Magically Easy Unicorn Cake Food

EASY UNICORN CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare cake batter and bake in 2 (8-inch) round pans as directed on package. Cool cakes in pans 15 min. Invert onto wire racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely.
• Beat cream cheese, marshmallow creme and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gently stir in COOL WHIP. Spoon 1-1/4 cups cream cheese mixture evenly into 2 separate small bowls; stir in food colorings to tint cream cheese mixture in each bowl to desired shade.
• Spread 2 Tbsp. of the remaining (untinted) cream cheese mixture into thin layer onto outside of waffle cone; roll in sprinkles until evenly coated.
• Stack cake layers on plate, filling layers with jam. Frost top and side of cake with remaining (untinted) cream cheese mixture. Place inverted waffle cone on top of cake for the unicorn's horn as shown in photo.
• Cut marshmallow diagonally in half with kitchen shears. Press cut sides of marshmallow halves into remaining sprinkles; gently press into cake for the unicorn's eyes.
• Spoon one of the tinted cream cheese mixtures into pastry bag fitted with star tip; use to pipe cream cheese mixture onto cake for the unicorn's mane. Spoon remaining tinted cream cheese mixture into second pastry bag fitted with separate decorative tip; use to pipe cream cheese mixture onto cake as shown in photo. Decorate cake with candies and decorating gel as shown in photo.

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.)

MAGICALLY EASY UNICORN CAKE

Steps:

• Coat the outside of the sugar cone with an even layer of corn syrup using a kitchen paintbrush. Roll in the gold sanding sugar. Set aside to dry, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, examine the cake and designate which side will be the front. Place the white frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large French decorating tip. Pipe a large circle of frosting on the front top edge of the cake. Continue piping circles connecting the first circle to the top center of the cake, and then down the right side of the cake. Place the cone on the front top edge of the cake in the piped frosting circle. Arrange half a package of the candy ropes across the front of the cake to create fringe (or bangs), trimming with scissors if needed.
• Twist half a package of the candy ropes and place them around the base of the horn. Continue to place groups of candy ropes around the horn and down the piped side of the cake, creating a mane. Braid a few candy ropes together and work them into the mane, if desired. Pipe four large swirls of frosting over the candy ropes, traveling from the horn to the top center of the cake; cover with the rainbow sprinkles.
• Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, gently score a half-circle in a dark chocolate melting wafer. Move the cutter back and forth until the wafer is cut into two pieces. Use a half-moon piece to create a winking eye to the left of the mane, pressing it into the frosting. Dot a tiny amount of frosting on the backs of the white confetti sprinkles and adhere them to the remaining dark chocolate melting wafer, arranging them parallel to each other. Place the wafer in the frosting to the right of the mane on the cake. Place the two pink candy melts on either side of the cake for blushing cheeks.
• Snip the marshmallow in half diagonally with kitchen scissors. Immediately dip the sticky edges in the blue sanding sugar. Pipe two mounds of frosting on either side of the rainbow candy mane and stick the marshmallow pieces upright into the frosting mounds for two ears. Serve immediately.

EASY BLACK FOREST CAKE DECORATIONS

Steps:

• Cut a piece of parchment paper to 6 by 15 inches. Spread the chocolate on the center of the parchment to 1/8-inch thickness using a large offset spatula. Roll up the parchment from a short end and place in the refrigerator until firm, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Unroll the chocolate on a work surface. Place the curved chocolate pieces upright around the sides of the cake. Lightly dust the chocolate pieces with luster dust using a kitchen paintbrush. Spread the pie filling on top of the cake. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe swirls of whipped cream on top of the cake. Garnish with the maraschino cherries.

SPECIAL OCCASION PULL-APART CAKE

Steps:

• On a 13-by-11-inch cake board or serving platter, arrange the cupcakes into milestone birthday numbers (or the initials of the person you're celebrating!). Plan to have about two dozen cupcakes on hand to work with and 6 to 8 cups frosting. (The cupcakes that are not used for the pull-apart cake can be frosted and served on the side.) Place approximately 1/4 cup frosting on top of each cupcake using two spoons. Use an offset spatula to smooth the frosting into an even layer across the cupcakes. Transfer 2 cups of the frosting to a disposable pastry bag or resealable plastic bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe stars of buttercream onto the surface of the frosted cake. Decorate with candy pieces and fresh edible flowers.