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5 from 8 votes

Pirate Ship Cake

Pirate Ship Birthday Cake - Aye Matees! Do you know a wannabe pirate? Then you have to make this Pirate Ship Cake! It will be the hit of the party!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Freezing and Decorating Time1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Birthday Cake, Pirate ship cake
Servings: 12
Calories: 416kcal
Author: Erica Walker

Ingredients

  • 2 (9 inch) round cakes prepared and baked
  • 2 1/2 cups chocolate icing
  • 2 cups white icing
  • blue food coloring

Decorations:

  • 3 Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Cookies
  • 4 Hershey candy bars
  • plastic pirate figurines
  • 3 (10 inch) wooden skewers
  • white or black paper for sails
  • pirate flag (you can find one online and print it)
  • pirate map (optional)
  • gold coins (optional)

Instructions

  • Cut the cakes in half. You will have 4 semi-circles, but you will only use 3 for the cake. Set 4th aside for extra cake slices.
  • Put frosting on each half and layer them. Wrap in plastic and freeze for 1 hour.
  • Remove cakes from freezer. Trim off about an inch of the most rounded part of the cake on an angle (the bottom of the ship) so the front of the ship is higher than the back of the ship. Turn the cakes upright, as shown.
  • Optional: place cake on a cookie sheet or board covered by a Pirate map.
  • Frost the deck of the ship or top of the cake with a light layer of frosting. Place the skewers (masts) on the cake.
  • Unwrap Hershey Bars and place them on top of the cake (around the masts) as the floor of the deck to fit.
  • Frost the sides of the cake in one of two ways - you can simply spread frosting on the cake or use a star tip. Use a star tip to put a top border around the top of the cake (ship deck).
  • Cut 7 sails (3 inch by 5 inch) from the paper, then slip them onto the skewers (masts) and pinch them so it looks like they are billowing in the wind.
  • For the cannons, cut 2 Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Cookies into three equal sections (so you have 6 cannons). Place a candle in the center of each cookie so the wick end is sticking out about a half an inch. Push three cannons into each side of the cake.
  • Make sure that the surface on which the cake rests is impervious to wax, as the burning candles will drip.
  • Add yarn for the rope around the masts.
  • For the front bow part (the pole) use a full Pirouette cookie or a pretzel stick. Tie a rope, using jute or yarn, from the end of the cookie to the top of the mast.
  • Marble blue food coloring into white icing, making it look like water. Pipe it on with a star tip, like waves, along the bottom of the boat.
  • Place pirate figurines on deck with a little frosting under their feet so they will stick to the deck. Place gold coins around the cake (optional).

Nutrition

Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 48g | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 3mg