This was originally posted on RecipeLink March 31, 2000 by Judy/PA

Batter Bowl Cake Ideas

Use The Pampered Chef 2 Qt or 1 Qt Batter bowl to make the following cakes. For all cakes, grease and flour bowl just 1/2 way up the sides. Add one cake mix, prepared and bake 350'. For the 2Qt, bake approx 60 min. For the 1Qt, bake approx 50 min. (all times are estimates. Bake til tested done. Oven temps will vary.) Cool for 10 min, then unmold and finish cooling. For easy decorating: freeze cake first--less crumbs will result. Note: personal experience has shown that denser batters like chocolate or pound cakes hold their shape better than very light batters like white or cherry chip.

Bugs:
Lady Bug- Frost with red frosting. Add big black decorating gel spots. Black licorice antenna and gum drop eyes.

Ant Hill- Frost with brown frosting, sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs or brown sugar to give a sandy appearance and use raisins as ants.

Ant- Frost one 1QT and two 2QT cakes black or chocolate. Place them in a three section line (the 1QT cake is the head and the two 2QT cakes are the body. Use 6 pipecleaners for legs and bend them into a "^" and push them into cake.

Spider #1- Frost with black or chocolate frosting. Use 8 pipecleaners for legs, bend them into a "^" and push them into cake.

Spider #2- Frost one 1QT and one 2QT cakes black or chocolate. Place the cakes side by side (the 1QT cake is the head.) Use 8 pipecleaners for legs and bend them into a "^" and push them into cake. Use gum drops for the eyes.

Beehive- Frost with yellow frosting in a circular fashion, to create beehive look. Place sugar flowers at the base of hive. Make Peanut butter honeybees and place them around the hive. (Mix 1/2 c peanut butter, 2 T softened butter, 1/2 c confectioners sugar, 3/4 c graham cracker crumbs and shape into 1" ovals. Place on wax paper. Melt 1 oz semi sweet chocolate, place in sandwich bag and cut off tiny end of bag. Drizzle chocolate on ovals to make 3 stripes on each bee. Insert 2 almond slices into oval for bee wings.)
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Originally Posted on the Recipe Link July 2, 1998 by Tony 2

LADY BUG CAKE

We just had a bug themed birthday party for my 3 year old! It was a BLAST!

He wanted a Lady Bug cake so I mixed up his favorite flavor cake mix and baked ONE cupcake. The rest of the batter was placed in a sprayed (Pam) glass mixing bowl and baked.

I then let both the cupcake and cake cool for about 10 minutes and then inverted the bowl cake on a wire rack. Let cool completely.

I took 1 can of white frosting and microwaved for just a minute or so. I poured a whole BOTTLE of red food coloring into it and mixed well. It came out HOT PINK but it worked!

I spread the frosting all over the cupcake (for the head) and the bowl cake (for the body). I pressed the cupcake towards the frosted body and it stuck okay. I then took a small box of Junior Mints and put the black spots all over its body.

I took 2 green sugary gumdrop (like spice drops) and kind of squished them to make its eyes. I could not find BLACK shoestring licorice in our town so I used the Grape flavored pullnpeel stuff by Twizzler to make its antennae.

Have to pat myself on the back 'cuz it came out ADORABLE.