Pam Bolz's CRAYON BOX

 1 box (about 18 ounces) cake mix, any flavor
 2 1/2 cans (16 ounces each) ready-to-spread vanilla frosting
 Purple, red, blue, yellow, green and orange paste food color 
 Purchased candy cake-decoration letters: C-R-A-Y-O-N-S or a name
 Candles
 Purchased candy star-shape candleholders

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan. Have ready a serving surface at
least 13 1/2x9 inches. 
2. Prepare cake mix and bake in prepared pan following package directions. Cool in pan
on wire rack 15 minutes. Invert cake on rack and cool completely.
3. Cut cake as shown (diagram A). 
4. Frosting: Spoon 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons frosting into a small bowl. Tint purple
(color will deepen slightly as it stands). For each crayon, spoon 2 tablespoons each
frosting into 6 custard cups. Leave 1 batch plain; tint remaining batches red, blue, yellow
and green. Scrape remaining frosting into a bowl and tint orange. 
5. Using a small metal spatula, spread colors on "crayons," including plain (white)
frosting and purple. Cover "box" with orange frosting. Spread some of the remaining
purple frosting on lower corners of box. Spoon leftover purple frosting into a pastry bag
fitted with a small writing tip. Pipe outlines of crayons, box and purple corners. Gently
press candy letters into frosting on box. Insert candles into stars and press into frosting.

NOTE: Cake Tips

* If you're baking more than one pan at a time, stagger the pans so the air can circulate
around them.
* For easier cutting, bake, cool and loosely wrap cakes one day ahead.
* If you don't have a large platter or serving tray for the cake, cut a large piece of
cardboard or sheet of plastic foam to size and cover it with foil.
* To keep serving tray free of frosting, tuck 3-inch-wide strips of waxed paper under the
edges of the cake before frosting. Pull strips away when finished.
* Before frosting, brush cakes to remove loose crumbs. To keep crumbs from getting
mixed in when spreading frosting, have the spatula touch only the frosting--not the
cake itself.
* For deep colors use paste food colors (available in cake-decorating and cookware
stores). Liquid food colors are OK, but much less vibrant.

* Serves 12.