Dessert, Cake: Pirate Ship Cake

By LynnK

I made this for Will's seventh birthday, it wasn't very difficult, just time consuming. He loved it! familyfun.go.com has more detailed instructions pictured if you need them

Ingredients

• 2 baked 9" or 10" round cakes
• 3 to 4 cups chocolate icing
• Chocolate wafer sticks (such as Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Cookies)
• Milk chocolate wafer rolls (Waffeletten cookies)
• Several pieces of white or off-white paper
• 3 10" wooden skewers
• Malted milk balls
• Rolo candies
• Root beer barrels
• Plastic pirate figures (we used Playmobil), washed thoroughly

Preparation

Step 1

Cut the cakes in half and layer them, rounded sides all facing the same direction, adding a thin coat of chocolate icing between the layers.

Trim the bottom curves of the cakes slightly to help them sit flat, then turn the cakes upright, as shown. (Tip: If necessary, wrap the cakes in plastic and chill in the freezer to make them firmer. Also, two drinking straws stuck through the four layers of cake will help keep them together.)

Cut sails from the paper, then slip them onto the skewers and set the masts in place.

Add malted milk ball cannonballs, plenty of Rolo gold booty, and root beer barrels, then station a few pirates to keep watch.

For safety, place the candles in the cookie cannons, far from the paper sails. Also, make sure that the surface on which the cake rests is impervious to wax, as the burning candles will drip.