Gems & Jewels Cake

We are making this beautiful cake at my Let's Cook kids' class this week. To simplify this recipe for a 3/4 hour class, I have some "star shaped" mini cake pans in which to pre-bake the individual cakes for my students. The children will be decorating their own Gems & Jewels Princess Stars. They are pretty excited about this. Note: you can buy gold and silver decorating sugar/non-pareils at WalMart and most JoAnn's, Wiltons or Michaels stores! Here, for your decorating pleasure is:


Gems & Jewels Cake (from The Cake Mix Bible)

The perfect crowning touch for a Princess Party!

Ingredients

• 3 packages (about 18 oz each) lemon cake mix, plus ingredients to prepare mixes
• 3 tubs (16 oz each) white frosting
• 9 drops lemon extract
• Yellow food coloring
• 1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding and pie filling mix
• 1 3/4 c milk
• Assorted candies for decorations

note: I believe you can now buy frosting starter and lemon flavor packages at most grocery stores if you would rather use that than white frosting and food coloring/extract

Directions

1. Prepare cake mixes according to package directions. Spray baking pans with cooking spray ("Pam spray for baking" works best). Divide batter among 3 cake pans: one 10x2 inch round; one 8x3 inch round and one 6x2 inch round. Bake according to directions, allowing additional time for larger cake to bake completely. Test with knife inserted in thickest part of cake: if it comes out clean, it's done. Cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Remove from pans by inverting over waxed paper; cool completely on wire racks.
2. Combine frosting, lemon extract and food coloring in a large bowl and stir until well blended. Alternately, use frosting starter and lemon flavor packs. Prepare pudding mix according to package directions using 1 3/4 c milk.
3. Trim tops of 2 larger cakes so tops are flat. Leave smallest cake slightly rounded. At this point you may freeze the cakes to make the next steps easier. Cut each cake in half horizontally to make 2 layers. Brush away any crumbs. Spread 1/3 of the pudding on bottom half of each cake; replace top layer. 
4. Place largest filled cake on large serving platter. Frost entire cake. Top with medium cake; frost entire cake. Top with smallest cake and frost entirely.
5. Decorate tiered cake with assorted candies and/or packaged sugar flowers as desired (see photo).

Note: Tiering and decorating a cake can be difficult. Most professionals use a skewer stuck through the middle of the entire tiered cake to keep it in place once it's put together. You can also use cake boards to hold the cake steady and give some support. You will be serving the cake tier by tier. 

Star Cakes - my design :)