Peeps Sunflower Cake

INGREDIENTS
1 package yellow cake mix
1 & 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
2 cans chocolate frosting
4 packages Yellow Chick Peeps Candy – I needed 17 Peeps
Chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of two 9-inch round pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, milk, butter and eggs on low speed for about 30 seconds and then on medium for 2 minutes.
3. Pour the batter evenly between the two cake pans.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Cool the cakes in the pan for about 10 minutes and then remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
6. Level the tops of the cakes once cooled.
7. Spread chocolate frosting on the top of one of your cakes – I used about 3/4 of one of the cans of frosting – reserve the remaining 1/4 of the frosting
8. Place your other cake on top of the frosted cake to make a double layer.
9. Spread the second container chocolate frosting over the top and sides of the cake – do not use the reserved 1/4.
10. Let the frosted cake sit in the refrigerator for the icing to become firm – I let mine sit overnight in my cake caddy.
11. Using the reserved 1/4 of the frosting, add a thin layer of frosting to the outer edge of the top of the cake – this will act as the glue for the Peeps
12. Curve the Peeps slightly without separating them and arrange around the edge of the cake on top of the ‘glue’ frosting layer.  The Peeps become your sunflower petals.
13. Arrange the chocolate chips in circles in the center of the cake working to the outer edge to become the sunflower seeds.

NOTES
I thought assembling the decorations for this cake was going to be a challenge but it turned out to be surprisingly easy!

~Recipe Inspired by Taste Of Homes