Hidden Treasure Chocolate Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Place cake on serving plate and cut a slice off the top 3/4 inches thick.
• Cut a trench or tunnel 1 inch wide and 1 inch deep around the center interior of the cake, making sure not to cut through the bottom.
• Remove the cake cutout.
• Stir water into the jello powder until powder is completely dissolved.
• Add enough cold water to 1/2 cup ice cubes to fill to 3/4 cups and stir into jello mixture until ice cubes are completely melted.
• Set aside 1/2 cup of jello mixture in medium bowl.
• Add the Cool Whip and stir with a wire whisk until well blended.
• Cool in the fridge for 10- 15 minutes or until thick enough to spread.
• Refrigerate remaining jello mixture until thickened (5- 10 minutes, but it took me longer than that).
• Stir in 3/4 cups of the fruit and spoon into the tunnel in the cake.
• Replace the top of the cake and frost the entire cake with the Cool Whip and jello mixture.
• Garnish the top of the cake with the remaining 1/4 cup of the fruit.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 30x20cm cake tin with baking parchment.
• Put the butter and 200g of the chocolate into a saucepan and heat gently until melted. Remove from the heat. Sieve the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Mix in the sugar. Beat together the eggs, soured cream and vanilla extract. Pour the chocolate and egg mixtures into the flour and sugar and beat well until smooth. Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes. Leave until completely cold before cutting and shaping.
• Cut the cake in half lengthways. Place one complete half on the 30cm cake board. Cut the remaining half into 3 rectangles, 13x10cm, 7x10cm and 10x10cm. Attach the 10x10cm piece to one end of the base cake using a little warm jam. Cut a 'V' shape to represent the prow of the ship. Place the 13x10 piece at the other end of the base cake, attaching with jam. Using jam again attach the 7x10 piece on top of the 13x10 piece to make the upper deck. Slice the back of the ship at a very slight angle.
• Brush the whole cake with jam. Roll out about 550g of the ready-to-roll icing and cover the cake. Trim the edges at the base and keep any trimmings.
• Melt the remaining 100g chocolate in the microwave or in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Use melted chocolate to stick the mini Toblerones to the edges of the two decks and to the 'V' shape of the prow. Trim any to fit exactly. Use the chocolate to stick on the chocolate balls for canon balls, finger biscuits stacked up as canons and chocolate caramels for port holes. Using a little of the marzipan, roll out and cut four windows. Make window frames from brown icing trimmings, rolling out to thin sausages to form a cross and sticking with chocolate. Attach to the sides of the ship with chocolate. Poke the chocolate stick out of the front of the prow, if using.
• Arrange the chocolate coins in a little pile on the cake board, reserving 3 or 4 coins for the top. Roll out the remaining brown icing and cover the coins completely. Brush with melted chocolate and sprinkle with muscovado sugar. Push 3 or 4 coins into the sand along with the chocolate skull if using.
• Put a little of the royal icing in a bowl. Colour the remainder blue. Spread the icing on the cake board around the ship and the island. Use the white icing to make 'surf' around the edge of the island.
• Using the remaining marzipan and brown icing, make three barrels. Place one on the deck of the ship and the others in the sea. Cut out sails from the paper and make holes in them so you can push the straws through. Attach the sails to the ship and poke sandwich flags out of the top to finish.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar, the butter and vanilla. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together.
• Mold portions of dough around pieces of caramels to form 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheet, place balls about 1 inch apart.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. In small bowl, place additional powdered sugar. Roll cookies in powdered sugar while warm. Cool completely on wire rack, about 30 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar again.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan--except use 1 cup water, the oil and eggs. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• From center of cake, cut one 3-inch crosswise strip (see diagram). Cut the strip diagonally in half to make two 9-inch triangular wedges. (Discard 1 cake wedge or reserve for another use.)
• On tray, place a 9x5-inch cake piece. Stir food colors into frosting to make golden yellow. Spread 1 tablespoon of frosting on 1 edge of triangular wedge of cake. Attach wedge, frosting side down, to 9x5-inch cake piece on tray, placing wedge along top edge of larger cake piece. Freeze all cake pieces 1 hour.
• Spread 1 tablespoon of frosting on top edge of triangular wedge of cake. Attach remaining 9x5-inch cake piece to cake wedge to look like partially opened treasure chest. To seal crumbs, frost cake with a thin layer of frosting. Refrigerate or freeze 30 to 60 minutes to set frosting. Spread remaining frosting evenly over entire cake. Pull fork through frosting to look like wood grain.
• Use pull-and-peel licorice to make handles and straps. Fill chest with chocolate coins, candy necklaces, and other hard candies. Add gummy ring half for clasp. Store loosely covered.

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.
• In large bowl, make cake mix as directed on box--except use 3/4 cup water, the oil and eggs. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Place 1 candy in top of batter for each cupcake (candies will sink as cupcakes bake).
• Bake as directed on box for cupcakes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Frost cupcakes with frosting. Cut 12-inch piece from 1 fruit snack roll; set aside. From remaining fruit snack, cut 24 (2-inch) pieces; cut crescent-shaped piece from each. Peel off paper backing; add 1 piece to each cupcake for top of kerchief.
• Cut reserved fruit snack into 12 (1-inch) pieces; peel off paper backing. Cut each piece in half lengthwise. Twist each piece in middle; add to 1 end of crescent-shaped fruit snack on each cupcake, forming tie of kerchief. Add 1 piece of cereal under each tie for earring. Use baking bits, chocolate chips and licorice to make facial features and eye patches. Store covered.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Microwave chocolate and butter in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted; stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended.
• Beat eggs, granulated sugar and coffee in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add chocolate mixture and flour; mix well. Pour into 6 (6-oz.) custard cups sprayed with cooking spray; place on rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake 11 to 15 min. or until cakes are firm around edges but still soft in centers. Cool in cups 8 min.; invert onto dessert plates. Top with sifted powder sugar. Serve warm.