1roll Betty Crocker™ Fruit by the Foot™ strawberry chewy fruit snack (from 4.5-oz box)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Lightly spray the bottoms of two 13x9-inch pans with cooking spray, then line the bottoms with waxed paper or cooking parchment paper and spray the paper with cooking spray.
Prepare and bake cake mixes following the instructions on the boxes for 13x9-inch pans, using water, oil, and eggs. Allow cakes to cool for 10 minutes, then remove them from the pans onto cooling racks. Peel off waxed paper and place top side up on the racks. Let the cakes cool completely for about 30 minutes before decorating.
Using a large serrated knife, level the surface of the cakes by trimming off the dome if necessary. Line 2 small cookie sheets or trays with foil and place one cake on each. Cover them with foil and loosely wrap each cake. Freeze for about 5 hours or overnight until the cakes are completely frozen.
Take the cakes out of the freezer and place the templates over them following the provided diagram. Carefully cut the cakes around the templates. Round the edges of the muzzle to shape the nose into a dome. You can discard the cake scraps or save them for another recipe.
Place the cake pieces on a cardboard covered with parchment paper in the same pattern as shown in the photo. Transfer any smaller pieces to a cookie sheet and place them back in the freezer to keep them frozen for easier frosting later.
Cover the larger cake pieces with vanilla frosting to seal in crumbs. Then, individually add the smaller pieces, spreading frosting over all exposed edges. Freeze for about 15 minutes to set the frosting.
Cover the whole cake with the leftover vanilla frosting. Use an offset metal spatula or knife to create wavy strokes for a furry look. Use additional frosting to smooth the edges of the muzzle and legs to seamlessly blend into the body.
Add 2 brown candies onto the face for the eyes and place 1 mint for the nose. Spread cookie crumbs gently over the cake to create spots like a dalmatian. If the crumbs do not stick to the frosting, spread frosting using a spatula or knife in the desired area and then sprinkle the crumbs. Put dark chocolate frosting in a small resealable plastic bag, cut off a small corner, and pipe the mouth and paw prints onto the cake. Cut the taffy into a 1x1/2-inch piece, round the edges, and make an indentation down the center for the tongue. Insert the tongue into the mouth. Fold the chewy fruit snack in half lengthwise and place it around the neck as a collar, trimming the excess. Cut out a fire hydrant shape from the remaining fruit snack using a template and place it just below the collar.
Keep the cake covered but not tightly either at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before serving.