What texture a cake needs to be when decorating?

I am making a lady bug cake for my niece. The base cake will be pre-made, but the lady bug and any decorations I will be doing. The for the lady bug is store bought (Duncan Hines). I want to make the body out of a cake back in a bowl so it is round. Is there a specific density the cake needs to be? Is there something I need to do/ not do to make sure the cake isn't difficult to frost?What texture a cake needs to be when decorating?
Using a cake mix cake would be fine. Make sure that you cake is cooled, at least four hours or overnight. Lightly brush any loose crumbs from the cake.





You will achieve a more professional look and finish on your cake if you apply the frosting in two coats. First place about one-third of the remaining frosting in a small bowl and thin the consistency with a small amount of milk. Spread in a thin layer over the entire cake as a base coat to seal in any remaining crumbs and smooth the surface. Let the base coat dry for about 15 minutes.





Spread the sides of the cake with a thicker, finishing layer of frosting, working from the top toward the bottom as you rotate the cake. Wipe the spatula with paper towels before dipping it back into the bowl of frosting, and keep it well coated with frosting so it doesn't pick up any crumbs.





To frost the cake top, spoon a mound of frosting in the center and spread it outward to all edges. Hold a narrow metal spatula under hot running water, shake off the excess water and use the damp spatula to quickly smooth a section of frosting with long strokes, moving in one direction. Repeat until the frosting is smooth on the cake top and sides.What texture a cake needs to be when decorating?
In the past when I decorated cakes, I always cooked Duncan Hines cakes at 325 rather than the 350 called for. Do not over mix the cake or you will have air pockets. Make sure the cake has cooled completely before icing. Giving the possible difficulty of frosting the lady bug back smooth, you may want to consider using a star tip to cover the back with stars. You also may lightly brush cake after it has cooled with a sugar water mixture to glue crumbs in place. The density of the cake mix is fine. Cake mixes are frequently used for decorated cakes.
I did a similar project once but it was a turtle, not a ladybug. I baked it in a bowl the same way. I just used a regular box of cake mix along with store bought frosting. It came out perfectly. You don't need to change the cake for this project. good luck!