Simple Snowflake Cake Food

SNOWFLAKE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. In another bowl, combine the egg whites, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with egg white mixture, beating well after each addition., Pour 2 cups batter into each of four greased and floured 6-in. round baking pans. Pour 3 cups batter into each of four greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. For 6-in. pans, bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For 9-in. pans, bake at 350° for 27-33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Smaller cake pans have a deeper fill and need to bake longer.) Cool the cakes for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For filling: In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually whisk in coconut milk and cream until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla. , Transfer to a large bowl. Cool to room temperature. Cover surface of filling with waxed paper; refrigerate until cooled. Stir in coconut., For frosting: In a large bowl, beat shortening and butter until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla; beat until smooth., To assemble cake: Level cake tops if necessary. Place a 9-in. cake on a serving plate; spread with 1-1/4 cups filling. Top with second 9-in. cake; spread top with 3/4 cup frosting. Insert four 2-3/4-in. wooden dowels 1-2 in. apart into center of cake to support the next layers. , Place third 9-in. cake on an 8-in. cardboard circle; place over cake on platter. Spread with 1-1/4 cups filling. Top with remaining 9-in. cake. Frost top and sides of cake with about 2 cups frosting, forming a crumb coating. Roll out 1-1/4 pounds of fondant into a 21-in. circle. Drape over cake and gently smooth, working from the center. Trim ends. Insert four 2-3/4-in. dowels 1 to 2 in. apart into center of cake. Set aside., On a work surface, place a 6-in. cake on a 5-in. cardboard circle. Spread with 1 cup filling; top with second 6-in. cake. Spread top with 1/2 cup frosting. Insert remaining dowels 1 to 2 in. apart into center of cake. Place third 6-in. cake on remaining cardboard circle and position on dowels; spread with 1 cup filling. Top with remaining cake. Frost top and sides of cake with about 1-1/4 cups frosting. Roll out 1-1/4 pounds of fondant into an 18-in. circle. Drape over cake and gently smooth, working from the center. Trim ends. Gently place 6-in. layer cake on 9-in. layer cake., Roll out remaining fondant to an 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with snowflake cookie cutters. Reroll scraps if desired. Place glitter in a small bowl. Press one side of each snowflake into glitter. With a paintbrush, brush vanilla over plain sides of snowflakes; secure onto cake. , In a small bowl, beat food coloring and remaining frosting until smooth. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry bag; insert pastry tip. Fill with blue frosting; pipe desired design over cake. Decorate with rock candy. Refrigerate leftovers.

SIMPLE SNOWFLAKE CAKE

Steps:

• Brush the top of the Christmas cake with honey. Roll out the marzipan, then trim to fit the top of the cake, using the cake itself or the cake tin as a template. Lay the marzipan on top of the cake, then press down lightly.
• Lightly beat the egg whites with a fork, just to break them up, then gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar until you have an icing that forms soft peaks. Beat in the glycerine to stop the icing from getting too hard. Spread and thickly swirl the icing over the marzipan, then scatter with silver dragees. Decorate by wrapping round a silver ribbon and then the clear snowflake ribbon.

HOLIDAY SNOWFLAKE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter until butter melts. Combine flour and baking powder; add to egg mixture alternately with milk mixture. Beat until well mixed. Add vanilla. Fold in nuts if desired. , Pour into 3 greased 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15-18 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, in a saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil; cook over medium-high heat until a thermometer reads 244° (firm-ball stage). , Meanwhile, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a bowl on high speed until foamy. Slowly pour the hot sugar syrup over the egg whites while beating continuously. Continue beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form, about 7 minutes. Add vanilla; beat until frosting cools slightly and reaches desired consistency., Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup coconut. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cakes with remaining frosting; sprinkle with remaining coconut.

SPARKLING SNOWFLAKE CAKE

Steps:

• Knead the ready-to-roll icing until smooth, then roll out to approx 1cm thickness. Using snowflake cutters of various sizes, stamp out 3 snowflake shapes. Lay the snowflakes on baking parchment on a flat surface and leave overnight to harden. Keep any trimmings and wrap up in cling film.
• Next day, make the royal icing. Drop a writing tube into a piping bag and spoon in a third of the icing. Spread the rest around the base of the cake to create a snowdrift effect. Pipe snowflake outlines over the cut-out snowflake shapes and pipe snowflakes all over the surface of the cake in different sizes and designs. Leave for 1 hr until the icing has hardened slightly, then sprinkle silver lustre over the cake, snowdrift and snowflakes.
• Using the leftover ready-to-roll white icing, mould thimble-sized supports for your snowflakes to lean against. Position the snowflakes on the top of the cake. Finally, fix the silver balls to the icing with a little more of the royal icing. Finish by scattering sparkles over.

VANILLA SNOWFLAKE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for 2 (9-inch) round layers, blending 1 pkg. dry pudding mix into batter before pouring into prepared pans. Cool cakes in pans 10 min.; invert onto wire racks. Gently remove pans; cool cakes completely.
• Meanwhile, draw 3 or 4 snowflake shapes on paper, ranging in size from 1 to 3 inches in diameter. Place on tray; cover with waxed paper. Melt chocolate as directed on package; cool 5 min. Spoon into small resealable plastic bag; cut small corner off bottom of bag. Trace over snowflake patterns with chocolate, rearranging patterns as needed to make a total of 35 chocolate snowflakes. Freeze 10 min. or until chocolate is firm. Carefully transfer snowflakes to plate; refrigerate until ready to use.
• Beat remaining dry pudding mix, sugar and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in COOL WHIP. Place 1 cake layer on plate; spread with jam, then 1/3 of the pudding mixture. Cover with remaining cake layer. Frost top and side of cake with remaining pudding mixture. Decorate with chocolate snowflakes. Keep refrigerated.