Circus Birthday Cake

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease 13x9-inch pan with shortening; set aside. Make batter as directed on box; pour into pan. Bake as directed for 13x9-inch cake. Cool cake completely. Refrigerate cake 1 hour.

Trim away 2 triangular pieces from either side of 1 short end of cake so that upper third of cake comes to a point. Frost entire cake with vanilla frosting. Refrigerate cake 30 minutes.

Using back of large chef's knife, score a line into frosting across cake where tent "roof" begins. Score 4 vertically even lines across bottom portion of cake. Score 4 diagonal lines radiating downward from tip of tent's pointed rooftop. Score 2 diagonal lines in center of cake to create tent opening.

Using red cookie icing, outline 3 red triangles on rooftop, following lines scored earlier. Outline corresponding rectangular scored lines below roof triangles. Avoid filling in middle red stripe completely, as it will be outlined and filled with another color. Fill in stripes with red icing (do not over-fill or icing will overflow outlines). Use toothpick to move icing around to close any gaps. Outline center scored triangle with black cookie icing. Fill in outline with black icing as before with red icing. Outline all scored lines with black cookie icing.

For lion's head, microwave 1 piece of yellow fruit chew taffy on High 5 seconds. Knead taffy and stretch into a round, large enough to completely cover top and sides of 1 of the cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies. Wrap yellow taffy around sandwich cookie. Use white decorating icing to pipe 2 small mounds in center of cookie. Top each mound with 1 miniature chocolate chip pointed-side-down. Pipe larger mound of white icing just below eyes; place 1 chocolate chip on its side (flat-end-up) at top center.

Knead together 2 chocolate chews (microwave them on High 5 seconds if they are hard). Stretch chews into a round about 1/2-inch larger than lion's head. Trim into neater round; fringe edges with kitchen scissors. Attach lion head to chocolate piece using dot of white icing. Roll some of chocolate chew scraps between fingers to create whiskers. Press pieces into white frosting on either side of miniature chip "nose". Roll 2 small pieces of yellow fruit chew into balls; flatten to make lion ears, but do not attach them.

For pink elephant, microwave, knead and stretch 1 piece of pink fruit chew taffy; wrap around 1 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie as before with lion. Use half of second piece of pink taffy to create elephant trunk; gently press onto surface of taffy-wrapped cookie. Use remaining pink taffy to create 2 large elephant ears. Attach ears with dots of white icing. Press 2 miniature chocolate chips onto either side of face. Attach large purple confetti sprinkles to 1 ear using white icing. Roll small piece of yellow fruit chew taffy into a ball to make center of bow.

For bear, knead together 3 chocolate fruit chews (microwave if the candies are hard). Knead, stretch and wrap around cookie as before with lion and elephant heads. Use white decorating icing to pipe 2 small mounds in center of cookie. Top each mound with 1 chocolate chip pointed-side-down. Pipe larger mound of white icing just below eyes; place 1 chocolate chip on its side (flat-end-up) at top center. Roll 2 small pieces of 1 chocolate chew between fingers; flatten to make bear ears, but do not attach them.

Press lion head onto top point of black triangle tent opening (it should adhere naturally, but if it doesn't use white icing to adhere). Attach 2 yellow fruit chew ears to either side of lion head with dots of white icing. Press elephant head to lower right of lion head. Place bear head to lower left of lion head. Attach 2 chocolate chew ears to either side of bear head with dots of white icing.

Before serving, press paper flag pick into top point of cake. Store cake loosely covered.