Watermelon Cake

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. 2
   Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans by spraying with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with wax paper; coat with spray.
3. 3
   In large bowl combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water and oil. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour evenly into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean.
4. 4
   Cool in pans on wire rack 15 minutes; invert cakes onto rack, remove paper and allow to cool completely.
5. 5
   Tint one of the cans of frosting red-orange. Using leaf green, yellow and a bit of black, tint one can frosting pale green. Place 1/2 cup pale green frosting in a pastry bag fitted with decorating tip. Add more leaf green and black food color to remaining pale green frosting until it turns dark green.
6. 6
   Stack cake layers on a cutting board; cut crosswise in half. Set one piece aside.
7. 7
   For large melon slice: Sandwich 3 cake layer halves with 1/3 cup white frosting between each (invert top layer so flat side is up).
8. 8
   For small melon wedges: Cut reserved piece of cake into 3 wedges. Frost large slice and wedges with a thin layer of remaining white frosting.
9. 9
   Frost rounded edges of cakes with dark green frosting. Using flat slide of decorating tip, pipe pale green frosting along edge of dark green frosting on sides and top. Pipe squiggly lines onto sides over dark green frosting. Using spatula, smear pale green lines to create the look of watermelon skin.
10. 10
    Reserve 1/2 cup red-orange frosting. With remaining red-orange frosting, frost top and straight sides of cakes, leaving about 1/2-inch border of white frosting. Slice chocolate-covered raisins in half lengthwise to resemble seeds. Place cut-side up into red-orange frosting for pits. Chill several hours or overnight in refrigerator to set.
11. 11
    Transfer large melon slice to serving tray, standing it on rounded edge. Frost back side of cake with reserved red-orange frosting; decorate with additional chocolate-covered raisins. Place small wedges on tray with large slice.
12. 12
    To serve large cake, place it back onto a flat side before cutting into slices.