Flower Garden Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare carrot and zucchini cakes as directed, and cool to room temperature. If necessary, use a serrated knife to trim cake tops level. Each cake should be about 1 1/4 inches high.
• Prepare cream cheese frosting. Place zucchini cake on a 10-inch cake round, and spread top of cake with 1 1/4 cups cream cheese frosting. Place a carrot cake on top of the frosted zucchini cake. Chill until icing is set, about 15 minutes. Ice entire cake with remaining frosting. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes. This can be done up to 1 day in advance.
• Sprinkle top of cake with 1/2 cup cookie crumbs, leaving a 1/4-inch border around perimeter of cake. Using a paring knife, lightly mark cake top, dividing into quarters or four "plots." Rake the plots with the tines of a fork. Place green sprinkles on the perimeter of cake. Arrange marzipan fruits and vegetables on the plots. Carefully press pastillage fence posts onto the side of the cake, about 1/4 inch apart, and place candy pebbles around the base of the fence. Serve cake at room temperature.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the center. Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch cake pan. Line bottom and long sides of cake with parchment paper, allowing at least a 1-inch overhang; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, add eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Beat in vanilla, and lemon juice and zest.
• With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and beating until fully incorporated.
• Pour into prepared cake pan. Bake until light golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Place 3 cups buttercream in a medium bowl, and 1/2 cup in each of 2 bowls. Add sunset orange and blushing pink food coloring to the medium bowl, to make peach; set aside. Add golden yellow to a bowl with 1/2 cup buttercream; place in a pastry bag fitted with a #18 Ateco tip and set aside. Tint remaining 1/2 cup buttercream bright yellow, and place in a pastry bag fitted with a #6 Ateco tip and set aside.
• To assemble: Cut out 6 four-inch rounds from cake. Split each round horizontally, creating twelve layers. Spread top of one layer with 3 tablespoons of the peach buttercream. Place a second layer on top of buttercream, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining layers, creating six filled cakes.
• To make the petals, place a 3 1/2-inch round cutter 1/2 inch in from the edge of one of the cakes, and cut; discard the cut piece. Repeat with four more cakes. Reserve one uncut cake for center of flower.
• Using an offset spatula, frost each of the cakes with 1/2 cup peach buttercream. Start from the center, and work out, making sure to push the buttercream over the sides of the cake. Smooth the buttercream.
• Place the center of the flower on a serving plate or pedestal. Coat the sides of remaining cakes with sprinkles, and place evenly around the pedestal, being sure to position the cut section of each cake against the center cake to adhere.
• Using the piping bag filled with golden buttercream, pipe two rows of small stars around the perimeter of the center of the flower. Using the piping bag filled with yellow buttercream, pipe small dots onto the center of the cake until it is completely covered.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush inside of each flowerpot with oil, and line bottom with parchment paper round. Brush parchment with oil, and lightly dust with cocoa.
• Sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add egg and yolk, 3/4 cup warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla; mix on low speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Divide batter among prepared pots, filling each about two-thirds full. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, rotating sheet about halfway through, until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cakes cool completely in the flowerpots on a wire rack.
• Frost cakes with an offset spatula; sprinkle with crushed cookies. Top with candies; "plant" 1 mint sprig in each cake.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper liners.
• Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.
• Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Fill the cupcake liners to the top with batter. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.
• For the icing, mix the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, mixing just until smooth. Spread the frosting generously on top of each cupcake.

Steps:

• Make a custard from the following ingredients: sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice, and grated lemon rinds. The custard should be cooked over water until it coats a spoon.
• Dissolve gelatin in cold water. Add to custard the dissolved gelatin.
• In a bowl, beat 6 egg whites until very stiff and add gradually 3/4 cups sugar.
• Pour the lemon custard into egg whites.
• Tear into bite sized pieces, one large angel food cake, then fold into above mixture lightly with two forks.
• Grease 8x12 baking dish with salad oil and pour mixture into dish.
• Place in refrigertor and leave overnight.
• Before serving, top with whipped cream. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before serving.

Steps:

• Chop cookies very fine in food processor. The white cream will disappear.
• Mix butter, cream cheese, and sugar in bowl.
• In a large bowl mix milk, pudding and whipped topping together.
• Combine pudding mixture and cream mixture together.
• Layer in flower pot, starting with cookies then cream mixture. Repeat layers.
• Chill until ready to serve.
• Add artificial flower and trowel. Enjoy!

Steps:

• Place cake on a clean work surface. Using a serrated knife, trim top to make level, and split cake horizontally to form 2 layers. Place a dab of buttercream in the center of a 9-by-13-inch cardboard rectangle. Center 1 cake layer on top. Using an offset spatula, frost top of cake layer with 5 cups buttercream for the filling; place remaining cake layer on top. Frost entire cake with remaining 5 cups buttercream. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt chocolate morsels in a double-boiler or a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch water). Stir in vegetable oil until combined. Remove from heat. Dip pretzels into chocolate to coat, and transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Let sit in a cool place until chocolate has set.
• Using white glue, affix cardboard rectangle to a cutting board or piece of plywood covered with adhesive-backed paper, approximately 14-by-18 inches. Process chocolate cookies in a food processor until finely ground; you will need 2 cups of crumbs. Sprinkle top of chilled cake with crumbs. Place marzipan terracotta pot in center of cake. Sprinkle candy pebbles on top of cake to form a path. Arrange marzipan flowers and garden hose in clusters on either side of path.
• Gently press pretzels into sides of cake, about 1/2-inch apart. Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in the center. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Butter paper, and dust the pans with flour, tapping out any excess. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat oil, vanilla, and sugar until combined, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Beat at medium speed until mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, mix together banana, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut. Add to egg mixture; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; blend well.
• Divide batter between pans. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer pans to a greased wire rack. Let cool 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges to loosen. Invert onto racks; reinvert, top side up. Cool completely. Assemble cake, or wrap each layer well and freeze (thaw before using).
• With a serrated knife, trim and discard rounded top off one layer. Place layer on serving platter. Using an offset spatula, spread top of layer with 1/4 inch of frosting. Top with untrimmed layer. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining frosting. Decorate with pineapple flowers, if desired. Serve at room temperature. (Cake can be refrigerated up to 3 days.)