BEACH THEMED RECIPES RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine milk and vanilla pudding mix. Whisk for 2 minutes, then let stand until thick, 3 minutes more. Into a clear plastic cup (or a small mason jar), add a layer of vanilla pudding. Top with an even layer of crushed graham crackers. Repeat to make 4 layers. Stick a tiki cocktail umbrella into each cup, then decorate as desired. To make a sun-tanning teddy graham: Cut rainbow sour belt into small rectangles a little bigger than the size of the teddy grahams. Lay on top of the parfaits then place a teddy graham on top. To make candy flip-flops, use a toothpick to drop melted white chocolate into the center of a Pez candy. Place a flower sprinkle on top. Repeat with remaining Pez and flower sprinkles. To make a floating teddy graham, gently stretch a Life Saver gummy and place a teddy graham in the center.

Steps:

• Make the Frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add marshmallow cream to combine. Reduce speed to low and gradually add sugar until combined. Add vanilla. Increase speed to high and beat until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.Assemble the Cake: Trim the cake layers so the tops are flat. Working with one cake layer, starting 1 1/4" from the edge, cut a kidney-shaped piece of cake about 2 1/2" across the middle, all the way through the cake, using a serrated knife. Reserve the cutout. Place an uncut cake layer on a serving plate and spread evenly with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with a second uncut layer and spread evenly with 1/2 cup frosting. Set remaining cake layer with cutout-ocean on top. From the kidney-shaped cutout, cut an oval about 3" long and 2" wide. Trim layer to 1/2" high. Place the oval near the inner curve of the ocean.Decorate the Cake: Carefully thinly coat the sides of the cake, the oval, and the inside of the ocean with frosting (make sure the entire inside of the ocean is well coated). Transfer the cake to the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours.Coat the cake in a second layer of frosting. Sprinkle crushed cookie sand on the beach (carefully shielding the rest of the cake). Press gently to adhere. Press colorful nonpareils half way up the sides of the cake.Transfer 1/2 cup frosting to a bowl and tint blue. Spoon 1 tablespoon into a zip-topped bag and set aside. Spread remaining blue frosting on the border around the ocean and over the upper sides of the cake to create waves. Sprinkle with crystal sanding sugar, pressing to adhere.Dip a toothpick into blue food color and dot eyes on fish crackers. Place seaweed, seashells, and fish around the sides of the cake. Cut a small hole from the corner of the zip-topped bag and pipe air bubbles by the fish. Prepare gelatin according to package directions on speed-set. Once cool, remove ice cubes and carefully ladle into the ocean leaving 1/4" space at the top. Refrigerate cake for at least 2 hours or until the gelatin is firm. To make the lifeguards chair, spread some white frosting on the graham crackers and cut out two small stripes from the red sour belt to create a cross. Press to adhere. Use more frosting as glue to attach the seat and the back of the chair and 4 pretzel sticks for chair legs. Refrigerate to set.To make the Teddy beach-goers, tint small amounts of the remaining frosting and transfer to small zip-topped bags. Cut a small hole from each corner and pipe eyes, bathing suits, sunglasses, and snorkels onto the bears. Refrigerate until set.One hour before serving, set bears and decorations on top of the cake and refrigerate.