 1 serving decorating gel 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• wire rack
• hand mixer
• toothpicks
• cake form
• muffin liners

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease with shortening or cooking spray bottom only of 1 (6-inch) round cake pan and place paper baking cups in 16 regular-size muffin cups.
2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, bananas, oil, water and eggs with electric mixer on low speed. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally until smooth.
3. Place 1 3/4 cups batter in 6-inch round pan. Spoon remaining batter into 16 lined muffin cups.
4. Bake round cake 35 to 40 minutes and cupcakes 18 to 23 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
5. In small bowl, beat cream cheese and yogurt on medium speed with electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Stir in yellow food color until mixture is desired color.
6. Place 3 tablespoons of yellow frosting in small bowl; add orange food color to get desired orange color.
7. To frost and decorate cake, slice 6-inch round cake horizontally to remove rounded top.
8. Place cake cut side down on plate. Use yellow frosting to frost top and sides of cake. Use orange frosting to make muzzle of lion.
9. Place cereal around top edges of cake to form the lion's mane.
10. Add brown candy coated pieces for eyes. Insert pretzel sticks into cake near muzzle for whiskers. Use brown decorating gel to make mouth, nose and whisker spots on the lion face. Use remaining frosting to frost cupcakes. If desired, use cereal to decorate the cupcakes. Store cake and cupcakes in refrigerator.