Watermelon Fruit Basket Cake Food

WATERMELON SORBET BASKET

Steps:

• Set the watermelon on its side (stem end facing left or right) and cut off a small, flat piece of rind from the bottom so the watermelon is stable. Wrap a piece of thin masking tape horizontally around the watermelon about 1/2 inch above where the stem was. Wrap 2 more pieces over the top at the center to make a band/handle for the basket that is 1 1/2 inches wide.
• Using the tape as a guide, cut out the wedges that remain on either side of the handle to make a basket shape, down to the horizontal tape. Scoop out 4 cups of watermelon balls using a melon baller and reserve. Remove the remaining watermelon flesh and save for another use. Use a paring knife to trim the flesh from the handle to create a small, neat strip of melon. Use a spoon to do the same for the inside of the basket. Freeze the basket for at least 3 hours. Refrigerate the watermelon balls.
• Put 3 cups of the watermelon balls in the bottom of the basket. Scoop balls of sorbet and arrange on top of the watermelon. Decorate with the remaining watermelon balls. Serve immediately or put back in the freezer until serving, up to 1 hour.

WATERMELON FRUIT BASKET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Coat a 4-quart ovenproof bowl with cooking spray. Prepare the cake mixes as directed; fold in 2 teaspoons red food coloring and the chocolate chips.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared bowl; bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.
• Put the cake flat-side down on a small cardboard circle. Trim 2 opposite sides with a serrated knife to make an oval shape.
• Cover the sides of the cake with a thick layer of frosting; cover the top with a thin layer (this will be the bottom of the cake). Reserve about 1/2 cup frosting for the inside of the cake. Freeze until the frosting is firm, at least 20 minutes.
• Gently pat the sides of the cake with a smooth paper towel to even out any bumps in the frosting.
• Mix 1/2 teaspoon yellow food coloring with a drop of green food coloring and a splash of lemon juice in a small bowl. Paint the yellow-green food coloring all over the side of the cake with a pastry brush.
• Mix 1/2 teaspoon green food coloring with a splash of lemon juice in another bowl. Paint green stripes on the cake, then blend the edges of the stripes with the tip of the pastry brush.
• Put another small cardboard circle on the cake and flip it over. Carve out the center of the cake, about 1 inch deep, leaving a 1-inch border. Cover the center with frosting, leaving the border unfrosted. Freeze the cake 20 minutes.
• Use a paring knife to make zigzag cuts around the rim of the cake. Mound the fruit in the center, covering the frosting completely.

WATERMELON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 8-inch cake pans and a 2-quart (8-inch) metal bowl with cooking spray and coat with flour, tapping out the excess. Line the bottoms of the cake pans with circles of parchment.
• Toss the chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of the flour in a small bowl and set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, the remaining flour and 2 cups cold water. Beat on low speed just to combine, then increase the speed to high and beat until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add red food coloring to deepen the shade from light to dark pink (15 to 20 drops). Stir the flour-coated chocolate chips into the batter. Pour half of the batter into the bowl and divide the remaining batter between the 2 cake pans.
• Bake all 3 cakes until the cake rounds (not the bowl) are risen and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes. Remove the cake rounds to a cooling rack, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F and continue to bake the cake in the bowl until it is risen and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes more. Cool the bowl cake on a rack, then unmold all three cakes and remove the parchment from the rounds.
• With a serrated knife, cut the domed tops from all 3 cakes to flatten them, and dust off any excess crumbs.
• Remove a heaping 1/4 cup of the frosting to a small bowl and stir in enough red food coloring to approximately match the color of the inside of the cake. Place 1 cake round, cut-side up, on a serving plate. Spread a very thin layer of red frosting on the layer. You do not want the layer to be visible when you cut the cake, it is just to glue the layers together. Top with the second cake round, cut-side down. Spread with another very thin layer of red frosting. Top with the domed cake.
• Frost the entire cake with a layer of white frosting about 1/4 inch thick to make the watermelon "rind." Let the frosting dry and harden in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes
• Meanwhile, put the remaining frosting in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and add green food coloring, about 15 drops to start, to make a medium-pale green color several shades lighter than your fruit candy.
• Smooth the green frosting over the white layer, taking care not to combine the two colors. Drape the green fruit candy over the cake, cutting to fit as necessary, starting in the center like spokes in a wheel to make the lines on the watermelon. Top with the black or brown licorice candy as a stem.

WATERMELON CAKE

Steps:

• For the frosting: With an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until the cream reaches stiff peaks. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the cake: Cut off the ends of the watermelon, leaving the middle section; remove the rind. Pat the outside of the watermelon dry with paper towels. Set the "cake" on a serving plate.
• Cover the watermelon cake with the frosting. Press the almonds into the sides of the cake. Top with the strawberry slices. Cut into 6 to 8 wedges and serve immediately.

WATERMELON BASKET FRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• Take a sharp knife and slice a small thin piece off the bottom of your melon.
• This will allow the finished basket to sit flat on a plate or table without rolling.
• Next, take the tip of your knife (you can also use your pumpkin decorating tool out if you have one) or garnishing tool and score the watermelon in half, horizontally.
• Then mark a strip of about 1 1/2- 2" wide that will form the handle of your basket.
• If you have trouble seeing the score lines, you might want to try using a marker.
• Next, take your garnishing tool and start cutting around the melon on the lines.
• The garnishing tool naturally makes V shaped cuts, which makes doing a basket like this a breeze.
• If you do not have a garnishing tool, use a small knife and make the V cuts one side at a time.
• You could also forget the V and make straight cuts.
• To make separating the melon easier, and the finished product neater, turn your garnishing tool over, and go over the cuts in the opposite direction.
• Carefully separate the cut sides from the body of the watermelon.
• If you used a marking pen and there are any residual marks left, a handy way to get rid of them is to use a new emory board and gently sand them off.
• Take a melon baller and hollow out the inside of the watermelom.
• After removing all the edible parts, take a large spoon and gently scrape out the sides of your"basket".
• Be care not to scrape too thinly on the handle, as you want it to have some stability, even though you will never try to carry it this way.
• Mix the watermelon balls (or pieces, if you don't have a melon baller) with other ripe fresh fruits.
• To make the handle garnish, thinly slice lemons, limes or oranges and use a toothpick to affix them, along with a grape, melon ball or cherry, to the watermelon.
• Keep any extra fruit in a ziplock back and refill as it goes down!

WATERMELON BASKET

Steps:

• Cut a thin slice from the bottom of watermelon with a sharp knife so it sits flat. Mark horizontal cutting line 2 in. above center and around the melon. , For handle, score a 1-1/2-in.-wide strip across the top of melon, connecting both sides to the horizontal line. With a long sharp knife, cut all the way through the rind above the cutting line in a zigzag pattern., Carefully lift off the side pieces. Remove fruit from both sections and cut into balls. Refrigerate the basket., In a large bowl, combine watermelon and honeydew balls. In another bowl, whisk cranberry juice, corn syrup and lime juice until blended; pour over melon balls. Cover and chill for 3 hours., Drain; spoon melon into watermelon basket. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese and milk until smooth. Beat in sugar, lemon juice and cardamom; serve with melon.

WATERMELON 'CAKE'

Steps:

• Cut 2-inch-thick slice from both ends of watermelon; discard trimmed slices. Stand watermelon on cutting board. Starting at top of melon, use long thin sharp knife to carefully cut between rind and fruit all around watermelon to separate rind from fruit. Remove and discard rind.
• Pat melon with paper towels to dry; place on platter. Frost with COOL WHIP.
• Decorate with remaining ingredients to resemble photo.