Baby Bootie Cakes Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Remove paper baking cups. Place 2 cupcakes upside down on separate plates. Cut small piece off side of a third cupcake to make a flat surface. Cut third cupcake horizontally in half. Place one half with cut side against cupcake on plate as shown in diagram. Place other half against second cupcake. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
• Frost cupcake booties, attaching toe piece to cupcake with frosting. Decorate booties with marshmallows and bow shapes cut from gumdrops rolled with a rolling pin. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• Each bootie consists of two cake rounds of different heights. To make booties, trim top of sheet cake so it is level. Place trimmed cake on work surface. Using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out 12 circles from cake, keeping the circles as close together as possible. Discard the scraps or save for a delicious snack.
• To make toe pieces for booties, cut four circles in half horizontally, making eight shorter circles. Trim each short circle by cutting a straight line 1/2-inch in from the edge. Place one tall and one short circle on a piece of waxed paper or parchment. Using a dab of buttercream as glue, affix trimmed edge of shorter circle to taller one. This forms the basic bootie shape. Repeat with other pairs.
• Using an offset spatula or a butter knife, thinly coat each bootie with a layer of buttercream to seal in the crumbs; giving the shoe shape by adding more icing to the front and top. Refrigerate the booties until the crumb coat has set. Decorate the booties one at a time. Remove from the refrigerator, and cover with a final coat of buttercream, shaping and smoothing the shoes as you go.
• Pipe laces and trim to resemble a child's shoe: Fit couplers onto piping bags and fill halfway with tinted buttercream. To make dots and trim, use a No. 4 tip. To fashion thin, dainty laces and other delicate details, use a No. 3 tip. To pipe small stars, use a No. 13 tip. Chill booties again until buttercream is firm, then transfer to serving platters.