Snowman In The Garden Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make, bake and cool cake as directed on box for two 8-inch or 9-inch rounds, or use one 8-inch round pan and one 9-inch round pan.
• On tray, arrange cake rounds as pictured. Frost with frosting. Sprinkle with coconut, pressing gently so it sticks.
• Carefully cut black gumdrop for nose and eyebrows, cut green gumdrop for eyes, use licorice for mouth and muffler and chocolate chips for buttons. Place cookie on each side of head for earmuffs; attach across top of head with licorice. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• For the cakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, oil, granulated sugar and eggs together until well combined. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the milk. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Add the vanilla extract and mix briefly to combine.
• Line a cupcake pan with 7 paper liners. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
• Remove 2 2/3 cups batter from the bowl and place it in a separate bowl. Stir in the mint extract and red food color.
• Spray a 4-cup bundt pan and a 10-cup bundt pan with flour-based baking spray. Alternate layers of vanilla batter and mint (red) batter in each bundt pan until the pans are about 3/4 full. Use a butter knife to gently swirl the two batter colors together.
• Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 20 minutes, the 4-cup bundt for 30 to 35 minutes and the 10-cup bundt for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. When the cakes are done, turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely.
• When the cupcakes are cool, crumble them into a large bowl and add 2 ounces of cream cheese. Mix together using a rubber spatula or knead together with your hands. Squeeze a small handful of the mixture in your hand. It should hold together. If it doesn't and the mixture is crumbly, knead in the remaining 1/2 ounce cream cheese.
• Form three roughly ball-shaped pieces from the mixture that are small, medium and large as the segments of a snowman. Flatten the bottom of the largest ball so that it appears to pool and slump to one side. Add the medium ball on top and flatten slightly. Add the smallest ball on top and dowel the three pieces together with a toothpick. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• For the glaze and decors: Combine the powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the half-and-half a little at a time until a thick white glaze forms. Place the largest bundt cake on a cake stand or serving platter with a lip. Cover the top of the bundt cake with half of the glaze. Top the glazed bunt cake with the second smaller bundt cake. Top the second cake with the remaining glaze. You may not have to use the entire batch of glaze.
• Cut a small piece away from the orange fruit chew using a knife and mold it into a triangular carrot shape. Break away the point of a toothpick and insert the non-pointed end into the flat side of the carrot shape. Have this ready on hand along with the chocolate chips, pretzel stick, chocolate sprinkles and licorice lace.
• Melt the white candy melting wafers in the microwave at 100 percent power at 30-second intervals until the candy can be stirred smooth and is pourable.
• Place the chilled modeled snowman shape on the center of the top bundt cake. Spoon the white melted candy onto the snowman shape and allow the excess to run down the sides of the cakes.
• Quickly add two mini chocolate chips (flat side out) for the snowman's eyes. Add the two chocolate sprinkles just over the eyes for eyebrows. Press the nose into the face just under the eyes and add the larger chocolate chip (flat side out) for an o-shaped mouth. Break the pretzel stick in half and add to each side of the body, with one arm sticking upright and the other onto the lower part of the body as if it has melted off. Add the three remaining mini chocolate chips for buttons down the front of the snowman body. Add a licorice lace scarf around the neck.
• Cut the fun-size candy bar in half and have ready on hand with the vanilla cookie.
• Heat the dark chocolate in the microwave at 100 percent power at 30-second intervals until melted and smooth. Dip the cut end of a candy bar half into the chocolate and press it on the center of the cookie, creating a hat shape. Refrigerate until set, about 5 minutes. Dip the entire cookie hat in the chocolate and remove with a fork. Place it on parchment paper and refrigerate until set, about 5 minutes. Dab a small amount of melted chocolate onto the bottom flat part of the cookie hat and hold to the snowman's head until set, about 2 minutes.
• Display as an edible centerpiece at your next holiday gathering. Cut the cake into slices to serve, revealing the red peppermint swirled interior.

Steps:

• For the snowman: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini muffin tins with white mini cupcake liners.
• Prepare the cake batter according to the package directions for using egg whites. Fill each cupcake liner halfway with batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining cake batter (you should have about 240 cupcakes total).
• Microwave the white candy melting wafers in a medium microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until melted, about 1 minute. Pour 2 tablespoons of the melted candy onto the center of a large serving platter or serving board (such as a 15-by-20-inch foam poster board). Place a 10-inch Styrofoam sphere on top of the candy and let set until hardened, about 10 minutes. This will be the bottom round of the snowman.
• Trim 2 inches off the flat end of three 12-inch wooden skewers, making sure that the skewers are even in length. Mark the center of the sphere and poke the 3 skewers, bundled together, into the center flat-end first, leaving about half the length of the skewers sticking out of the top. Align a 7-inch Styrofoam sphere on top and in the center of the 10-inch sphere and press down so the skewers are inserted into the smaller sphere, securing the snowman head to the bottom. Leave a 1-inch gap between the 2 spheres.
• Set aside 5 cupcakes for making the nose later. Coat the bottom of 16 cupcakes with the melted candy (reheating as necessary) and wedge them around the base of the bottom sphere so they are in contact with the board, creating a ring of cupcakes to keep the base from moving.
• Poke a toothpick through the top center of each of the remaining cupcakes until the toothpick pokes out of the other side. Coat the bottom of one cupcake with some of the melted candy. Starting at the bottom of the snowman, hold the top of the toothpick and poke the cupcake into the side of the sphere, offset between the row of cupcakes below, so that the toothpick is no longer showing and the coated bottom is pressed against the sphere. Working in batches so that the melted candy does not harden (and reheating as necessary), repeat with the remaining cupcakes until the bottom and head of the snowman are completely covered with cupcakes.
• To make the carrot nose: Crumble the reserved 5 cupcakes into as fine a crumb as possible in a medium bowl. Add the vanilla frosting to the bowl and mix until well combined and the mixture can be formed into a stiff ball. Mold into a 4-inch carrot shape. Cut a 12-inch wooden skewer in half; discard the half without the point. Insert the skewer half lengthwise through the center of the carrot with the pointed end sticking out of the flat side of the carrot. Freeze until solid, about 30 minutes.
• Microwave the orange candy melting wafers in a medium microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Dip the frozen carrot into the orange candy until completely coated. Transfer to a parchment-lined dish until hardened, about 15 minutes.
• Attach the carrot nose to the center of the face with the pointed end of the skewer, pressing in until the skewer is no longer visible and the carrot is straight.
• For the frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a heatproof stand mixer bowl above the water without the bottom of the bowl touching. Add the sugar, lemon juice, salt and egg whites to the mixer bowl and whisk together by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar is completely dissolved. Transfer to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is cool and holds stiff peaks, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer a quarter of the frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Pipe rosettes onto each cupcake starting in the center and swirling outwards until the entire cupcake is covered with frosting, refilling the pastry bag with frosting as needed.
• To make the eyes and buttons: Cut 3 toothpicks in half and discard one of the halves. Stick the pointed end of each remaining toothpick half into the back of a chocolate-covered marshmallow cookie, making sure it doesn't poke through the front. On the head where the eyes would be, attach 2 marshmallow cookies to 2 cupcakes with the toothpicks. Attach 3 marshmallow cookies to 3 cupcakes down the front of the snowman where the buttons would be.
• To make the ear muffs: Cut two 12-inch wooden skewers in half; discard the ends without the point. Insert a skewer point-side first into each side of the snowman head even with the eyes. Trim any excess skewer to leave 1 inch exposed. Attach a doughnut to each side of the head by pressing the doughnut into the skewer until it is flush with the head and pressing against the frosted cupcakes. Lay the two 9-inch sour candy strands next to each other across the top of the head to attach the ear muffs. Trim any excess if needed.
• To make the woven scarf: Stack four 3-foot-long sour candy strands on top of each other and position vertically in front of you. Measure 4 inches down from the top of the strands and insert a toothpick through all 4 pieces to attach them at the top. Separate the strands below the toothpick so they are no longer stacked on top of each other. Interlace the far-right strand first under the strand next to it, then over the strand next to that and finally under the last strand (on the left) to create the first weave, tightening as you go to create a snug pattern. Continue the pattern by bringing the same strand back over the strand closest to it, then under the next strand and finally over the last strand on the far right.
• Repeat this pattern--weaving side to side and back again--until the strand has been completely woven through. Using a toothpick, attach another 3-foot strand where the original one left off and continue until the new strand is woven through. Cut the remaining unwoven strands at the bottom. Use toothpicks to secure the scarf. Repeat this process, starting with four new 3-foot sour candy strands and weaving in a fifth, to create 2 woven scarf halves equal in length.
• Fray the unwoven section at the top of the scarf halves by pulling the different colors apart. Attach one of the scarf halves to the back of the snowman, securing it with toothpicks. Wrap the scarf carefully around to the front of the snowman so the frayed end drapes near the buttons. Secure the other scarf half, overlapping in the back if needed, and wrap around to the front of the body so the ends of the scarves overlap.
• Keep chilled until serving. Serve within a day.

Steps:

• Prepare cake mixes according to package directions. Pour batter into two greased 1-qt. ovenproof bowls, two greased 10-oz. custard cups and one greased muffin cup., In a 350° oven, bake muffin cup for 18-20 minutes, custard cups for 45-50 minutes and bowls for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing cakes from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, cream the shortening and butter in a bowl. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency., Head and body: Use serrated knife to level the cakes. , For the body, place one large round cake flat side up on the 8-in. serving plate. Frost the top of the cake. Place the remaining large cake on top with the flat side down and edges even. Frost the top and sides., For the head, place one custard cup cake with flat side up on top of body. Frost the top of the cake. Place the remaining custard cup cake on top with the flat side down and edges even. Frost the top and sides. Set aside 1/4 cup of frosting for hat., Press coconut over the top and sides of snowman, reserving some to sprinkle on plate later. Press two brown M&M's onto face for the eyes and three green M&M'S onto body for the buttons., Use your fingers to shape the orange gumdrop into a carrot shape. Press wide end onto face for the nose., Hat: Place reserved frosting in a bowl. Melt chocolate chips. Stir melted chips into frosting until blended. Frost top of wafer. With top of cupcake down, place cupcake on top of frosted wafer. Frost cupcake with remaining frosting. Place hat on snowman's head., Wrap two licorice pieces around hat just above brim and trim as needed., Flatten green gumdrop between waxed paper. Using sharp knife, cut a holly leaf shape from gumdrop and place on hat brim. Place two red M&M'S on brim next to holly leaf for the berries., Finishing: Press the ends of two licorice pieces together to create one long piece. Repeat with remaining two pieces of licorice. Tie long licorice pieces around neck for scarf. , Sprinkle plate with reserved coconut.

Steps:

• Prepare cake mixes according to package directions. Divide batter among two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans, one 9-in. square baking pan and 12 cupcakes. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes and cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , Place one round cake off center and 1 in. from the bottom of a 25x16-in. covered board. Place second round cake above it. Set aside 1 cup vanilla frosting. Frost round cakes with remaining vanilla frosting., Cut the square cake into two rectangles-one 8-in. x 2-in. and one 8x4-in. (save remaining piece for another use). For hat brim, place the smaller rectangle (B) above on the top round cake. Cut a 5-3/4x4-in. piece from the large rectangle; place (A) above hat brim. For scarf, cut the remaining cake piece in half diagonally (C and D); position on left side of top circle. (Save the cupcakes for another use.), Frost hat with chocolate frosting. Tint reserved vanilla frosting blue; frost a stripe on hat for ribbon and frost the scarf. Cut three holly leaves from fruit roll-up; place on hat ribbon. Top with tiny tarts for berries. Position red candy coin for nose; add black gumdrops for eyes and buttons. Add licorice bites for mouth.

Steps:

• For Cake:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, water, oil, eggs and extract. Use an electric mixer to beat on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down bowl and then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until batter is smooth. Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until center of tester comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. ;
• For Royal Icing:
• With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice or extract until frothy. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, smooth, and shiny. Turn to high and beat approximately 5 minutes until stiff and glossy. Add food coloring, if desired, and transfer to a pastry bag to pipe onto cookies. ;
• To Decorate:
• Line the backside of a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place 4 inch wide strips of parchment paper around the border of the sheet pan to keep the foil clean while you decorate the cake. Place cake rounds side by side on the lined sheet tray. Slice one side off each cupcake. Place cupcakes side by side at one end of a cake round with the cut/flat side facing up (this will be the top of the top hat). Frost both cakes and cupcakes with frosting so that it looks like a hat is resting on a snowman's head resting on a body. Remove the parchment paper. Spread or drizzle the bottom third of the sheet pan with some royal icing (the royal icing will act as glue for the coconut). Sprinkle the coconut over the royal icing to mimic snow. Randomly place 20 dollops of royal icing around the rest of the sheet pan. Place the snowflake cookies on each dollop of royal icing. Decorate the snowman's hat with rows of blue mints, starting at the very top of the Snowman's head and working up onto the cupcakes. To decorate the face use the peppermint patties for eyes, place a small dot of the royal icing in the center of each patty and place a blue jellybean on top of the royal icing. Use the orange gum drop for the nose and the blue candy coated chocolates for the smile. To make the buttons dip the flat side of a hard candy into the royal icing and then into the colored decorating sugar and place on the snowman's chest; repeat with remaining 2 hard candies. Take 2 (8-inch) piece fruit strips and tie them into a knot. Drape fruit strips across where the 2 cake rounds meet to make a scarf. To make the "broom", take a 3-inch long piece of fruit strip and slice the bottom 2 inches into thin strips. Place a small amount of royal icing at the end of the over sized candy cane and place the unsliced end of the fruit strip on to the royal icing. Use the large white gumdrops to make the hands. Place the candy cane next too one of his hands. ;

Steps:

• ICE THE CAKE: Melt the apricot jam, then sieve and brush a little all over a 23cm cake (see Apricot & almond fruitcake recipe to the right of this recipe). On a clean surface lightly dusted with a little sifted icing sugar, roll out the marzipan to a circle large enough to cover the cake - use a piece of kitchen string to help you check. Lift up the marzipan by hanging it over your rolling pin, then drape over the cake. Gently pat and smooth the marzipan down the sides of the cake, then trim any excess from the bottom.
• Colour the regal icing with a little blue food colouring, then cover the marzipan using the same method as you covered the cake, firstly brushing the marzipan with more apricot jam. Trim the base.
• ADD SOME SNOW: Use your hands to roll two-thirds of the remaining regal icing into a long, thin sausage on an icing sugar-dusted surface. It should be long enough to go round the cake - use a piece of kitchen string to help you measure it. Use a rolling pin to roll the sausage into a strip about 5cm wide. Use a small, sharp knife to straighten one edge, and trim the other into a wiggly edge.
• Keep all the trimmings, and squash half into 2 wobbly circles for the snowmen to sit on. Brush the strip, circles and the very bottom edge of the cake with a little runny icing made with 100g sifted icing sugar and a splash of water. Scatter the desiccated coconut over the strip and circles, gently pressing to stick and cover. Starting with one end of the strip, stick it round the base of the cake. This can be a bit fiddly, so if you're nervous, simply halve the icing from the start and do in 2 half-length strips, using a little more coconut to hide the joins on the cake.
• SHAPE THE SNOWMEN: Roll the remaining third of regal icing into 2 large balls, 2 medium balls and 2 small balls. Stick together, squashing slightly, into 2 snowmen. Brush 4 cocktail sticks with a little brown food colouring and stick into the snowmen for arms.
• ADD BUTTONS AND NOSES: Push a few whole cloves into one snowman as buttons. Use a little orange food colouring to dye a little of the strip trimmings, and shape a little around the pointy end of 2 cloves to look like carrot noses. Use another clove to make little holes where the noses will go, dab a bit of runny icing into the holes and stick on the noses, pushing them into the holes to help hold them.
• SMILEY FACES: Use a black or brown writing icing pen to dot on smiley mouths and eyes - I find it helps to mark tiny holes with the end of a cocktail stick first. It stops you making mistakes and helps the icing stay in place.
• MAKE THE HAT: Dye another lump of regal icing trimmings with food colouring (we used green). Shape most into a woolly hat shape, pressing a slight dip into the bottom with your thumb where it will sit on the snowman's head. Roll a little ball to stick on top of the hat; attach it with more runny icing. Then roll and cut a thin strip to stick round the base of the hat. Use a cocktail stick to make markings like a woolly hat and rough up the ball on top. A little more runny icing will help it stick onto your snowman's head.
• AND LASTLY, THE SCARF: Knot the strawberry laces together at one end. Tightly plait a 10cm length and knot at the end again. Using scissors, snip the ends, leaving about 1cm for tassels after the knot, then wrap around the neck of the other snowman. Sit the wobbly snowy islands on top of the cake and a snowman on each one.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line the bases of two 18-19cm cake tins with baking parchment.
• Beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the lemon zest, vanilla, flour, milk and a pinch of salt and blend until just combined, then evenly divide the mixture between the tins.
• Bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their tins for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
• To make the buttercream, put the butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until fluffy. Add the icing sugar 2-3 tbsp at a time until it is all incorporated, adding the vanilla and milk halfway through. Sandwich the cakes together with a little of the buttercream and put on a board. Use the remaining buttercream to cover the sides and top of the cake. Chill for 30 mins.
• To decorate, roll out the white fondant icing on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar until large enough to cover the top and sides of the cake. Drape the fondant icing over the cake and carefully mould to fit. Trim off any excess, wrap and set aside.
• Roll out the green icing and cut out a semi-circle, using the base of the cake tin as a guide; this will be the snowman's hat. Brush one side with a little water and stick on the cake. Cut a strip of green icing and make some markings to make it look like the band of a hat, then trim to the correct length and stick on.
• To make the nose, shape a round, flat lump from the orange icing. Mark a smile by gently pressing the rim of a water glass into the fondant. Cut out two circles from the black icing for the eyes, then add a small circle of white icing (from the offcuts) to make the eyes appear to sparkle. To make the scarf, wrap a strip of the blue icing around the base of the cake, then use a knife to add cuts for the fringe. Will keep for up to a week in an airtight container in a cool place.