Red Velvet Shark Cake Recipes

Steps:

• For the red velvet cake layers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and two 6-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and granulated sugar and mix on medium speed until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
• In a small bowl, combine the liquid food coloring and cocoa powder. Stir until smooth. Add the mixture to the creamed butter mixture.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the flour. Scrape down the bowl and mix again on low speed until no pockets of flour remain.
• Combine the baking soda and vinegar in a small cup; the mixture will bubble and fizz. Pour into the cake batter and mix on medium-low speed until well incorporated.
• Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when pressed in the center. Let the cakes cool slightly in the pans. Turn the cakes out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
• When the cakes are cool, use a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter to cut the centers from two of the 8-inch cake layers, or use a knife.
• Cut a large triangle from the center of each 6-inch cake layer; cut the triangles in half and set aside. Save all of the scraps from the 6-inch cakes for later use.
• For the buttercream frosting: In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the butter and confectioners' sugar on low speed. Add the vanilla extract and increase the speed to medium. Gradually add milk or cream a little at a time until the mixture thins to spreading consistency. Whip at high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.
• Remove half of the frosting and transfer to a large disposable piping bag with a 1/2-inch hole snipped in the end.
• Remove half of the remaining frosting to a separate large bowl and tint with the black, sky blue and royal blue food coloring. Mix in the food coloring 1/4 teaspoon at a time until the desired intensity of blue-grey hue is achieved. Transfer to a large piping bag with a 1/2-inch hole snipped in the end.
• Divide the remaining frosting into three separate small bowls; tint one bowl with red food coloring, one bowl with sky blue food coloring and the last bowl with black. Add the coloring 1/4 teaspoon at a time until the desired intensity is achieved. Transfer the red buttercream to a disposable piping bag with a 1/2-inch hole snipped in the end. Transfer the sky blue buttercream to a disposable piping bag with a 1/2-inch hole snipped in the end. Transfer the black buttercream to a disposable piping bag with a 1/8-inch hole snipped in the end.
• For the decors and assembly: Place a cake layer with the center removed on a cardboard cake round (8 inches or larger). Pipe a fat line of white (untinted) frosting on top of the cake around the opening. Place the second cake layer with the center removed on top of the first.
• Combine the blue sprinkles and fish-shaped candy in a bowl or a jar; mix together. Pour the candy into the center of the cake, filling the empty hole to the top. Pipe a fat line of white icing around the filled hole in the center of the cake. Place the last, whole cake layer on top. Chill the cake in the refrigerator until the buttercream is set, about 20 minutes.
• Remove the chilled cake from the refrigerator and carefully cut away two sides of the cake so that the cake is an oval shape.
• Place a fat line of white frosting on one long side of the cake; stack the four cake triangles (cut from the 6-inch cakes) upright onto the line of frosting. Frost the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting (crumb-coat). Refrigerate for 20 minutes, or until the frosting is firm.
• Frost the cake with additional white frosting. Using an offset spatula, smooth and round the pointed triangle pieces with extra frosting so that it resembles a shark's snout. Refrigerate the cake for 20 minutes.
• Pipe a fat line of white frosting around the mouth of the shark and down the front of the cake. Smooth using an offset spatula. Pipe a thick covering of blue-grey frosting on the back of the cake and smooth with a spatula.
• Pipe red frosting in the front mouth opening and use the back of a spoon to smooth it into the cavity. You will have leftover frosting; reserve for later use. Refrigerate the cake until well-chilled, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer the cake on the cake board to a large 12-inch square cake drum. Pipe a line of blue-grey frosting around the right and left sides of the cake at the base. Use two of the 6-inch cake scraps with rounded edges to create the shark's flippers. Cover the pieces with blue-grey frosting and smooth with an offset spatula.
• Use one or two more of the rounded cake scraps to create a fin on the back center of the shark. Cover with blue-grey frosting.
• Make a divot on each side of the shark head with the back of a spoon; fill each divot with black frosting. While the frosting is still wet, add a single white confetti sprinkle to each eye.
• Remove 35 white candy melting wafers and cut each to a point so they are shark tooth-shaped, using kitchen-dedicated scissors. Insert the teeth into the top and bottom edge of the mouth opening, creating a double row of teeth.
• Pipe the sky blue buttercream around the bottom edge of the cake to create water around the shark. Pipe a small amount of leftover white frosting and blend into the blue portion.
• Place the remaining candy melting wafers in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave in 30-second intervals until the candy can be stirred smooth. Transfer the melted candy to a disposable piping bag and snip a small hole in the end. Pipe the candy into a nonstick donut pan. Chill until set, about 20 minutes.
• Turn out the candy and place around the bottom of the shark cake in the blue frosting. Pipe four lines of leftover red buttercream to create the appearance of a life preserver.
• Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving. Use a large serrated knife to open the shark's belly in front of an audience. Remove the slice to reveal a cascade of candy fish and ocean blue sprinkles.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a football cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and put on a baking sheet.
• Prepare one of the cake mixes according to the package instructions. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then remove from the pan to a cooling rack. Repeat with the second cake mix to make another football cake layer.
• Level each cake: Using a serrated knife, slice the uneven top of each cake to create a smooth, flat, even surface. Leave one cake trimmed-side up and flip the other cake over so the domed football shape/side is facing up.
• For the mouth: The mouth should be oriented 2 inches from the tip of the cake. On the cake half with the domed football shape facing up, measure about 2 1/2 inches from the pointed end of the football down toward the center. This point will be the top of the mouth. From that point, using a paring knife, carefully outline a half oval or crescent shape to form a mouth. The mouth opening should be roughly 6 inches wide and 3 1/2 inches from top to bottom. The edge points of the mouth should be about 1/2 inch from the edge of the cake. Once you have created an outline, go back and cut into the outline about halfway down into the cake. Carefully remove the cut-out piece to form the mouth. Scoop out some of the cake with a spoon if needed to make the mouth deeper.
• To assemble, frost and decorate: Transfer 1 3/4 cans of white frosting to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (or cut off the tip of the bag to create about a 1/2-inch opening).
• For the blue-grey frosting (shark back): Mix together 1 can of frosting with the black gel food coloring and 5 drops of the blue gel food coloring. Mix until uniform in color. Transfer to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (or cut off the tip of the bag to create about a 1/2-inch opening).
• For the red frosting (shark jaw): Combine 1/4 can of frosting with 10 to 15 drops of red gel food coloring. Mix until uniform in color. Transfer to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (or cut off the tip of the bag to create about a 1/2-inch opening).
• For the blue frosting (water): Mix together 1 can of frosting with the remaining 5 drops of blue gel food coloring. Mix until uniform in color. Transfer to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (or cut off the tip of the bag to create about a 1/2-inch opening).
• Pipe a layer of white frosting on the flat top of the football cake layer (the layer without the mouth cut out) and spread the frosting with an offset spatula. Place the other cake layer with the mouth cut out flat-side down on top to form a football-shaped cake. Slice off 4 inches from the tip of the bottom of the cake to create a flat bottom. Pipe some frosting in the center of a 12-inch cardboard cake round. Carefully stand the cake upright, flat-bottom down, onto the frosting on the cardboard cake round.
• Apply a thin crumb coat of white frosting over the entire cake except in the cut-out mouth. Smooth out the frosting with an offset spatula. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden the frosting.
• Pipe the white frosting on the bottom/belly of the shark around the mouth and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Pipe the blue grey frosting on the top/back of the shark and smooth out with an offset spatula. Pipe the red frosting around the perimeter of the mouth to create jaws.
• Insert the pumpkin seeds and slivered almonds in rows into the red frosting to form the teeth. Press the chocolate-covered mint candies on either side of the shark into the grey frosting to form the eyes. Dab a little white frosting on each eye to create a reflection. Towards the top of the shark head/nose, press the end of a chopstick into the white frosting to make 2 nostril holes.
• Pipe blue and white frosting around the base of the shark cake to create water and white-tipped waves around the shark. Sprinkle the white sugar pearls onto the white frosting to mimic little bubbles.