Mini Bundt Volcano Cakes Food

VOLCANO CAKES

Steps:

• Place a sheet pan in the middle of the oven for at least 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
• Combine the butter and chocolate in a mixing bowl on top of a pot of simmering water. If you don't have experience melting chocolate then be very careful not to burn the mixture. Never melt chocolate directly over the cooking element. Heat the chocolate mixture until melted and set aside to cool slightly.
• In a mixer on medium-high speed, beat the eggs, the egg yolks and the sugar for about 5 minutes, or until they are thick and a light yellow color. On low speed gradually add the flour and then the chocolate-butter mixture.
• Butter 6 (6 to 8-ounce) ramekins and dust with the cocoa powder. Tap out the excess but make sure they are well coated. Pour the batter into the ramekins, filling them about 7/8 of the way to the top. Place on the preheated sheet tray and bake for 15 to 18 minutes. The consistency when done should be where the edges of the cake are firm and the top is still soft to the touch. This dessert has very thin line between being under and overdone!
• Remove from the oven and let sit on a cool surface for 3 to 5 minutes. Run a paring knife between the cake and ramekin to loosen the sides. Invert your dessert plate over the ramekin (be careful, they're hot) and flip over. Tap the plate lightly and lift off the ramekin. Serve with vanilla ice cream and garnish with raspberries and strawberries, if desired.
• If the cake runs all over the plate you need to increase the cooking time. If the cake is hard and does not ooze chocolate, lessen the cooking time. If the cake does not come out then make sure the ramekins are well buttered and covered in the cocoa.

MINI CHOCOLATE-CHERRY BUNDT CAKES

Steps:

• For the cakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Chop 6 of the maraschino cherries and toss with a small amount of flour to coat in a small bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt and set aside. In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, cherry syrup, baking soda, vanilla and egg with a fork and set aside.
• Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small pan. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat; add the cocoa and whisk to combine. Add the boiling water to the cocoa mixture and allow to bubble for a moment, then turn off the heat.
• Pour the cocoa mixture into the flour mixture. Stir together for a moment to cool the chocolate, then pour in the egg mixture. Mix in the flour-coated cherries.
• Divide the batter among the cavities of a 6-cavity nonstick mini Bundt pan and bake until an inserted cake tester comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan briefly before removing them to a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet.
• For the chocolate ganache: Heat the cream in a small saucepan until very hot, then add the vanilla. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate in a heatproof bowl; stir completely to melt the chocolate.
• Pour the ganache over the cakes. Chop the remaining 6 cherries and sprinkle them over the top. Allow the ganache to set before serving.

VOLCANO CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 (8-inch) cake pans, 2 (10-inch) cake pans and 1 (6-inch) Bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• Beat cake mix, water, oil, and egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Divide batter equally between prepared cake pans.
• Bake 8-inch cakes and 6-inch Bundt cakes in oven for 35 to 40 minutes and 10-inch cakes for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Remove and cool completely.
• To assemble, use a serrated knife to slice off the tops of the 8 and 10-inch cake so the surface of each cake is flat. Place the cut tops into a large bowl and break up to from large crumbs. The crumbs will be used a "lava rocks" at the base of the volcano. Slice the bottom off the 6-inch bunt cake so it sits flat.
• Spread a thin layer of chocolate frosting between the 10-inch cake layers and stack. Spread a thin layer of chocolate frosting between 8-inch cake layers and stack. Place another thin layer of frosting on top of the 8-inch layer cake and place the bunt cake cut side down on top. Place a dollop of frosting on top of the 10-inch cake and carefully, place 8-inch cake on top and center of 10-inch cake.
• Use a serrated knife to trim edges around the tops of both cakes to create a cone shaped cake. (Make angled cuts downward and leave a round base on top for icing to "flow" from.)
• To decorate, frost outside of entire cake with remaining chocolate frosting. Place the cake crumbs around the base of the cake. Pipe green icing around the entire bottom of the cake for "grass". To create "flowing lava" pipe red icing a quarter from the top of cake in downward strokes to the middle of the cake with ribbon tip. Repeat technique with orange icing, starting almost at top of cake and ending where red icing begins with slight overlap. Repeat technique with yellow icing starting at the very top of cake and overlap orange icing. Drizzle yellow and red gel coloring around the very top of cake.
• For the smoke effect place a few pieces of dry ice into glass candle votive. Place the votive into the hole of the bunt cake. Pour a small amount of warm water into the votive and watch it smoke.

EASY VOLCANO CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and base line an 18cm round cake tin, a 800-900ml oven proof (Pyrex) bowl and a 1.2 litre oven proof bowl.
• Put the butter, 300g of the sugar, eggs, flour and milk into a large bowl and beat well until light and creamy. Spread just under half the mixture in the cake tin.
• Take just under half of the remaining mixture and put into a bowl and colour deep red with food colouring. Put 3-4 small spoonfuls of red cake mix onto the mixture in the cake tin. Using the handle of a teaspoon pull the red mix through to give a marbled effect.
• Using the remaining plain and red cake mix place spoonfuls in a random fashion in the two prepared bowls. Again use the teaspoon handle to give a marbled effect.
• Bake in the oven for about 30 mins for the small bowl, about 35 mins for the medium and 50-60 mins for the cake tin. The mixture is cooked when firm to the touch and when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• When the cakes are cold trim off any peaks that have formed. Place the round cake on a large cake board. Cut three small 'v' shapes on the edge of the cake, to make an uneven shape for the volcano base. Spread a little apricot glaze all over the cake and place the larger bowl cake, rounded side up, on top. Brush with apricot glaze and place the remaining cake, rounded side up, on top. Cut a small hollow in the top of this cake (to represent the 'mouth' of the volcano) and then brush the cake with apricot glaze.
• Roll out the marzipan to a large circle to cover the cake. It can be quite a rough shape. Lift it onto the cake and drape in a random fashion in the nooks and crannies to make a volcano shape.
• Melt the chocolate in a microwave or in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Using a pastry brush, paint the volcano with chocolate. Attach chunks of chocolate, popcorn etc with melted chocolate. Add the dinosaurs. Drizzle any remaining chocolate over the volcano in a random fashion.
• To make the lava put the remaining 50g sugar into a small non-stick frying pan. Heat gently without stirring until the sugar has melted but is still clear. Lightly oil a metal baking sheet. When the sugar is just turning light brown at the edge, remove from the heat and carefully stir in a little red paste food colouring. Using a teaspoon, drizzle lava shapes onto the prepared tray. Leave to cool completely.
• When cold, carefully lift the lava shapes and place in the top of the volcano. For extra effect use birthday candles, cake sparklers, or cake fountains.