Polka Dot Smash Cake

Ingredients

• 1 box cake mix yellow your favorite (or flavor)
• 12 oz fluffy frosting white
• 1 serving purple gel food coloring red

Equipment

• bowl
• oven
• wire rack
• loaf pan
• hand mixer
• toothpicks
• spatula
• muffin liners

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottom only of 8x4-inch loaf pan with shortening or cooking spray, and place paper baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups.
2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until smooth.
3. Place 1 3/4 cups batter into loaf pan. Spoon remaining batter into muffin cups.
4. Bake loaf cake 35 to 40 minutes and cupcakes 18 to 23 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. For easier handling, refrigerate or freeze loaf cake 30 to 60 minutes or until firm.
5. Stir together 2 tablespoons frosting and red food color to deep red color. Spoon frosting into decorating bag fitted with small round tip; set aside. In small bowl, mix remaining frosting and teal food color to desired color. Trim rounded top off loaf cake. Using 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut 2 rounds from loaf cake.
6. Place one round cake, cut side up, on plate.
7. Spread cut side with teal frosting. Top with remaining round cake, cut side down.
8. Spoon remaining teal frosting into decorating bag fitted with large round tip. Frost sides of cake with long stripes of frosting from the base of cake to top. Frost top of cake, and smooth with spatula. Pipe deep red frosting dots on side of cake. Use remaining frosting to frost cupcakes.