Towering Birthday Cake Food

CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter parchment. Dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
• Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat 3 minutes. Add vanilla, water, and carrots. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture, then finely chopped pecans.
• Scrape batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen, and turn out cakes onto rack. Turn right side up, and let cool completely.
• Using a serrated knife, trim rounded top of 2 cakes. Place one trimmed cake, cut side up, on a serving platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with second trimmed cake, cut side down. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with remaining cake. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides. Gently press coarsely chopped pecans onto sides of cake. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH HOT PINK BUTTER ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan, a 6-inch cake pan, and a 3-inch cake pan.
• To make the cake, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix well. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until smooth. Finish mixing by hand to be sure the batter is well mixed. Proportionately divide the batter between the 3 cake pans. Smooth the tops with a spatula, and bake as follows: the 9-inch pan for 45 minutes, the 6-inch pan for 35 to 40 minutes and the 3-inch pan for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean in each cake. Cool in the pans to room temperature.
• For the frosting, cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened. Add the food coloring and turn the mixer off. Using a spatula, fully incorporate the color into the frosting.
• Frost each cake separately, saving some frosting for decoration. Chill the cakes before stacking.
• Place the 9-inch cake on a plate. Center the 6-inch cake on top of the 9-inch cake. Center the 3-inch cake on top of the 6-inch cake.
• For the decoration, pipe or spoon the remaining frosting around the base of each cake and around the top edge of the 3-inch cake. Finish decorating with the pieces of candy.

TOTALLY SURPRISED BIRTHDAY CAKE

Steps:

• Make the lemon filling:
• Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Gradually stir in the water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and lemon zest. Gradually whisk in the lemon juice. Let cool completely before using.
• Make the berry topping:
• Put the berries in a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar. Toss gently and let stand for 1 hour or so while you prepare the cake.
• Make the cake:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. In a large mixing bowl, blend the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat in the shortening, 2/3 cup of the milk, and the vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes, frequently scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of milk and the egg whites, and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until the center of each cake springs back when lightly touched, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and let cool completely on wire racks.
• Make the frosting:
• Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until they hold a soft peak. Meanwhile, mix the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a large saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Cook to 242 degrees F on a candy thermometer, or until a tiny bit of syrup dropped into a bowl of cool water and then pulled between the thumb and forefinger spins a 6- to 8-inch thread. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup very slowly into the beaten egg whites. Continue beating with the electric mixer until the frosting holds stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla and use immediately.
• Place one of the cake layers upside down on a cake platter and, with a flexible spatula, spread the lemon filling almost to the outer edge. Place the second layer right-side up on the filling. Frost the sides, bringing the frosting up to form a rim around the edge of the top layer. Spread the frosting evenly over the top, making attractive swirls. Spoon the macerated berries and juice on the top of the cake, allowing the juices to run down the sides. Serve immediately.