Marshmallow Igloo Cake With Polar Friends Recipes

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk the flours, cinnamon, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time until just combined, then add the vanilla. Combine the milk and rum in a measuring cup, then alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk mixture to the butter mixture in two additions each. Beat until combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack until cool enough to handle, then turn the cakes out onto the wire rack to cool completely.
• For the decoration: Meanwhile, put the white melting candies and coconut oil in a medium heatproof glass or metal bowl that fits over a small saucepan without touching the bottom. Fill the saucepan with a couple of inches of water and place over medium heat. Place the bowl of white melts over the top and melt until smooth.
• Pour a small amount of the white chocolate into a 6- to 7-inch plastic chocolate dome mold and swirl the mold to coat the inside completely in a thin layer. Place in the refrigerator for 1 minute. Remove and spoon 1/4 cup more white chocolate into the mold. Using the back of the spoon, smooth the white chocolate all around the inside to create a thicker layer; refrigerate for 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat this process 2 more times, so that you have a solid white chocolate layer in the mold. Leave in the refrigerator while you finish assembling the cake. Place any leftover melted chocolate in a disposable pastry bag or resealable plastic bag.
• To make the penguins, form a ball of black gum paste about the size of a golf ball. Using the insides of your palms or the tabletop, gently roll one end to form the ball into a egg shape. Orienting the pointier side of the egg up, make a small snip with a sharp pair of scissors on one side of the egg, close to the bottom, and use your finger to lift the snip up to form a wing. Repeat directly across from this snip on the other side to make the second wing. Repeat the making egg shapes and snips 3 times for 3 more penguins.
• Take a small amount of white gum paste and roll it out thinly, dusting with cornstarch so it doesn't stick to your surface. Cut out 4 small teardrops with a cutter or very sharp paring knife. Trim a small V-shaped notch from the tip of each white teardrop. Brush a small amount of vodka on one side of a white shape and adhere to the front of a black penguin body. Repeat with the remaining penguins.
• Split the orange melting candies in half, then gently press the body of the penguin onto 2 of the orange melt halves to position them for feet. Lift the penguin off and brush the foot indents with vodka, then press the penguin gently back on top of the orange melts to adhere. Repeat with the remaining penguins. Cut the sour belts in half lengthwise, then cut into 6-inch strips. Tie one in a loose knot and drape around a penguin's head; tighten as needed, then trim to the desired length. Repeat with the remaining penguins. Press an orange chocolate-covered sunflower seed into each head to create a beak on each penguin. Use edible markers to draw eyes on each.
• Level both cake layers using a serrated knife. Flip one round upside down and secure to a 12-inch round silver cake board set on a cake turntable with a dollop of Frosting. Spread an even layer of Frosting (about 1/2 cup) over the top of the cake layer. Flip the second cake layer upside down and place atop the Frosting. Frost the entire cake with a thin even coat of Frosting. If your Frosting has picked up a lot of crumbs, refrigerate the cake 30 minutes. Generously frost the cake with a second layer of Frosting, using an offset spatula to create swirls and snow drifts.
• Remove the chocolate mold from the refrigerator and invert onto a clean work surface, using the edges of the mold to lift it off. Use a sharp paring knife to cut a broken-looking hole into the front of the igloo. Place the chocolate dome on top of the cake, positioning it close to one edge. Snip a very small bit of the tip off the end of the pastry bag with the white chocolate. Create 'ice bricks' on the igloo by piping horizontal lines at 1-inch intervals around the dome (put the pastry bag back in the microwave for a couple of seconds if it gets too hard to pipe). Then pipe in staggered vertical lines to create the bricks.
• Add more Frosting where you wish to make snow drifts against the igloo and around the bottom of the cake. Place your penguins on top and along the sides of cake.
• Place the sugar and 3/4 cup water in a saucepan and stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Meanwhile, put the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat to stiff peaks. With the mixer on low, stream in the boiled sugar syrup, then add the vanilla and turn the mixer to high. Beat for 7 minutes.

Steps:

• Make the Igloo:
• Butter and flour an 8-inch-round cake pan and a 1.5-quart ovenproof bowl. Make the cake batter; divide between the pan and the bowl. Bake at 350 degrees F until a toothpick comes out clean, about 35 minutes for the pan, 40 to 45 minutes for the bowl. Let cool, then unmold the cakes onto a rack.
• Microwave the white chocolate at 50% power in 15-second intervals, stirring, until melted, about 2 minutes. Pour onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and spread to 1/4 inch thick with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with the sanding sugar. Chill until set, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the chocolate from the refrigerator. Break most of it into rough 1/2-to-1-inch pieces to form the ice that covers the igloo.
• Use a paring knife to cut a few even 1/2-inch tiles from the remaining chocolate (these are for the tunnel entrance).
• Assemble the igloo: Mix 2 1/2 cups frosting with the blue food coloring. Spread some blue frosting on the flat cake, then cover with the bowl-shaped cake.
• Spread some frosting on the cake where you want the tunnel to go, then attach a doughnut half, cut-side down. Attach the other half with frosting to extend the tunnel.
• Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of blue frosting (this is called a "crumb coat," which is like a primer; it doesn't have to be perfect). Chill, uncovered, until the frosting sets, about 15 minutes.
• Spread the remaining blue frosting evenly over the cake and doughnuts. Arrange the white-chocolate pieces on the igloo in a mosaic pattern. Place the even white- chocolate tiles around the tunnel entrance.
• For the trees, mix 3/4 cup vanilla frosting with the green food coloring. Spread on the cones, flicking the frosting with the tip of an offset spatula to form branches. Arrange the trees around the igloo and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• Combine the fruit juice or lemonade, gelatin and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until the gelatin and sugar dissolve completely, about 1 minute (make sure there is no undissolved sugar stuck to the bottom of the saucepan). If any foam forms while stirring, skim it off and discard. Transfer the mixture to a small liquid measuring cup.
• Put the gummy bear molds on a flat surface and slowly fill each cup to the top. Give each mold a small shake to ensure the mixture settles to the bottom. Refrigerate until the mixture sets, about 10 minutes. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheets. Line bottoms with parchment paper; butter parchment. Dust with cocoa powder, and tap out excess; set aside.
• Sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add eggs and yolk, 1 1/4 cups warm water, the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until smooth.
• Divide batter between prepared sheets. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 16 minutes. Let cool on wire racks 30 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks, and let cool completely.
• Coat an 8 1/2-inch (9-cup) ovenproof bowl with cooking spray. Line with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Cut one cake layer crosswise into 4-inch-wide strips, and use to line bowl (there should be no gaps). Cut a 9-inch round from remaining cake layer; set aside.
• One at a time, mix ice creams in the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth. Spread 1 cup vanilla ice cream over cake in bowl; spread 1 1/2 cups chocolate ice cream on top. Continue layering ice creams, alternating 1 1/2 cups of each flavor, stopping 1/2 inch from rim. Press cake over ice cream. Wrap in plastic; freeze overnight.
• Turn out cake onto a 9-inch cake board. Freeze 15 minutes. Spread a thin layer of buttercream (about 1/2 cup) over cake, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Transfer remaining buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a basket-weave tip (such as Ateco #898). With smooth side of tip facing you, and starting at top of cake, pipe 1-inch rectangles all over cake. If cake begins to soften, freeze 15 minutes.
• Using marshmallows, make the outline of the door. Using a smaller basket-weave tip (such as Ateco #895), pipe rectangles over marshmallows. Sprinkle sanding sugar all over cake. Freeze until ready to serve, up to 1 day. Attach marzipan penguins to cake with toothpicks, and garnish with coconut "snow."