Flower Purse Birthday Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease or spray bottoms and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans. Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour into pans.
• Bake as directed on box for 8-inch rounds. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For easier handling, refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes or until firm.
• In small bowl, mix 1 container frosting and food color until desired shade for purse.
• Use serrated knife to cut one-fourth off each cake to form a straight edge about 6 1/2 inches long as shown in diagram (discard small pieces of cake or use for making small purse shown in video). Spread slightly less than 1/4 cup frosting on bottom side of 1 layer; spread about 1 tablespoon frosting on cut side. Stand cake layer, cut side down, on serving plate. Spread about 1 tablespoon frosting on cut side of second layer; place bottom side of layer on frosting of standing layer, matching cut edges. Lightly press layers together to form purse cake.
• Spread a thin layer of frosting over entire cake to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes to set frosting. Frost cake with remaining tinted frosting. In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup frosting and food color until desired shade for trim. Place tinted frosting in decorator bag or resealable food-storage plastic bag with small corner of bag cut off. Pipe on purse as desired.
• Use peelable string licorice for handle and jellied ring candy for clasp. Decorate purse with assorted candies. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• 1. Use a knife to cut floral foam into the shape of a cake. For ease of cutting choose a square style, or try a round style for a different look. If you want to mak a cake with two tiers, cut one shape approximately three inches larger than the other on all sides. Then place the smaller shape on top of the larger ones and poke thin dowels or wooden skewers through both layers to hold them together in two to four places. If using fresh flowers, wet your floral foam and then place it on a plate or a shallow bowl; if using silk flowers skip the wetting process.
• 2. Cut your flower stems with scissors. Each stem should be approximately two to three inches long.
• 3. Start at the base of the largest foam shape. Poke the stems of your flowers into the foam, lining them up side by side all along the lower side edge of the foam. When that layer is complete, continue to layer more rows of flowers on top until you have covered all of the surface of the craft foam.
• 4. Stick a candle in the top of the flower "cake" for decoration. Be careful about lighting it, though, as you might damage the flowers if you do.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs and water; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour 4 cups batter into a greased and waxed paper-lined 9-in. square baking pan (discard remaining batter)., Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat shortening and butter until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla; beat until smooth. Tint frosting as desired., Using a serrated knife, level top of cake if necessary. Using dental floss, cut cake in half diagonally by starting at a top edge and pulling floss through to opposite bottom edge. Place cakes together with wide ends at bottom, forming a triangle. Cut off top 3-in.; spread frosting between layers., Transfer cake to a serving platter; spread frosting over the top and sides of cake. Decorate as desired with remaining frosting and dragees. For handle, insert each end of ribbon into a drinking straw; insert each end into top of cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line the base and sides of 3 x 20cm cake tins with baking parchment. In a jug, whisk the eggs, yogurt and milk. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, using an electric hand whisk. When you have a light and fluffy mixture, add the flour, the liquid in the jug and the lemon zest. Mix again until smooth. Divide the cake mixture between the tins, level the surfaces and bake for 40 mins.
• Mix the lemon juice and elderflower cordial. When the cakes are cooked, poke all over the surface with a cocktail stick then spoon the lemon and elderflower syrup over the cakes. Leave to cool in the tins. Once cool, you can wrap in cling film and keep for 3 days before icing.
• To make the icing, beat the butter until smooth with an electric hand whisk. Add half the icing sugar, use a spatula to mash the mixture together (this will help to prevent an icing sugar cloud) then whisk again. Add the remaining icing sugar, cream cheese and lemon zest, mash again, then whisk again until smooth.
• Stack the cakes on a cake stand with plenty of icing between each layer. Pile most of the remaining icing on top, then use a palette knife to spread it across the top and down the sides, covering the cake in swirls (don't worry about it looking too perfect). Add the final bit of icing to the top and use it to cover any patches where the cake is poking through. Decorate with fresh flowers.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Grease and flour 13x9-inch pan; cover bottom with parchment. Prepare cake batter as directed on package, blending dry pudding mix into batter before pouring into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 32 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 15 min.; remove to wire rack. Cool cake completely.
• Cut cake crosswise into thirds. Stack cake layers on plate, spreading half the jam between each layer. Stand filled cake upright on one long side. Freeze 1 hour or until firm.
• Beat shortening and butter in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add vanilla; mix well. Gradually add sugar alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.
• Spoon 1/3 of the frosting into separate bowl; tint with red and blue colorings to desired shade for the flowers; spoon into piping bag fitted with star tip. Set aside. Tint remaining frosting with yellow food coloring. Frost top and sides of cake with thin layer of yellow frosting; spoon remaining yellow frosting into separate piping bag fitted with desired tip.
• Use colored frostings to decorate cake as shown in photo. If desired, cut 1 licorice twist into 8 pieces, then make small cuts around one end of each piece before inserting, cut ends up, into center of each flower. Add remaining decorations as desired. Remove the headbands or any other non-edible decorations before serving the cake.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 6-inch-round and an 8-inch-round cake pan with parchment paper; coat with cooking spray. Prepare the cake mix as directed; divide between the pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool.
• Level the tops of the cakes with a serrated knife (save the trimmings). Halve the cakes horizontally. Working on a cake board or plate, stack the 8-inch layers, then the 6-inch layers, frosting between each layer.
• Hold a serrated knife at an angle and trim the edges of the layer cake all the way around to make an upside-down pot shape. Cover the cake with all but 1/2 cup of the remaining frosting; freeze 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cocoa powder on a sheet of parchment; put the fondant on top, make a small well in the middle and put the food coloring in the well. Knead until the color is even.
• Dust a surface with cocoa powder; roll out the colored fondant into a 24-by-6 1/2-inch rectangle, trimming the edges to make them straight. Cut off a 24-by-1 1/4-inch strip of fondant; set aside.
• Wrap the wide piece of fondant around the cake, pressing and smoothing it with your fingers. Trim the excess with a paring knife.
• Reroll the fondant scraps and cut out a 5-inch circle; press the fondant circle on top of the cake to form the pot bottom. Invert the cake onto a board. Lightly brush the thin strip of fondant with water; attach to the top edge of the cake, allowing the strip to come slightly above the edge. Trim the ends.
• Cover the top of the cake with the remaining 1/2 cup frosting, then crumble the cake trimmings on top.
• When ready to serve, stick mint sprigs and edible flowers into the cake.