Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, cake mix, baking soda, and salt until combined; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cream cheese, and both sugars together until lightened in color and creamy.

Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract, followed by the pudding mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then dump in the flour mixture. Beat until just combined. Stir in the sprinkles by hand. Chill dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Scoop the dough out, roll into a ball, flatten into a thick disc, then place onto the lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until edges begin to turn golden. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave until smooth and melted. Set aside to cool slightly***.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, salt, and vanilla on high until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, a half cup at a time, until fully incorporated. Mix on high for 3 minutes.

Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Add the melted chocolate and beat frosting on high for 2-3 minutes. Add the heavy cream, and continue to beat until light and fluffy.

Transfer half of the frosting to another bowl. To the frosting that's left in the bowl, add the food coloring and beat until combined.

To achieve the swirl effect, lay a large piece of plastic wrap onto a flat surface. Spoon about half of the white frosting in a log down the center. Repeat with half of the pink frosting, spooning it alongside the white frosting. Note: You only want to spoon half of each frosting because it needs to fit into your piping bag.

Fold the plastic wrap over to shape it into a log and twist the ends to seal the frosting inside. Cut one end of the log, then place it into a large pastry bag fitted with a round tip, or a large ziplock bag with the corner cut off. Before piping frosting onto cookies, squeeze some out on a plate to ensure the colors come out evenly.

Using a spiral motion from the inside out, pipe the frosting onto the cookies. Top each cookie with a Circus Animal cookie. Serve and enjoy!