Dog Bone Cake and Cupcakes

Make the chocolate cake batter: Combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the oil, hot water, buttermilk, vanilla and eggs and beat until smooth. Add the chocolate chips and beat until combined.

Make the vanilla cake batter: Combine the sugar, both flours, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and mix until it is incorporated into the dry mixture. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Add this to the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing until fully incorporated.

Bake the cakes and cupcakes: Line 2 jelly roll pans with parchment paper and place muffin liners in 4 muffin trays. Fill 2 muffin trays with the chocolate batter, then pour the remaining batter into one jelly roll pan. Repeat with the vanilla batter and remaining muffin trays and jelly roll pan.

Bake the chocolate cake and cupcakes at 350F for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Bake the vanilla cake and cupcakes at 325F for 20-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool the cakes and cupcakes completely.

Assembly: Make a bone-shaped stencil out of parchment paper as big as you’d like your cake. Use the stencil to cut the sheet cakes into bone shapes. Slice the chocolate cake in half to create 2 layers. Transfer one chocolate layer to a serving platter of your choice and spread some buttercream onto the surface. Top with some fresh strawberries and chocolate chips, then place the vanilla layer on top. Repeat with more buttercream, strawberries and chocolate chips and place the second chocolate layer on top. Cover the entire cake in a thin layer of buttercream, then place the cake in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, until firm. Spread a thicker layer of buttercream all over the cake. If desired, pipe a message onto the top of the cake.

To decorate the cupcakes, place some buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped piping tip. Pipe the buttercream in a swirl onto the cupcake, then top with a bone-shaped sugar cookie.

Enjoy!