FOR THE BARNYARD:
2 (9-inch) round cakes, 1 (16-ounce) pound cake, and 3 cupcakes
Frosting (1-3/4 cups green, 3-1/2 cups white)
Blue decorators' gel
2 bamboo skewers
Cherry pull-and-peel licorice (we used Twizzlers brand)
Cereal squares (we used Life)
Thin pretzel sticks
1/3 cup chocolate chips

FOR THE ANIMALS:
9 cupcakes
Frosting (1/2 cup pink, 1-1/4 cups white)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Large marshmallows
Pink sparkling sugar
Cherry pull-and-peel licorice
Strawberry Starburst candies
Strawberry Mentos
1 cup sweetened coconut, tinted yellow
Orange and lemon sugared jelly candies

Barnyard:
To make the base, trim the round cake tops flat and assemble them facedown, as shown. Frost them green, leaving a small bare spot for the pond. Frost the spot white, then pipe on strips of blue decorators' gel. Using the back of a spoon, gently spread the gel over the white frosting to cover it.
For the barn, cut a 7-inch section from the pound cake and trim the roof, as shown. For the silo, remove the tops of 2 cupcakes. Stack them and add a third cupcake on top, frosting between the layers. Insert 2 skewers and trim the excess.
Set aside 1/2 cup of white frosting in a ziplock bag. Generously frost the barn and silo. Separate the licorice into 3-strand sections, then gently press them in place. Use scissors to trim any excess, then wipe off excess frosting with a damp paper towel. Add cereal shingles. Snip off a corner of the ziplock bag and pipe on windows and doors. Press on pretzel Xs. Firmly but carefully place the barn and silo on the barnyard base.
Make the five fence sections. Lay 10 pretzel sticks vertically on a wax paper–covered work surface. Working in 10-second bursts, microwave 1/3 cup of chocolate chips in a ziplock bag until the chocolate is soft. Snip a corner of the bag, pipe on chocolate "glue," and lay on the crosspieces. Refrigerate the sections until the chocolate has hardened, about 10 minutes, then press them into the cake base.

Animals:
Frost the pig cupcakes pink, the remaining cupcakes white. For all three types of animals, press on chocolate chip eyes. To make noses for the pigs and cows, cut marshmallows in half and dip the cut ends in pink sugar. Press them on, sugar side up.
Chick: Sprinkle on yellow coconut. Cut a triangle beak from orange jelly candy and press it on, then add lemon jelly candy wings.
Cow: Working in 10-second bursts, microwave the remaining chocolate chips in a ziplock bag until the chocolate is soft. Snip a corner of the bag and pipe on nostrils and spots. Add Mentos ears.
Pig: Add licorice nostrils. For ears, cut the Starburst crosswise and press on the pieces.