Reveal Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in the middle. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Butter paper and dust both pans with flour, tapping out excess.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Scrape vanilla seeds into bowl with a paring knife, reserving pod for another use.
• With the mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with milk and starting and ending with dry ingredients; scrape down sides of bowl once or twice to ensure proper combining.
• In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. (Do not overmix the whites; if they appear curdled or broken, the cake will not rise.) Whisk one-third of the whites into the batter to lighten, then carefully fold in the rest of the whites.
• Divide batter between prepared cake pans (about 4 cups batter each). Bake until a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean and cakes are just beginning to pull away from sides of pans, 30 to 40 minutes. (Do not overbake.) Transfer pans to wire racks and cool for 10 minutes. Run an offset spatula around the edge of each cake, then reinvert cakes onto racks. Remove parchment; cool cakes completely. Refrigerate 1 hour or up to overnight, wrapped well in plastic (or freeze up to 1 month).
• Meanwhile, place 4 1/2 cups buttercream in a medium bowl. Add jam and enough food coloring to reach desired shade of pink or blue; stir to combine.
• Reinvert cakes and trim tops with a serrated knife to make level. Using a ruler as a guide, insert toothpicks halfway up side of cake, all around. Slice each cake in half horizontally using toothpicks as your guides. Place one cake layer on a piece of parchment or a cardboard cake round. Top with 1 1/2 cups colored buttercream, spreading evenly. Top with another cake layer; repeat with remaining colored buttercream and cake layers, ending with cake. Let set in refrigerator 2 hours.
• Frost top and sides of cake evenly with remaining buttercream. Serve.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease or spray two 8-inch round pans; place 8-inch round piece of cooking parchment paper in bottom of each pan. Grease or spray parchment paper. In large bowl, beat 1 box cake mix and ingredients called for on box with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on high speed about 2 minutes or until smooth. Spread in pans. Bake as directed on box. Cool 10 minutes; run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Gently remove from pans to cooling rack; remove parchment paper. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat to make 2 more layers.
• Flatten cake layers by trimming off rounded tops. In 2 layers, cut small round out of center, using 4-inch round cutter.
• To assemble cake: Place 1 uncut cake layer on cake stand or serving platter; spread 1/3 cup frosting on top. Top with 1 layer with center removed; spread 1/3 cup frosting on top. Top with second layer with center removed; spread 1/3 cup frosting on top. Fill cake with candies and candy sprinkles. Gently press candies to level, top with full cake layer. Frost side and top of cake using remaining frosting. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 2 greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease and flour paper., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in each center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove parchment. Cool completely., Place a large bowl and beaters in freezer until cold, about 15 minutes. In chilled bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in cream until firm peaks form. Tint 1-1/4 cups blue and 1/4 cup pink (switch measurements if it's a girl), and leave remaining frosting white., Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Pipe a circle of white frosting around top edge of layer. Spread 1 cup blue (or pink if it's a girl) frosting inside white frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides with white frosting. Using a #8 tip and white frosting, pipe pearls around top and bottom edges of cake. Using a #12 tip, pipe blue and pink dots over cake. With a #4 tip and pink frosting, add "It's a ... " to top of cake. Refrigerate until serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 6-inch cake pans with cooking spray. Line each pan with parchment paper rounds. Spray the parchment paper and flour pans. Tap the pans over a sink or trash can to get rid of excess flour.
• Place the cake mix, water, oil and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium for 2 minutes. Dye with food coloring, either a shade of blue or pink depending on the gender. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the buttercream: Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, alternating between the two until no lumps remain. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until incorporated.
• Trim the dome off each cake layer. Cut the center out of 2 cake layers with a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Leave the third cake layer whole.
• Place 1 cake layer with a hole on a plate or 6-inch cardboard cake drum on a rotating cake stand. Spread some of the buttercream over top with an offset spatula, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the hole. Repeat with the other cake layer with a hole. Fill the center with the blue or pink sprinkles. Spread some of the buttercream over top. Top with the remaining whole cake layer with the bottom facing up. Spread some of the buttercream over top and sides of the cake to create a crumb coat. Chill at least 20 minutes.
• Spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake.
• While the buttercream is still somewhat sticky, hold the cake with one hand over a rimmed baking sheet. With the other hand, grab a handful of the white sprinkles and press up the sides of the cake, starting from the bottom. Cover the top with the white sprinkles. Cut, watch it explode and serve.

Steps:

• For the chocolate cake numbers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13-by-5-inch loaf pan with a strip of aluminum foil. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the dark chocolate cake mix, chocolate pudding mix, milk, sour cream, oil and eggs in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 52 to 58 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and set on a cooling rack to cool completely. Cut the domed top off the cake and about 1/4 inch off each end. Slice the cake into 13 equal slices. Freeze slices for 1 hour. Remove the cake from the freezer, set on a cutting board, and cut using small 1 3/4-inch number cookie cutters. To remove the cake from the cookie cutters, use a wood dowel to gently push the pieces out. To make a Sweet 16 cake, cut a 1 and 6 out of each cake slice. Line a baking sheet or cutting board with a nonstick silicone mat, nonstick foil or parchment paper. Set the cake numbers on top, cover, and freeze for at least one hour. For the tie-dye cake: Once the cake numbers are frozen, make the colorful cake batter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13-by-5-inch loaf pan with a strip of aluminum foil. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the white cake mix, white chocolate pudding mix, milk, sour cream, oil and egg whites in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes. Equally divide the batter among 7 bowls. Color one bowl purple, one royal blue, one sky blue, one green, one yellow, one orange and one red using the food coloring. Pour each colored batter into a disposable pastry bag or large resealable plastic bag. Snip the tip off each bag. Pipe squiggles of purple batter into the bottom of the prepared pan, leaving room for other colors in between the squiggles. Pipe another color on top, then another and another. Pipe all 7 colors on the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Remove the cake numbers from the freezer. If any of the numbers have holes in them, pipe in 2 different batter colors, filling the hole two-thirds full. Pipe a very thin amount of batter up against one short side of the loaf pan. Press the cake numbers up against the batter. Press another cake number up against the first number and continue adding cake numbers until you have a row of them going down the length of the entire pan. If using more than 1 number, pipe squiggles of colored batter in between the numbers, alternating colors as you go. Pipe squiggles of colored batter around the outside of the numbers, alternating colors as you go. Pipe squiggles of colored batter on top of the numbers, alternating colors as you go. Smooth out the top of the cake. Do not swirl the colored batter in the pan. Tap the pan on the counter 5 times to help remove big air bubbles. Bake the cake until the top is deep brown and a long toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and set on a cooling rack to cool completely. Cut the domed top off the cake and about 1/4 inch off each end. Trim off a thin layer from each long side of the cake. Optionally, freeze the cake until firm. Set the cake on a cake board that is cut 1/4 inch larger than the loaf on all 4 sides. Mark one end of the cake board. Set the cake so the numbers face forward on the marked end of the cake board. For the frosting: Beat the confectioners' sugar, shortening, whipping cream, vanilla and marshmallow creme until light and fluffy. Frost the cake.
• For the rainbow-colored glaze: Combine the finely chopped candy melts, whipping cream and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high in 15 second increments, stirring after each, until melted. Evenly divide the glaze among 6 small bowls. Color one purple, one royal blue, one sky blue, one green, one yellow, one orange and one red. Allow the glaze to thicken slightly. Create a melting rainbow by pouring colored glaze down the side of the cake, starting with the purple, then royal blue, sky blue, green, yellow, orange and red. Set the cake on a serving dish so you know which end has the numbers facing forward. Cut into the cake and reveal the surprise hiding inside.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper liners.
• Beat cake mix, water, eggs, and oil together in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 14 to 19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in the freezer.
• Melt white chocolate in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 15-second intervals, stirring after each melting, 1 to 3 minutes. Beat butter and melted white chocolate together using an electric mixer until smooth; add 3 tablespoons cream and vanilla extract and mix well. Gradually add confectioners' sugar to white chocolate mixture while continually beating until icing is thick and creamy.
• Place a bowl, beaters, and 1 quart cream in the freezer for 20 minutes.
• Pour the chilled cream into the chilled bowl and beat using the chilled beaters until thick. Add pudding mix and beat until pudding filling is really thick and somewhat stiff. Stir jam and food coloring into filling until an even color is reached.
• Cut an upside-down triangular shape out of the top of each cupcake, making room for the filling. Cut the point off the triangle. Spoon the filling into each cupcake and top with the triangle piece. Spread icing over the top of each cupcake.