Pretty cake, nasty cake

This lesson was actually used as a object lesson-illustration-horrifying piece!  It takes awhile to do, but overall, the work is sooo worth the effort.  Plus,  it's fun for me!

Theme
It's what's on the inside that counts

Supplies

• 2 cakes that taste or look gross
• pretty colored icing
• spinach, greens, or some other not-so-appetizing food
• a nice cake tray
• tools to decorate the cake with

Ahead of time

Bake the cake and let it cool completely while you make the icing.  I had a little leftover icing from a group of cupcakes, so I just used that.  

Smooth a thin layer of icing on the tops of one of the cakes.  Using a very thick consistency of icing, build an icing dam around the edge of the cake.  Open the can of greens and drain them until you can't get any more juice out.  Put the greens in the center of the cake with the icing dam.   (Never mind that banana peel)

Place the second cake on top. Be sure that the layers are aligned and fit snugly together. 

Ice the cake with a thin layer of icing on the outside to seal in any juices or crumbs that might give away the cake's real heart!

Ice the cake in whatever decoration you had planned.  I used a ruffle technique, and yes, there are tutorials all over the internet for these!

Once you have your cake finished, put it in the fridge until you are ready to take it to church.  

The lesson

Show the kids the cake.  Ask them if they think it looks good and what flavor they think it might be.  Tell them you are going to cut it open and see what amazing flavors it beholds.  When you slice into the cake to see what amazing flavor it is, the kids will see how gross it looks and ask if those are really greens!

Ask those kids if they would like to eat the cake now...hopefully they say no.  Ask why they changed their minds so quickly.  

Explain that we can look good on the outside, and everyone thinks we are so cute or pretty or handsome, but on the inside, if we don't have Jesus in our hearts, we are just as nasty as the cake.  

Explain that I can't take all that nasty stuff out of the cake now, it's ruined, but if Jesus comes into our hearts, no matter how bad we are or how nasty our heart looks, he can still save us and make us new again.  

Ps.  Here is a picture of the cake once I cut it!  Gross :)
PPs.  if the kids say that they want to eat the cake, tell them a few ingredients and,if your cake has a lot of salt like mine did, inform them that they might even throw up if they tried to eat it.