How to make a panda cake

• In a medium bowl, mix 1 container plus 1 cup chocolate frosting with black food coloring to make black frosting. Cut marshmallow in half crosswise. For eyes, attach 1 mint to each marshmallow slice with frosting; set aside.
• Using serrated knife, cut off top rounded portion of each cake to level surface. Turn cakes cut sides down. Cut cakes as shown in template. Place cake pieces on tray as directed in template, attaching to tray and each other with small amount of frosting.

Decorating the panda birthday cake

• To crumb coat cake, spread thin layer of vanilla frosting over head and thin layer of black frosting over ears, body and paws to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes.
• Frost head with some of remaining vanilla frosting. Frost rest of cake with some of remaining black frosting. To pipe on panda features, spoon vanilla and black frostings into separate resealable food-storage plastic freezer bags and cut small tip off 1 bottom corner of each bag.
• Pipe or spread vanilla frosting on body to create chest. Pipe or spread black frosting on head for patches around eyes. Place marshmallow eyes on patches. Pipe or spread black frosting on snout for nose and mouth. Pipe or spread vanilla frosting on back paws to create paw prints. Pipe outline around body and front legs with black frosting. Fill in outline with additional black frosting so front legs have a thicker layer of frosting than white chest. Using metal spatula, create a different texture on the body and front legs to further define legs from chest and back paws.

The panda cake recipe serves 20.