WATERMELON CAKE FOR - SUMMER - SEASON

YIELD: 8 servings
PREP TIME: 25 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 4 hours 30 minutes

2/3 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 box (15.25 oz) white cake mix
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 egg whites
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1-1/4 cups water
1 box (3 oz) watermelon-flavored gelatin
1 container (16 oz) fluffy white frosting
Red (or pink), green, yellow and blue food color
1 piece of black or chocolate licorice, if desired

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Grease a glass Pyrex 2.5 Qt. Mixing Bowl with shortening or cooking spray. Cut a piece of cooking parchment paper to fit in bottom of bowl. Spray paper with cooking spray; lightly flour the paper and inside of bowl. In small bowl, toss chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon flour; set aside.
2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, 1/2 cup flour, sugar, baking powder, egg whites, oil, water and gelatin powder with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. If desired, add 2 to 3 drops red or pink food color (or enough to achieve desired color). Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping side of bowl occasionally.
3. Pour about one-fourth of the batter into prepared bowl. Gently fold reserved chocolate chips into remaining batter; pour over batter in bowl. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (some chocolate is okay!).
4. Cool 15 minutes; carefully loosen cake with a knife and invert onto cooling rack. Peel off parchment paper; cool completely.
5. Mix two-thirds of the frosting with enough green food color to achieve the deep green shade of a watermelon rind (add 1 or 2 drops blue food color to get a deeper green). Frost entire dome of cake with dark green frosting. Place cake in freezer until frosting is set, about 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Mix remaining frosting with 2 to 3 drops of green and 1 to 2 drops yellow food color to achieve a light green. Spoon frosting into resealable plastic bag or piping bag; pipe thin stripes on dark green frosting. Using a butter knife or offset spatula, spread thin stripes to create wider and slightly irregular stripes to look like watermelon.
7. For stem, insert licorice in top center of cake. Store in refrigerator. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Garnish with whipped cream if desired.