Circus Cake Food

UPSIDE-DOWN CITRUS CAKE

Steps:

• For the topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Use a fine grater to zest 1 teaspoon zest from each of the citruses (for a total of 1 tablespoon zest). Reserve the zest for the cake.
• Cut the top and bottom off of each citrus and place them with a flat side on the cutting board. Then, following the curve of the fruit, use a sharp knife to cut off the peels and as much of the white pith as possible. Slice the fruit crosswise into 1/4-inch thick rounds; carefully remove any seeds.
• Combine the butter and sugars in a small saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until melted. Pour into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly. Top with the citrus rounds so that they fit very snugly and are slightly overlapping (you may not use every slice). Drizzle with the orange liqueur, if using.
• For the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Put the butter, sugar and reserved zest in another bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour; mix until just combined.
• Pour the cake batter over the citrus and bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center just comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake and let it cool for 15 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a platter, replacing any citrus that may have stuck to the pan. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

CIRCUS ANIMAL COOKIE CAKE

Steps:

• To make cookie:.
• roll out the ready to bake cookie dough.
• place elephant shaped paper template on the flattened dough.
• cut out the shape, remove the extra pieces.
• repeat until you have 3 elephant cookies.
• bake 370F for 10 minutes.
• To make strawberry buttercream:.
• With a hand mixer or stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter for 2 mins, until smooth & creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beater as necessary.
• Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating until combined.
• Add puree, vanilla extract, jam and beat on medium speed until fully combined.
• Place in a piping bag.
• To make strawberry puree:.
• place about 5 chopped strawberries in a food processor and blend until pureed.
• To assemble:.
• placed one baked elephant cookie down.
• pipe small circular shapes of strawberry buttercream until the cookie is covered; repeat to the next two cookies.
• once the buttercream layers are added, stack the cookies.
• sprinkle on candy-coated chocolates on top.

BIG TOP CIRCUS CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans).
• Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Place cake on tray or cardboard, with short sides of cake forming top and bottom of tent. Use serrated knife to cut 2 corner triangles off top of cake, going 5 inches down long sides of cake to form tent top.
• Use half of 1 container frosting to spread a thin coat on top of cake. Frost a second time with remaining frosting in container.
• Use red gel food color to color remaining container of frosting desired shade of red. Place red frosting in decorating bag fitted with star tip. Pipe a line of stars horizontally across cake to divide the top of the big top from the base. Pipe stripes on cake, leaving a larger section of white in center of cake to accommodate number.
• Use remaining red frosting to pipe stripes on top of the big top, starting wide at the base and getting smaller as they meet at the top of the cake. Pipe desired number in center of cake.
• Cut a 4-inch piece of the straw. Tape the long end of the paper triangle to the straw. Poke base of straw into top of the cake.