When our youngest grandson was turning 3 he asked me to make him a green dinosaur cake for his birthday. And who could say no to a request like that? Our birthday boy knew the look he wanted but didn’t have a flavor preference. I chose a simple White Buttermilk Cake with two fillings, lime curd and raspberry, both mixed with luscious mascarpone cheese. A double recipe of American Buttercream tinted green and a chocolate ganache drip finished the basic cake. The sides of the cake are frosted with a rough finish because there is nothing smooth and pretty about dinosaurs. Next, onto the decorations. I debated over trying to make edible dinosaurs from fondant or gum paste, but decided instead to buy some plastic dinosaurs to sit on top. I gave the dinosaurs a good washing with soap and water since they would be sitting right on the cake. Chocolate trees and different chocolate candies finished the top of the cake and the green dinosaur cake was complete. Tip: make sure your guests are aware that the plastic dinosaurs are non-edible. You will notice full recipes below of the fillings, but I only used part of the recipes and had leftover which can be used for other recipes. The American Buttercream recipe below is a double batch of my original American Buttercream recipe. Make ahead Tips: I like to make the cake layers the day before, wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The layers are easier to work with and slice when they’re chilled and it definitely helps with time management. The Lime Curd and Raspberry Sauce can also be made the day before and refrigerated so they will be chilled and thick.