Red Velvet Shark Cake Food

SHARK CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a football cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and put on a baking sheet.
• Prepare one of the cake mixes according to the package instructions. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then remove from the pan to a cooling rack. Repeat with the second cake mix to make another football cake layer.
• Level each cake: Using a serrated knife, slice the uneven top of each cake to create a smooth, flat, even surface. Leave one cake trimmed-side up and flip the other cake over so the domed football shape/side is facing up.
• For the mouth: The mouth should be oriented 2 inches from the tip of the cake. On the cake half with the domed football shape facing up, measure about 2 1/2 inches from the pointed end of the football down toward the center. This point will be the top of the mouth. From that point, using a paring knife, carefully outline a half oval or crescent shape to form a mouth. The mouth opening should be roughly 6 inches wide and 3 1/2 inches from top to bottom. The edge points of the mouth should be about 1/2 inch from the edge of the cake. Once you have created an outline, go back and cut into the outline about halfway down into the cake. Carefully remove the cut-out piece to form the mouth. Scoop out some of the cake with a spoon if needed to make the mouth deeper.
• To assemble, frost and decorate: Transfer 1 3/4 cans of white frosting to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (or cut off the tip of the bag to create about a 1/2-inch opening).
• For the blue-grey frosting (shark back): Mix together 1 can of frosting with the black gel food coloring and 5 drops of the blue gel food coloring. Mix until uniform in color. Transfer to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (or cut off the tip of the bag to create about a 1/2-inch opening).
• For the red frosting (shark jaw): Combine 1/4 can of frosting with 10 to 15 drops of red gel food coloring. Mix until uniform in color. Transfer to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (or cut off the tip of the bag to create about a 1/2-inch opening).
• For the blue frosting (water): Mix together 1 can of frosting with the remaining 5 drops of blue gel food coloring. Mix until uniform in color. Transfer to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (or cut off the tip of the bag to create about a 1/2-inch opening).
• Pipe a layer of white frosting on the flat top of the football cake layer (the layer without the mouth cut out) and spread the frosting with an offset spatula. Place the other cake layer with the mouth cut out flat-side down on top to form a football-shaped cake. Slice off 4 inches from the tip of the bottom of the cake to create a flat bottom. Pipe some frosting in the center of a 12-inch cardboard cake round. Carefully stand the cake upright, flat-bottom down, onto the frosting on the cardboard cake round.
• Apply a thin crumb coat of white frosting over the entire cake except in the cut-out mouth. Smooth out the frosting with an offset spatula. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden the frosting.
• Pipe the white frosting on the bottom/belly of the shark around the mouth and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Pipe the blue grey frosting on the top/back of the shark and smooth out with an offset spatula. Pipe the red frosting around the perimeter of the mouth to create jaws.
• Insert the pumpkin seeds and slivered almonds in rows into the red frosting to form the teeth. Press the chocolate-covered mint candies on either side of the shark into the grey frosting to form the eyes. Dab a little white frosting on each eye to create a reflection. Towards the top of the shark head/nose, press the end of a chopstick into the white frosting to make 2 nostril holes.
• Pipe blue and white frosting around the base of the shark cake to create water and white-tipped waves around the shark. Sprinkle the white sugar pearls onto the white frosting to mimic little bubbles.

SOUTHERN RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour three 9 by 1 1/2-inch round cake pans.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.
• Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.
• Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.
• Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the Cream Cheese Frosting over the top of the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer.) Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with the pecans.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)
• Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round pans.
• Beat shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until very light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well.
• Make a paste of cocoa and red food coloring; add to creamed mixture. Mix salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and buttermilk together. Add the flour to the batter, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Mix soda and vinegar and gently fold into cake batter. Don't beat or stir the batter after this point.
• Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven until a tester inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely on wire rack.
• To Make Icing: Cook 5 tablespoons flour and milk over low heat till thick, stirring constantly. Let cool completely! While mixture is cooling, beat 1 cup sugar, butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy. Add cooled flour mixture and beat until frosting is a good spreading consistency. Frost cake layers when completely cool.

RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the base and sides of two 20cm cake tins with baking parchment - if your cake tins are quite shallow, line the sides to a depth of at least 5cm.
• Put half each of the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix well. If there are any lumps in the sugar, squeeze these through your fingers to break them up.
• Mix half each of the buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract, food colouring and 100ml water in a jug. Add 2 eggs and whisk until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until well combined. The cake mixture should be bright red, it will get a little darker as it cooks. If it's not as vivid as you'd like, add a touch more colouring. Pour the cake mixture evenly into the two tins, and bake for 25-30 mins, or until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the baking parchment and leave to cool.
• Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the remaining ingredients, so you have four sponge cakes in total. Can be made up to three days ahead and will stay moist if wrapped in cling film, or you can wrap well and freeze for up to two months.
• To make the icing, put the butter in a large bowl and sieve in half the icing sugar. Roughly mash together with a spatula, then whizz with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the soft cheese and vanilla, sieve in the remaining icing sugar, mash together again, then blend once more with the hand mixer.
• To assemble the cake, stick one of the sponges to a cake stand or board with a little of the soft cheese icing. Use roughly half the icing to stack the remaining cakes on top, spreading a generous amount between each layer. Pile the remaining icing on top of the assembled cake, and use a palette knife to ease it over the edges, covering the entire surface of the cake. Tidy the plate with a piece of kitchen paper. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days, but bring back to room temperature for an hour or so before eating.This recipe was refreshed in July 2018 based on user feedback. For the original recipe, see our beetroot cake.