American Flag

• For an Independence Day celebration or a party in honor of a person who has served in the U.S. Army, make a 9-inch by 13-inch rectangular cake covered with the American flag and an Army emblem. Prepare a rectangular cake, and cover the cake with a sheet of white fondant. Smooth the top and sides of the cake with a fondant-smoothing tool. Add a decorative border along the bottom of the cake with buttercream icing and do this with a pastry bag with a star icing tip. Make the American flag for the cake by using red, white and blue fondant, and drape the flag casually across the cake. Place a small, non-edible U.S. Army emblem on the cake next to the flag.
  
  

Army Emblem

• For a retirement party or other celebratory event, make a cake decorated to look like the U.S. Army emblem. Prepare a cake mix, and bake the cake in a 10- or 12-inch round cake pan. Allow the cake to cool, remove it from the pan, and place it on a round cake tray. Cover the cake in a thick, smooth layer of buttercream icing. Have a large image of the Army emblem transferred onto a sheet of edible frosting paper, remove the backing on the paper, and place the image on the cake gently. Make sure the cake is only for recreational use and that no copyright laws are infringed upon.
  
  

Army Tank

• Make a cake in the shape of an Army tank for the next birthday party or other Army-themed special event. Prepare a store-bought or homemade cake mix, and pour it into a 9-inch by 13-inch rectangular cake pan and a 7-inch by 11-inch rectangular cake pan. Allow the cakes to cool, remove them from the pans and spread a layer of Army green-tinted buttercream icing on the top of the medium-size cake. Place the smaller cake on top of the icing, all the way to one side of the cake to make the shape of the tank. Cover the entire top and sides of the cakes with the same buttercream icing. Press round chocolate cookies against the bottom sides of the cake to make the wheels for the tank and make the caterpillar tracks above the wheels from pieces of black licorice. Use a longer piece of licorice for the main gun on the front of the smaller cake and another small piece of licorice for the commander's gun on top of the cake.
  
  

Battlefield Scene

• Party planners can make a battlefield scene cake for a birthday party. Prepare a 14-inch by 22-inch rectangular slab cake, and cover the cake in a layer of tan buttercream icing. To add a sandy look to the cake, mix the icing with some graham crumbs, or sprinkle the crumbs on top afterward. Make tufts of grass with green icing, and do this with a pastry bag with small round icing tip. Add toy tank, truck and Army personnel figurines. You can make the vehicles and personnel from fondant, letting them dry for 24 hours and then placing them on the cake to finish the scene.