One Day in Advance:

Make bark: Melt two bags of Bright White Candy Melts Candy according to package directions. Pour melted candy into 10 x 15 in. pan; tap to remove air bubbles.

Sprinkle candy with Kellogg’s Froot Loops cereal. Chill until set, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Make candy-covered pretzels: Cover board or pan with parchment paper. Divide cereal into separate colors, about 2 cups each. Crush ½ cup of each cereal color.

Place 2 oz. of Candy Melts candy in disposable decorating bag; melt in microwave on full power in 30 second intervals until melted.

Hold pretzel rod over parchment paper, pipe melted candy on pretzel, tap to remove excess candy. Immediately sprinkle with crushed cereal. Place on parchment-covered board. Repeat with each color. Chill until set, about 15 to 30 minutes.

Day of:

Make cake: Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Prepare three 8-in. round cake pans with vegetable pan spray and parchment paper.

In medium bowl, combine 3 cups Froot Loops cereal and milk. Let stand 15 minutes. Strain milk, reserving 2 1/2 cups liquid for cake and discarding any solids or excess. Set aside.

In food processor, pulse remaining 3 1/4 cups of cereal until crumbs form (1 1/3 cups crushed cereal should remain.) Combine flour, crushed cereal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.

In medium bowl, beat butter, sugar, and zests together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with infused milk until fully incorporated. Scrape down bottom and sides of bowl as needed. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute until batter appears smooth. Divide evenly among pans, about 2/3 full.

Bake 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Rotate cakes at 25 minutes, 35 minutes, and 40 minutes to ensure even baking. Cool on cooling grid 10 minutes; turn out onto grid to cool completely.

Prepare buttercream icing according to recipe.

Assemble cake. Level cakes. Spatula-ice buttercream icing filling on top of bottom layer. Starting with red cereal, place pieces around edge of cake, making a circle moving inward. Repeat with remaining colors. Stack next layer and repeat steps.

Position top layer, spatula-ice entire cake.

Reserve remaining separated cereal.

Cut cereal. Reserve two whole cereal pieces of each color, set aside. Cut off 1/3 of each remaining cereal piece, just right of the center hole.

Decorate cake: Starting at the bottom of cake, place red cereal around entire cake, leaving small gap between pieces. Repeat with remaining cereal colors, lining up each row with about a 3/8 in. gap. The last cereal ring should be level with top of cake.

Pipe swirls. Prepare disposable decorating bag with tip 1M and white icing. Pipe 12 swirls around top of cake. Position one piece whole cereal on each swirl.

Break bark into shards; insert shards and pretzels into top of cake.