I got into cake decorating wanting to make memorable birthday cakes for my children. For Nathan, I’ve made a Sponge Bob, golf, and motorcycle cakes and he’s loved them all.

When I found out I was pregnant with a Lucie, I bought "girlie" cake pans of dolls, castles, and daisies and looked forward to making pretty-in-pink cakes for her birthday.

Then we found Lucie was allergic to eggs and all plans where abandoned. As a substitute, I’ve made ice cream cakes or just put ice cream in a bowl with candles on top.

Then I came across recipes for dirt and sand cake and realized, hey these don’t have any eggs in them. Yes, we can eat this!

(Yesterday, I tragically discovered that like most bread products, Oreos have soy in them, another thing we just found out that Lucie is allergic to. Unlike eggs and peanuts, I’ve never seen her react to soy by breaking out in hives or throwing up. Still, I will be limiting her access to all foods containing soy, including Oreos, whenever possible. I’m hoping that some of the generic or healthier versions of Oreos don’t have soy, but I doubt it since EVERYTHING has soy in it now.)

Jane’s Dirt Cake
There are many variations of dirt cake. I chose this one from MarthaStewart.com since it gives good tips for using a real terra cotta flower pot. (You could use a plastic one as well.)

Serves 12 to 15. When making dirt cake, it’s important to begin and end with the ground Oreo mixture. Martha’s friend Jane Heller likes to serve her dirt cake creatively: She presents the cake in a sterilized terra-cotta pot, then inserts sunflowers (their stems wrapped in plastic) into the cake for decoration. Sterilize the pot by placing it in the oven at 350° for two to three hours. Avoid using any pot that has been glazed.

Ingredients:

1. 1 sixteen-ounce package Oreo cookies
2. 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4. 4 packages (3.9 ounces each) instant chocolate pudding
5. 4 3/4 cups milk
6. 3 recipes Sweetened Whipped Cream , or one 16-ounce carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
7. Candy (gummie worms, rock candy, "rock" jelly beans, candy bugs, etc.) for decorating

Directions:

1. If using a flowerpot with a drainage hole, reserve 1 cookie to place over hole to prevent leaking. Place remaining cookies in the bowl of a food processor. Process until mixture resembles dirt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and butter, and stir until creamy. Set aside.
3. In another large bowl, whisk together instant-pudding mixes and milk; stir until well blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold pudding mixture into cream-cheese mixture. Fold in whipped cream.
4. In a flowerpot or bucket with a 5-quart capacity, alternate layers of cookie “dirt” and pudding mixture, starting and ending with cookie “dirt.” Chill at least 4 hours or overnight before serving. Garnish with candy.

(Photograph by Todd Atkinson, courtesy of MarthaStewart.com)

Sand Cake
From Real Simple magazine – Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1. 1 12-ounce box Nilla Wafers (you could probably substitute vanilla Oreos)
2. 1 8-ounce container Cool Whip
3. 2 3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
4. 1 4-ounce package vanilla instant pudding mix
5. 1 1/2 cups milk
6. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7. Candy shells, gummy fish and sharks, etc. for decorating

Directions:

1. Make the "sand" by crushing the Nilla Wafers with a potato masher or in a food processor.
2. With a mixer, combine the Cool Whip, cream cheese, pudding mix, milk, and vanilla.
3. Layer a fifth of the crumbs in the bottom of a large, clean sand pail.
4. Top with a third of the pudding mixture, then a layer of crumbs.
5. Continue layering, ending with crumbs.
6. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
7. Decorate with the candy shells.

While you’re eating your dirt cake, enjoy these books:

• On the Seashore is a great book to introduce very young children to the animals and plants found in tide pools. Like the rest of the books in Usborne’s Picture Books series, these introduce children 3 years and up to science in a story book format.
• On the Beach – Lift the flaps to uncover life on the beach. For ages three and up.
• Sand Cake – Papa Bear uses his culinary skills and a little imagination to concoct a sand cake. For ages 4 to 8.
• The Shells Sticker Book, Seashore Sticker Book, and Rocks and Minerals from Usborne’s spotter’s guides series are a great way to document a seashell or rock collection or those seen at museums and nature stores. For ages 7 and up.
• Roadside geology books – Ever wonder the story behind those interesting rock formations you pass every day on the way to work or school? The roadside geology books are great guides to helping you find out how they were formed. Keep this in your car or take it along on road trips. There are guides for many U.S. states including Roadside Geology of Colorado.

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