John Deere Tractor Cake

Here is a great way to enhance any cake mix or use it according to box directions. Just don't overbake it!! Freezing your cake not only makes it easier to frost but it makes it more moist. John Deere Tractors are a part of my ATKINSON heritage. So this cake is a family hit.

Birthday Cake
1 Betty Crocker cake mix (flavor of choice) I used yellow
4 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. water
1 small box pudding (flavor of choice) I used vanilla
1 c. sour cream
Place all ingredients in mixer bowl. Beat for 2 minutes. Pour batter into 2 sprayed loaf pans (one 9x5 and one 6x3 inches). Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run knife around edges of pan and dump cake out onto a cooling rack. Completely cool cakes and then place in freezer.

Make frosting
1/2 c. crisco
5 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla or butter extract
1/3 c. milk
yellow and green paste food coloring
additional items needed for decorating: 7 oreo cookies, 2 chocolate pinwheel cookies, A Twix candy bar or Tootsie Roll
Place all ingredients in bowl except the food coloring. Beat well, add more milk or powdered sugar as needed to reach desired consistency. Color 2/3 of icing green and 1/3 of icing yellow.
Remove cake from freezer and cut the large loaf cake to form a seat area. Use cut pieces to build a seat. You may want to return cake to freezer as a frozen cake is easier to frost without crumbs in the frosting. Frost the green portions first, the large loaf is the tractor and it is entirely green except for the seat and steering wheel. Place yellow frosting in large pastry bag. With a round tip pipe in a pin strip on each side and a seat, smoothing frosting with a spatula to make smooth. Frost the sides and about 1/2 inch onto the top of the smaller loaf with the green frosting to make a wagon. Position behind tractor and then add wheels to tractor and wagon, 6 oreo cookies and 2 large chocolate pinwheel cookies and the remaining oreo becomes a steering wheel. See photo for positioning and decorating. With the round tip pipe a circle in the center of each cookie making a yellow center (wheel axle). Change to an open leaf tip and pipe on yellow straw covering the top of the wagon. Add a small Twix candy bar or Tootsie Roll for a smoke stack.
Pipe Happy Birthday wishes onto cake or platter with round tip. Enjoy your party. This cake is a hit with all ages of tractor lovers!!!
** I made matching cupcakes for my "3" year old grandson, Connor.