8 Inch Round Cake Food

UNICORN CAKE

Steps:

• For the unicorn decorations: First, make the horn and ears. Put the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons water. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until the marshmallows are melted, about 1 1/2 minutes total. Add 1 1/2 cups of the confectioners' sugar and stir to make a stiff mixture. Grease your hands and a work surface with some shortening. Knead the mixture, adding up to 1/2 cup more confectioners' sugar and greasing your hands as needed to keep it from sticking, until the mixture is very smooth and pliable, 4 to 5 minutes. (The mixture should form a tight but very smooth ball. If you poke a finger into it, the indentation should remain.)
• Break off three-quarters of the marshmallow mixture, add 1 drop blue gel food coloring and knead it into the mixture until evenly distributed. Remove one-quarter of the blue mixture and roll out to a thickness of a little less than 1/4 inch. With a sharp paring knife, cut two 2-inch-tall triangles for the inside of the unicorn ears. Roll the remaining blue mixture into a thick, tapered strand, about 2 feet long. Brush an 8-inch lollipop stick with water. Starting about 3 inches up from the bottom of the stick, roll the strand around it, starting with the thickest part first, into a tapered horn. Press gently all around to adhere it to the stick. Stick the horn upright in a jar filled with dried beans or rice to dry.
• Roll out the remaining plain marshmallow mixture to a thickness of a little less than 1/4 inch. With a sharp paring knife, cut two 3-inch-tall triangles for the outside of the unicorn ears. Brush the larger ears on one side with a small amount of water. Stick on the smaller blue ears. Drape the ears, with the smaller pieces face down, over the rolling pin to dry.
• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat four 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Prepare the cake mixes according to the package directions. Stir in the sprinkles. (If you don't have 4 pans, make 1 box of cake mix at a time and use half of the sprinkles in each).
• Divide the batter among the 4 prepared pans and bake, rotating the pans from top to bottom halfway through baking, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool completely.
• For the buttercream: Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and light, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners' sugar and beat on low to incorporate, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and then the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is easily spreadable.
• Cut the domed tops from the cakes to make them flat. Frost the top of one cake layer with about 1/2 cup frosting. Set another layer on top and frost again. Repeat with the third layer, then end with the last layer bottom-side up on top. Coat the cake with a very thin layer of frosting to crumb coat, then chill until set, about 15 minutes. Set the cake on a cake stand and spread all but 1/2 cup of the remaining frosting on the cake in a smooth layer.
• Cut two 3-inch strands from the licorice and stick to the cake about halfway down in wide U shapes for the eyes. Cut ten 1/2-inch licorice pieces and press 5 along the bottom of each eye for eyelashes. Wrap the rainbow candy belt around the base of the cake. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup frosting in a strip along the base of the cake to adhere the candies. Stick the candies around the cake in a decorative fashion. Pull the cotton candy apart to make it fluffy and stick on the top and sides of the cake as a mane. Add the horn and ears and serve immediately. (Most of the cake can be decorated in advance; the cotton candy needs to be added at the last minute.)

8 INCH ROUND VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°
• You can mix this cake by hand with a whisk, or with an electric mixer.
• Prepare one 8 inch round cake pan with a baking spray (or grease and flour pan)
• wrap a wet baking strip or towel around the outer edge of pan to ensure even baking
• In a medium bowl, whisk sugar with eggs until fluffy and lighter in color.
• Add in flour, baking powder and whisk to combine and start pouring in the milk, butter, oil, and vanilla and finish mixing it all in without over mixing.
• Pour batter into prepared baking pan
• Bake for 30 minutes, then test until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a piece of wax paper, then turn again right side up on a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Spread whipped cream over top of the cake (printable recipe follows) with an offset spatula to create swirls to give it a fluffy look.
• Top with sprinkles.
• Place in the fridge until ready to serve.
• Remove cake from fridge 15 minutes before serving
• Whip heavy cream with an immersion blender or electric mixer with powdered milk and powdered sugar, until it's thick and peaks form when the whisk attachment when pulled away.
• The powdered milk with help keep the whipped cream from getting "watery" it stays well for days in the fridge.
• This can be spread over the cake, then add sprinkles. Refrigerate and take out 20-20 mintus before serving for best flavor of cake and frosting.

RAINBOW LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among 6 small bowls, about 1 1/3 cups each.
• Using food colors, tint batter in 1 bowl blue, 1 bowl red, 1 bowl green, 1 bowl yellow, 1 bowl orange (using red and yellow) and 1 bowl purple (using blue and red).
• Refrigerate 3 colors of batter until ready to bake. Pour remaining 3 colors of batter into cake pans.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center and begins to pull away from side of pan. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks; cool completely.
• Wash cake pans. Bake and cool remaining 3 cake layers as directed.
• In large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light yellow. On low speed, gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until frosting is smooth. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy.
• Trim rounded tops off cakes to level, if needed. On serving plate, place purple cake layer. Spread with frosting to within 1/4 inch of edge. Repeat with blue, green, yellow, orange and red cake layers. Spread light coat of frosting on top and side of cake to seal in crumbs, then frost with remaining frosting.

STRAWBERRY CAKE

Steps:

• MAKE THE CAKE:.
• Grease three 8 inch round cake pans and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy about 5 minutes.
• Add sour cream and mix until well combined.
• Add eggs in two batches and mix until well combined each time.
• Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl.
• Add in half of the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Do not overmix.
• Add in strawberry puree and strawberry extract and mix until well combined. Do not overmix.
• Add in the other half of the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Do not overmix.
• Optional: Add drops of pink food coloring to batter until you reach the desired color.
• Divide batter into the three greased cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes on rack and remove from pans and cool completely on rack.
• MAKE THE FROSTING:.
• Beat the sugar and shortening together until smooth.
• Add 6 cups of powdered sugar 2 cups at a time and mix until smooth.
• Add strawberry puree and extract and mix well.
• Add other 6 cups of powdered sugar 2 cups at a time and mix until smooth.
• Add pink coloring until desired color is reached.
• ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:.
• Spread 2 T of strawberry jam on the top of 2 of the cake layers (these will be the bottom 2 layers of the cake.
• Spread 1 cup of strawberry frosting on top of one of those layers.
• Put the other layer, with strawberry preserves on it, on top of that layer and spread that one with 1 cup of strawberry frosting.
• Place the last layer (no strawberry preserves on this one) on the very top and spread with 1 cup of strawberry frosting.
• Use the remaining frosting (and there will be a lot) to frost the sides and top of the cake and decorations.
• I suggest you crumb coat the cake and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes and then frost the cake so the sides and top are smooth or any other way you desire. Decorate with shells or flowers or dots by using piping tips.