3 c. Gold Medal all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2/3 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. cold water
1 tub (16 oz.) ready to spread frosting (any flavor)
Pastel mint wafers, flattened gumdrops or fruit gems, shoestring licorice

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 round pans, 9 x 1 1/2 inches, dust with flour. Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Mix oil, vinegar and vanilla. Stir oil mixture and water into flour mixture real hard until well blended, about 1 minute. Immediately pour batter into pans, dividing evenly.

Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes, let cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans, let cake cool completely. Fill and frost cake as directed on frosting tub. Arrange wafer "balloons" on top of cake, use licorice to make balloon strings.