Introduction: How to Make an Ikura Sushi Birthday Cake

By Shrimp Salad Circus
About: I'm a bit of a crazy cat lady with a penchant for red wine, travel, and making something from nothing. I blog at Shrimp Salad Circus, where I cover everything from an extensive library of DIY tutorials to tech…

This fun party cake was made with regular Funfetti cake mix and a few cheap and easy household ingredients. The prep time is minimal, and the results are sure to elicit lots of 'oohs' and 'aahs' from your party guests!

The original tutorial can be found on my blog at http://shrimpsaladcircus.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-to-sday-ikura-sushi-birthday-cake.html

Ingredients:
- cake mix
- Fruit Roll-Ups
- orange Jello
- sweetened shredded coconut
- kiwi
- frosting
- chopsticks and soy sauce

Step 1: Make 'Salmon Roe' Jello Fish Eggs

Use a single box of orange Jello, and prepare it according the the Jello mold instructions. I make mine in a refrigerator egg tray, but you could likely also use the foam carton that the eggs come in. I sprayed the tray with cooking spray first so that the 'eggs' would come out of the mold unscathed. Put them in the fridge for at least three hours to set. This step would be best done the night before.

Step 2: Bake Your Cakes

Simply bake a cake from a store-bought mix of your choice using two 9" round pans. After baking, set aside to cool completely.

Step 3: Frost Your Cake

Using any sort of white frosting, put your two cooled cake layers together, and frost them completely.

Step 4: Cover Top With Coconut 'Rice'

Sprinkle the top with a nice, thick layer of sweetened, shredded coconut, avoiding the very center.

Step 5: Apply Fruit Roll-Up 'Seaweed'

Using a paring knife, cut green Fruit Roll-Up slices to fit the outside of the cake and carefully stick it to the frosting the entire way around the cake. Be sure to apply it quickly before it becomes hot and sticky.

Step 6: Make 'Ginger' & 'Wasabi'

You can layer thin slices of orange and red Fruit Roll-Ups for a nice ginger color. After sticking them together, wrinkle them up a bit and set them beside the cake on the plate.

Peel a kiwi, and cut it slightly over the halfway mark so that you have one larger piece and one smaller piece. Cut notches out of it randomly to resemble a blob of wasabi. Place it next to the 'ginger' on the plate.

Step 7: Apply Your 'Salmon Roe'

Dip your Jello mold in hot water for a few moments to loosen the 'eggs' and then very carefully jiggle it around and slide them out. Using a spatula, slide them onto the center of the cake. I used four because that fit best, but yours may be smaller. Simply use however many you think look best.

Step 8: Garnish With Chopstick and Soy Sauce

Add a pair of wooden chopsticks to the top and a couple packets of soy sauce next to the ginger and wasabi for authenticity. I even used a piece of the plastic grass from a real sushi order!