You’ve seen it on Facebook, you’ve salivated over it on instagram, and you’ve tried to copy how to do it on YouTube!A real watermelon cake is actually a lot easier to make than it looks. The problem can be how juicy watermelons are around this time of year. Actually, that’s not a true problem, unless you’re hoping to make a cake that will last longer than an hour or two! The key is to chill the entire watermelon before cutting it and decorating it, or else chilling the base “cake” before decorating it for a party. Here’s a guide to how it works:

1) Find a large, evenly round watermelon.

2) Either refrigerate the watermelon overnight or cut the “cake” and then refrigerate before decorating. Here’s how to cut:

With a serrated large knife, cut off the top and bottom of the watermelon. Afterward, stand the watermelon upright and cut off the rind one panel at a time. Once finished, go back and “clean” up the cuts, removing excess rinds and shaping the watermelon cake base into more of a cake appearance. If the remaining watermelon “cake” appears to be too big, cut an additional inch from each end of the cake. Find a platter large enough to support the cake’s weight and height and refrigerate overnight.

3) Decorate! We suggest using grapes, strawberries and either starfruit slices or melon (cantaloupe and/or honeydew) pieces shaped with cookie cutters and attaching them to the “cake” with toothpicks. Other decoration ideas:

-Cover the “cake” with cool whip and line blueberries, raspberries and strawberries in rows along the bottom of the cake in patterns.

-Scoop out an inch of watermelon from the top of the cake and use a paper towel to absorb the juices. Line the opening with decorative fruits, dollops of whipped cream and/or cherries.

4) Serving: Cut the completed cake as you would cut a regular cake with frosting. Cutting slices across the cake could affect the weight and cause decorations to slope and slide!

Enjoy!