Guitar Cake

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease or spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan.

Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate or freeze cake about 1 hour or until firm.

Using serrated knife, cut rounded top off cake to level surface; place cake cut side down. Cut 9x2-inch strip of cake for guitar neck. (See link below for diagram.) Cut body of guitar from remaining cake. Place pieces on tray.

Place 1/2 cup frosting in small bowl. Stir in 4 to 6 drops green food color. Into remaining vanilla frosting, stir 6 drops yellow food color. Attach guitar neck to body with small amount of frosting. Frost guitar neck with a thin layer of green frosting and frost top and sides of guitar body with a thin layer of yellow frosting to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes to set frosting. Frost entire cake with same colors.

Press 3 gumdrops on each side of neck for tuning pegs. On neck, draw crosswise lines with decorating gel, 1 inch apart, for frets. Place wafer cookie on center of body. Place tart and tangy candies around wafer cookie. Place stick of gum 1 inch under wafer cookie. Place licorice on neck for strings. Press remaining gumdrops into frosting below gum stick. Store loosely covered.