Easter 'dirt' cake

Make this adorable cake for your Easter table or just to celebrate the arrival of spring or your garden's harvest. Use any cake flavor you like. The kids will love helping spread "dirt" on top and adding the strawberry "carrots" to the cake.

Ingredients

• 1 package 2-layer-size strawberry, chocolate, or white cake mix
• 6 ounces orange candy melts
• 16 fresh strawberries with hulls, washed and dried
• 1-1/2 cups shredded coconut
• Green food coloring
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups finely crushed chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (about 18 cookies)
  
• READ MORE: 5 treats for your Easter dessert table

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9×2-inch baking pan. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan on a wire rack.
2. Place candy melts in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 100% power (high) for 1 to 1½ minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring twice. Holding a strawberry by the hull, dip into melted mixture to completely coat, leaving hull exposed. Place on a sheet of waxed paper and let stand until set. Repeat with remaining strawberries. If desired, transfer remaining candy coating to a resealable plastic bag, snip off a corner and add crosswise drizzles of coating to coated berries to add texture; let stand until set. Once set, store in the refrigerator if not serving right away.
3. Place coconut in a resealable plastic bag. Add a few drops green food coloring. Seal bag and knead to color the coconut.
4. For frosting, in a large mixing bowl combine the heavy cream, sour cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium until stiff peaks form. Spread over cooled cake. Sprinkle generously with cookie crumbs to cover frosting. Insert strawberries at even intervals into crumbs. Sprinkle coconut around edge of cake and in rows around strawberries. Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator. Makes 16 servings.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 417 cal., 23 g fat (12 g sat. fat), 61 mg chol., 49 g carb., 295 mg sodium, 1 g fiber, 32 g sugar, 4 g pro.