Single Layer Birthday Cake Food

ONE LAYER CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Butter and flour one 9-inch cake pan, then line the pan with parchment paper. Spray and flour the parchment paper, shaking out the excess flour.
• In a large measuring cup, add the buttermilk, eggs, egg yolk, vanilla and almond extracts and beat with a fork until blended. Set aside.
• Sift the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar into a large bowl and blend on low using a hand mixer for about 30 seconds.
• With the mixer running on low, add the butter, one piece at a time. Pour in the vegetable oil. Mix until the flour and butter clump together and appear pebbly, about 30 seconds after the vegetable oil has been added.
• Pour in a little more than half of the buttermilk-egg mixture and mix on the lowest speed until blended, about 10 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until starting to appear light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Without turning off the mixer, add the remaining buttermilk mixture in a slow stream.
• Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then beat at medium-high speed for about 15 seconds until well-mixed.
• Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pan and bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
• Cool pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen. Invert the cake onto a plate, peel off the parchment, then invert back onto the wire rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
• Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
• Using hand mixer, blend butter until creamy. Sift confectioners sugar, cocoa, and salt into the butter. Mix until blended. Add vanilla and half-and-half and blend until spreadable consistency.

SINGLE LAYER BIRTHDAY CAKE

Steps:

• 2 old fashioned glass soda bottles, 1 cola, 1 lemon-lime
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 2 (8-inch) round baking pans with baking spray; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons extract and white cranberry juice. Use an electric mixer to beat cake batter on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed.
• Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 32 to 35 minutes, or until tester comes away clean.
• Let cakes cool completely. Use a cookie cutter or water glass to cut out a circle to fit the soda bottle - it will nest into cake.
• Add remaining 1 teaspoon extract to frosting and stir thoroughly. Frost entire cake. Sprinkle with colorful jimmies. Insert soda bottle into hole and serve.

THE TIE DYE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans or line them with wax paper or parchment paper and butter the paper.
• Divide the Classic Vanilla Cake batter evenly among 5 small bowls. Add food coloring to each bowl--1 drop at a time--until the desired intensity of each color is reached. Scoop each color into a disposable pastry bag and snip the tip of the bag. I tie the ends of the pastry bags with plastic wrap or rubber bands to keep the batter in. Pipe the batter into the first pan, one color at a time, one over the next. (You could also use a spoon, but the pastry bags make this much easier.) Repeat with the remaining 2 pans.
• To make the tie dye effect, carefully drag a skewer completely through the batter from the center out to create a pattern with the colors. Don't overmix the colors.
• Bake until the middle of the cake feels springy when you gently press your finger against it, 35 to 40 minutes. Set the cakes aside to cool completely before icing.
• Level the cakes with a serrated knife. Place one layer on a cake turntable and frost the top with the Vanilla Icing. Add the second cake layer and frost the top. Place the third layer on top and cover the entire cake with a "crumb" coat of vanilla icing. I do a crumb coat--a thin layer of icing spread around the cake to seal in all the crumbs and ensure a neat finish. Unless it's a chocolate cake, the crumb coat is done with vanilla icing. It looks so clean and creates a nice blank canvas for decorating.
• Divide the Vanilla Glaze between 2 mixing bowls. Add pink food coloring to one bowl and blue food coloring to the other bowl--1 drop at a time--until the desired intensity of each color is reached. The food coloring will thin out the glaze a bit. You can always add more liquid, but you can't take it away. Working with an offset spatula, spread pink glaze over the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides. Spread the blue glaze over the pink, but do not let it completely cover the pink. Finally, spoon more pink glaze onto the center of the cake top. Alternate the glazes just like you did with the batter. Use a skewer to pull the glaze from the center out to the edge and make the tie dye design. Work quickly before the glaze starts to dry.
• With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter for 1 minute on high speed, then scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the granulated sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Add the vanilla extract. While mixing at medium-low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the edges of the bowl midway through.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, and sea salt in a separate bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add half the flour mixture. When it's mostly incorporated, add half the milk. Add the remainder of the dry and wet ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Stop mixing as soon as you have a smooth batter.
• With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the butter on high speed for 1 minute. Add the vanilla and whip just to incorporate.
• In a separate bowl, mix the confectioners' sugar and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the sugar mixture 1 cup at a time until completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between additions. Whip on high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
• With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add a little more milk to thin it to the desired consistency.
• If not using within 10 minutes of mixing, cover the bowl with plastic wrap to keep the glaze from drying out. Store at room temperature.

GRANDMA LORRAINE'S SINGLE LAYER BIRTHDAY CAKES

Steps:

• Add 2 eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons raspberry extract, and 1/2 cup peach liquid to cake mix. Bake 2 (8-inch) cakes according to package directions.
• Let cakes cool completely. Transfer cakes to inverted 9-inch pie tins to function as a cake stand.
• Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon raspberry extract to 1 can of frosting. Stir thoroughly. Frost both cakes.
• Divide remaining can of frosting between 2 mixing bowls. Add 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar to both. Add 7 drops of food coloring to each - red in 1, green in the other. Mix thoroughly and transfer to 2 plastic bags. Snip small corner off bags and use to pipe a decorative border around the base of the cakes - 1 green, 1 pink. Decorate cake with green vines and pink flowers.

CLASSIC VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans; dust with flour, and tap out the excess.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter, sugar and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla until combined.
• Alternate folding the flour mixture and the milk into the batter with a spatula, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two, starting and ending with the flour, until just smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake the cakes on the same oven rack until golden on top and the centers spring back to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes. Rotate the pans about halfway through if they seem to be browning unevenly. Let cool in the pans about 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks and let cool completely.
• For the frosting: While the cakes cool, beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. Once it's all been added, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until white and fluffy. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, and beat to incorporate. Beat in the remaining milk, one tablespoon at a time (the frosting will be spreadable but not runny).
• To assemble: Place 1 cake layer right-side up on a cake plate or stand, and spread with 1 cup of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

FOUR-LAYER BIRTHDAY CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter four 9-inch-round pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Combine the granulated sugar and vegetable oil in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until thick and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla and beat on high speed until the batter is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. With the mixer on low speed, beat the flour mixture into the sugar mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until the batter is smooth, about 2 minutes. Tint with gel food coloring (see below).
• Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake, 2 pans at a time, until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes in the pans, then invert onto racks to cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla, increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat until thick, 2 more minutes. Beat in the milk, a little at a time, until the frosting is spreadable.
• Assemble the cake: Spread about 1 1/2 cups frosting between the cake layers, then cover the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting and coat with toppings (see below).
• How to Color the Batter:
• Use gel food coloring for cakes: You don't need to add as much, and the colors are brighter.
• Solid: Tint the batter 1 color; divide among 4 pans.
• Striped: Divide the batter between 2 bowls; tint each one a different color. Divide each color between 2 pans.
• Ombre: Divide the batter among 4 bowls; tint in varying shades of the same color. Pour into 4 pans.
• Rainbow: Divide the batter among 4 bowls; tint each one a different color. Pour into 4 pans.
• The Toppings:
• Mini Marshmallows: You'll need about one 10 1/2-ounce bag. For a multicolored look, use fruit-flavored mini marshmallows.
• Chocolate Rocks: You'll need about 3 cups. Find them at specialty candy stores, or order online.
• Ombre Coconut: Divide one 7-ounce bag coconut among 3 resealable plastic bags. Add an increasing number of drops of the same food coloring to each bag and shake.
• Nonpareils: Use rainbow or single-color nonpareils; you'll need about 3/4 cup. Set your cake on a cake plate in the sink or on a large rimmed baking sheet to catch loose nonpareils.

SUPER-EASY BIRTHDAY CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter two 18cm loose-based cake tins and line the bases with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar in a mixer or by hand, then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Fold in the flour, milk and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.
• Divide the mixture between two bowls. Sift the cocoa powder into one of the bowls. Scrape the vanilla batter into one tin and the chocolate batter into the other and level the tops. Bake for 20-25 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
• To make the icing, beat the butter and add the icing sugar a little at a time, beating each lot in until you have a smooth, creamy icing. Add a little pink colour and beat it in (add more if you want a stronger colour). Sandwich the two cakes together with icing and spread the rest on top using a palette knife. Will keep in an airtight container for three days.

ULTIMATE BASIC BIRTHDAY YELLOW CAKE (1 - LAYER)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Cut wax paper to fit the bottom of a 9 x 1 1/2-inch round pan. Spray the pan with cooking spray, place the wax paper in the pan and spray the paper.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, mixing well.
• Combine milk with vegetable oil and stir thoroughly.
• Add the milk/vegetable oil mixture, butter and vanilla to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
• Add the eggs and continue beating an additional 2 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center of cake comes out clean, or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center.
• Cool cakes on wire racks for 15 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.
• Frost as desired.