Spirograph Cake Food

MARSHMALLOW WEB GHOST CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease four 8-inch round cake pans and two 5-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. With the mixer running, gradually add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture turns pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Stir in the vanilla. Beat until just combined. Do not over-mix.
• Beat the egg whites in a clean mixer bowl on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter in 3 additions.
• Place 2 cups of cake batter in 4 separate bowls. Tint the first bowl with the green food color, the second bowl with 1 tablespoon of the purple food color and the third bowl with the orange food color. Combine the cocoa and water in a small bowl, stirring well to create a paste, then add it to the fourth bowl of batter. Fold in the black food color and stir together well until the batter is dark and no streaks of white batter remain. Pour one color of batter into each of the prepared 8-inch pans.
• Tint the leftover batter with the remaining 1 tablespoon purple food color and place 1 cup of batter in each of the prepared 5-inch pans.
• Bake until the cakes spring back when pressed in the center, about 25 minutes for the 5-inch cake layers and 30 to 35 minutes for the 8-inch cake layers. Run a knife around the edges of the cakes and the pans and turn them out on wire racks to cool.
• For the frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the confectioners' sugar and butter. Begin on low speed until crumbly, then increase to high and beat for 3 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat again for another minute. If you find the buttercream is too stiff, you may add milk or heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is spreading consistency. Place about 2 cups of buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a plain 1/2-inch piping tip; set aside for later use. Tint the remaining frosting with the black gel food color.
• Level the tops of the cakes with a serrated knife or a cake leveler. Cover each cake layer with a small amount of black frosting. Begin with the black chocolate cake layer on the bottom, followed by the purple, then the green and ending with the orange on top. Cover the entire cake with black frosting using an offset spatula. Cover a purple 5-inch cake layer with frosting and stack the second on top. Cover with frosting using an offset spatula. Refrigerate both cakes until the frosting is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Stack the 5-inch cake tier on top of the 8-inch cake.
• For the marshmallow web: Melt the marshmallows in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until they puff and lose their shape. Stir well until deflated. Let the marshmallow cool slightly. Dip fingers (or gloved hands for easy cleanup) into the marshmallow mixture and stretch until thin and web-like. Wrap the marshmallow around the cake. Repeat the process until the marshmallow web effect covers both tiers of the cake. Let stand until firm, about 10 minutes.
• For the assembly: Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use the reserved bag of frosting to pipe a 2- to 3-inch mound of frosting. This will be a ghost body. Top with a second 1-inch mound of frosting for the ghost head. Repeat the piping process, varying the sizes of ghosts for visual interest, until you have about 20 ghosts. Add 2 black sugar pearls to each ghost face using a pair of kitchen-dedicated tweezers. Use a single black confetti sprinkle to create mouths on some of the ghosts. Transfer the pan to the freezer and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• Use an offset spatula to transfer the ghosts to the edges of the cake.
• Bring the cake to room temperature before serving. Use kitchen-dedicated scissors to snip the firm marshmallow webbing before cutting into slices.

RAINBOW JELL-O SHOT CUPS

Steps:

• For the panna cotta: In a medium saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water. Let stand until absorbed, about 3 minutes. Place the saucepan over low heat until the gelatin dissolves, about 1 minute. When the gelatin is liquid, whisk in the half-and-half and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is hot and just steaming, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract and remove from the heat to cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
• Place each color of gelatin in its own medium microwave-safe bowl or 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Add 1 teaspoon of the unflavored gelatin to each; whisk until combined. Pour 1 cup of the boiling water into each container and stir well to dissolve the gelatin. Add 1/4 cup of the vodka to each container. Stir to combine.
• Set an empty 18-count egg carton on a large rimmed baking sheet. Place eight 5-ounce dessert glasses at an angle in the cavities, spacing them apart. Make room in the refrigerator to accommodate the baking sheet.
• Pour 1 tablespoon of the liquid panna cotta in each glass. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Next, pour in about a 1/4-inch layer of the grape gelatin. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Repeat pouring and chilling 1/4-inch layers of the panna cotta, blue raspberry gelatin, more panna cotta, lime gelatin, then panna cotta again, refrigerating each layer for 15 minutes before adding the next. If the colored gelatins begin to set before pouring, microwave each container for 30 seconds and stir well to bring it back to a liquid state.
• Place the dessert glasses upright directly on the baking sheet. The chilled diagonal layers will stay in place. Pour and chill 1/4-inch layers of the lemon, orange, and strawberry gelatin, alternating each color with the panna cotta and finishing with the strawberry gelatin on top. Refrigerate until well set, about 2 hours. Serve well chilled.

THE ONE WITH RACHEL'S THANKSGIVING TRIFLE

Steps:

• For the custard layer: Combine the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
• Combine the whole milk and vanilla extract in a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Cook until the milk is steaming but not boiling. Add the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. Remove the custard to a large bowl. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• For the whipped cream layer: Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the "beef" layer: Pulse the cookies in the bowl of a food processor until they form coarse clumps of crumbs. Place the crumbs in a bowl and stir in the shaved coconut and candy pieces.
• For the assembly: Line the bottom edge of a 4-quart trifle dish with a single upright row of ladyfingers. Line the bottom of the dish with more ladyfingers; lay them down flat so they overlap and cover the bottom completely.
• Stir the raspberry jam until loosened and pourable. Spoon the jam over the ladyfingers, covering them completely. Pour half of the cooled custard over the jam layer and spread it to the edges of the dish. Add an even layer of fresh raspberries on top of the custard. Arrange a layer of ladyfingers (8 to 10) over the raspberries.
• Spoon the cookie crumb "beef" layer over the ladyfingers and spread to the edges of the dish. Spoon the remaining custard over the cookie crumbs using an offset spatula. Top the custard with a single layer of bananas. Cover the bananas with the whipped cream and swirl decoratively using an offset spatula. Refrigerate the trifle for 1 1/2 hours. Serve chilled.

AVOCADO EMOJI SWISS ROLL

Steps:

• For the inlay paste: In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar. Add the egg whites and beat again until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Sift the flour into the mixing bowl and beat on low speed until just combined. Divide the mixture between four bowls. Tint the first bowl of paste with the juniper green food color; begin with 1/8 teaspoon, mixing and adding a little color at a time, until a dark green color is achieved. Tint the second bowl of paste with a dab (the amount picked up on the end of a toothpick) of juniper green food color and dabs of neon yellow food color. Mix until a light avocado color is achieved. Tint the third bowl with two dabs of neon yellow gel food color and mix until bright yellow is achieved. Tint the fourth bowl using the brown food color; begin with 1/8 teaspoon and add more until a dark brown color is achieved. Transfer each color to a piping bag with a small hole snipped in the end. You may also fit each bag with a small round decorator tip, if desired.
• Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit inside a 15-by-10-inch jelly roll pan. Print the Avocado Emoji Template (link below) and trace the pattern onto the piece of parchment paper using a pencil. Flip the paper over so that the side with the drawn emojis is touching the pan. You should be able to see the images through the paper. Pipe a line of yellow paste around the face (oval part) of the avocado, then use the brown paste to fill in the round shape in the center (the avocado pit). Fill in the yellow outline using the light green paste. Finally, use the dark green to pipe the avocado shell-shape. Transfer the pan with the piped images to the freezer while you prepare the cake batter.
• For the cake roll: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs on high speed using the whip attachment until they lighten in color considerably and have the appearance of yellow cake batter, about 5 minutes. With the mixer still running, slowly add the granulated sugar and oil to the whipped eggs. Next, add the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients. Mix until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared jelly roll pan and over the inlay paste emojis. Smooth the batter using a rubber spatula to distribute it evenly.
• Lay a large cotton tea towel on a work surface. Sprinkle the towel with confectioners' sugar and rub the sugar into the towel with your hands. Set aside.
• Bake until the cake springs back when pressed with fingers, 10 to 12 minutes (check at 10 minutes). Immediately turn the cake out onto the tea towel--do this without delay! Peel off the parchment to reveal the avocado design. Gently flip the cake over so that the avocados are against the tea towel. Immediately roll the cake into the tea towel, beginning at the narrow end. Roll as evenly as possible. Place the cake in the towel on a refrigerator shelf and chill for 1 hour.
• For the avocado frosting: Halve and pit the avocados. Using a spoon, scoop the avocado from the skins and place in the bowl of an electric mixer. Squeeze the juice from the lemon half into the bowl over the avocados. Mix on high speed until the avocados are creamed with just a few pea-sized solid pieces of avocado in the mixture. Add the confectioners' sugar a little at a time until thick, spreadable frosting forms.
• For the cake assembly: Remove the cake from the refrigerator and gently unroll; allow the most tightly rolled end to remain slightly curled. Apply the avocado frosting to the cake in a smooth even layer using an offset spatula. Re-roll the cake and then roll it up in the tea towel. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Combine the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Heat, stirring, until the sugar is melted. Transfer to a small bowl and allow to cool to just warm.
• Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Brush the outside of the cake with the simple syrup using a pastry brush. Apply the syrup in an even layer to remove the dusty confectioners' sugar appearance. Serve the cake immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

RED VELVET SHARK CAKE

Steps:

• For the red velvet cake layers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and two 6-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and granulated sugar and mix on medium speed until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
• In a small bowl, combine the liquid food coloring and cocoa powder. Stir until smooth. Add the mixture to the creamed butter mixture.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the flour. Scrape down the bowl and mix again on low speed until no pockets of flour remain.
• Combine the baking soda and vinegar in a small cup; the mixture will bubble and fizz. Pour into the cake batter and mix on medium-low speed until well incorporated.
• Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when pressed in the center. Let the cakes cool slightly in the pans. Turn the cakes out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
• When the cakes are cool, use a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter to cut the centers from two of the 8-inch cake layers, or use a knife.
• Cut a large triangle from the center of each 6-inch cake layer; cut the triangles in half and set aside. Save all of the scraps from the 6-inch cakes for later use.
• For the buttercream frosting: In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the butter and confectioners' sugar on low speed. Add the vanilla extract and increase the speed to medium. Gradually add milk or cream a little at a time until the mixture thins to spreading consistency. Whip at high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.
• Remove half of the frosting and transfer to a large disposable piping bag with a 1/2-inch hole snipped in the end.
• Remove half of the remaining frosting to a separate large bowl and tint with the black, sky blue and royal blue food coloring. Mix in the food coloring 1/4 teaspoon at a time until the desired intensity of blue-grey hue is achieved. Transfer to a large piping bag with a 1/2-inch hole snipped in the end.
• Divide the remaining frosting into three separate small bowls; tint one bowl with red food coloring, one bowl with sky blue food coloring and the last bowl with black. Add the coloring 1/4 teaspoon at a time until the desired intensity is achieved. Transfer the red buttercream to a disposable piping bag with a 1/2-inch hole snipped in the end. Transfer the sky blue buttercream to a disposable piping bag with a 1/2-inch hole snipped in the end. Transfer the black buttercream to a disposable piping bag with a 1/8-inch hole snipped in the end.
• For the decors and assembly: Place a cake layer with the center removed on a cardboard cake round (8 inches or larger). Pipe a fat line of white (untinted) frosting on top of the cake around the opening. Place the second cake layer with the center removed on top of the first.
• Combine the blue sprinkles and fish-shaped candy in a bowl or a jar; mix together. Pour the candy into the center of the cake, filling the empty hole to the top. Pipe a fat line of white icing around the filled hole in the center of the cake. Place the last, whole cake layer on top. Chill the cake in the refrigerator until the buttercream is set, about 20 minutes.
• Remove the chilled cake from the refrigerator and carefully cut away two sides of the cake so that the cake is an oval shape.
• Place a fat line of white frosting on one long side of the cake; stack the four cake triangles (cut from the 6-inch cakes) upright onto the line of frosting. Frost the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting (crumb-coat). Refrigerate for 20 minutes, or until the frosting is firm.
• Frost the cake with additional white frosting. Using an offset spatula, smooth and round the pointed triangle pieces with extra frosting so that it resembles a shark's snout. Refrigerate the cake for 20 minutes.
• Pipe a fat line of white frosting around the mouth of the shark and down the front of the cake. Smooth using an offset spatula. Pipe a thick covering of blue-grey frosting on the back of the cake and smooth with a spatula.
• Pipe red frosting in the front mouth opening and use the back of a spoon to smooth it into the cavity. You will have leftover frosting; reserve for later use. Refrigerate the cake until well-chilled, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer the cake on the cake board to a large 12-inch square cake drum. Pipe a line of blue-grey frosting around the right and left sides of the cake at the base. Use two of the 6-inch cake scraps with rounded edges to create the shark's flippers. Cover the pieces with blue-grey frosting and smooth with an offset spatula.
• Use one or two more of the rounded cake scraps to create a fin on the back center of the shark. Cover with blue-grey frosting.
• Make a divot on each side of the shark head with the back of a spoon; fill each divot with black frosting. While the frosting is still wet, add a single white confetti sprinkle to each eye.
• Remove 35 white candy melting wafers and cut each to a point so they are shark tooth-shaped, using kitchen-dedicated scissors. Insert the teeth into the top and bottom edge of the mouth opening, creating a double row of teeth.
• Pipe the sky blue buttercream around the bottom edge of the cake to create water around the shark. Pipe a small amount of leftover white frosting and blend into the blue portion.
• Place the remaining candy melting wafers in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave in 30-second intervals until the candy can be stirred smooth. Transfer the melted candy to a disposable piping bag and snip a small hole in the end. Pipe the candy into a nonstick donut pan. Chill until set, about 20 minutes.
• Turn out the candy and place around the bottom of the shark cake in the blue frosting. Pipe four lines of leftover red buttercream to create the appearance of a life preserver.
• Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving. Use a large serrated knife to open the shark's belly in front of an audience. Remove the slice to reveal a cascade of candy fish and ocean blue sprinkles.