Tablescape Centerpiece Candy Castle Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Special Equipment: 1 1/2-inch thick wooden dowel (10 inches long)
• 1/2-inch ribbon (48 inches each pink, mint, lavender and yellow)
• Hot glue gun or tape
• 1/4-inch star pastry tip
• Secure a colored ribbon with tape 4-inches from the bottom of dowel. Flip dowel upside down and twist the ribbon around and down the dowel (there will be excess ribbon at the end). Secure ribbon at the top of the dowel with tape or glue. Repeat with the rest of the ribbons.
• Place 1 cake layer on a glass cake plate. Spread top with lemon frosting and top with the second cake layer. Frost the entire cake with 2 containers of vanilla frosting. Set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 container vanilla frosting with 3 drops red food coloring and 1/4 teaspoon strawberry extract to make pink frosting. In another bowl, combine 1 container vanilla frosting, 3 drops green food coloring and 1/8 teaspoon mint extract to make green frosting. In a third bowl, combine 1 container vanilla frosting, 4 drops red food coloring, 2 drops blue food coloring and 1/4 teaspoon cherry extract to make lavender frosting.
• Make a pastry bag by cutting a small triangle out of the bottom corner of a large zip-top bag. Place a star pastry tip on the inside of the bag and fit tightly into the hole. Place pastry bag, tip down into a large drinking glass. Place a large spoonful of each color of frosting along the sides of the pastry bag. Remove bag from glass and, starting from the top, squeeze frosting into the tip. Pipe a colored border around bottom and top of vanilla-frosted cake. Pipe the colored frosting on the cupcake tops in an upward swirl motion.
• To assemble centerpiece, place cake on table. Insert the bottom end (without the excess ribbon) of the dowel into center of cake. Pipe colored icing around bottom of dowel. Carefully lay each color of ribbon on the table and arrange cupcakes at the ends of the ribbons. Tie the ends of the ribbons in bows and trim off the excess.
• Place more cupcakes on top of the cake. Decorate the whole cake with some edible flowers.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12 by 17-inch sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
• In another bowl, with a hand mixer beat together the butter, and sugar until well combined and slightly fluffy. Add the molasses, and eggs, 1 at a time until well incorporated. Add the sifted dry ingredients into the butter and eggs in thirds, alternating with the milk. Mix, only until combined, but do not over beat. Spread the mixture in an even layer into the prepared sheet pan and smooth the top with an off set spatula.
• Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting the pan onto a cooling rack to unmold. Peel off the parchment paper and cool completely. Turn the cake onto a cutting board, and using a gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut out shapes from the cake.
• Display the gingercake men, standing up on a cake pedestal, with a jar of the maple cream in the center to be sure they remain standing.
• In a large bowl, with a hand mixer beat together the marshmallow cream, and maple syrup until well combined. Divide the mixture among the jars. Lay a piece of burlap over the top of each jar and secure with piece of twine or raffia. If using for a place marker, write the guest's name on a tag and thread it through the twine before tying off.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray the mini brioche tins with nonstick cooking spray. Lightly dust with flour and place on a sheet tray. Line cupcake tin with white paper liners.
• Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions, substituting the buttermilk for the water in recipe. Fill the brioche tins and cupcakes 2/3 of the way to the top. You should get about 18 cupcakes. Bake, rotating pans halfway, until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Brioche tins will take about 8 to 10 minutes, cupcakes will take 12 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and cool 5 minutes before unmolding and cooling completely on a wire cooling rack.
• To make the poured icing for mini fluted cakes: Combine 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar with enough lemon juice to form a thin glaze about the consistency of syrup. Dye with equal amounts of red and blue food coloring until the desired lavender color is reached. Place the cakes upside down on a cooling rack fitted inside a sheet tray. Pour the icing over the top of the cakes, allowing it to drip down the sides and completely coat the cake. Allow to set up.
• Meanwhile, mix enough of the confectioner's sugar (1/4 to 1/3 cup) for the icing to thicken; it should be about the consistency of pancake batter. Add an additional drop or 2 of each food coloring to deepen the color. Place the icing in a small zip top bag and snip the corner. Pipe just over the top of the fluted cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.
• To make the frosting for the cupcakes, combine the can of vanilla frosting with enough of the remaining confectioners' sugar to stiffen slightly and allow the frosting hold a shape when piped. Color with equal amounts of red and blue food coloring to the desired lavender color. Place in a pastry bag or a resealable zip top bag fitted with a round pastry tip. Put 12 cupcakes into lavender cupcake covers. Pipe the frosting on top, holding the tip just above surface of the cupcake and raising slightly as you squeeze to form a ball of frosting.
• To assemble: Place the cupcakes evenly spaced on the largest bottom tier and top each with a small sprig of lavender. On the middle tier arrange the fluted cakes evenly. On the top tier place 4 store bought petit fours. Once on the table, sprinkle the whole stand with edible glitter.

Steps:

• Make the base: Use an 18 to 20-inch diameter bowl that is about 6 inches deep. Press a large sheet of tin foil into the side of the bowl. This will create a great texture. Use a pastry brush dipped in dark chocolate to coat the tin foil. Do not press too hard with the brush or you will lose the texture of the aluminum. Repeat this step 3 or 4 more times until the chocolate layer is about 3/8-inch thick. When the chocolate has set, invert the bowl to release the base from the bowl. Carefully peel the tin foil away from the chocolate. Set aside. Make the rooftops: Make a cone out of a sheet of acetate securing it closed with tape. Use a scissor to trim the edge of the cone so the end is straight. You will need 1 cone for each castle turret. The cones I made were about 9-inches tall and ranged in the opening diameter from 1 to 4 inches. Tip: Determine the size of the turrets you will make so you can coordinate cone rooftops that match the size. Use a ladle to fill the cone with chocolate. When it is full, empty it into the bowl of chocolate. The inside of the cone should be evenly coated with chocolate. Wipe the edge of the plastic cone clean on the side of the bowl and place it upside down on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Once the chocolate starts to harden, about 5 minutes, scrape the edge of the cone clean with a paring knife. You can place the cone in the refrigerator for several minutes to help the chocolate to harden. Repeat 3 more times to make 4 rooftops. When the chocolate sets, peel off the acetate. Set aside. Make the turrets: The tallest turrets of my castle are made with tubes of chocolate, each a different size in diameter. Each turret is also made of tubes of 2 different diameters. I made 5 turrets plus an extra large turret. I call the largest turret the main house. It is an irregularly shaped tube but the technique to make it is different from the other turrets. To make the main house, roll a long piece of acetate to determine the size of the tube you would like to make. Use a marker to mark the place on the acetate that indicates the desired diameter. Unroll the acetate and place a piece of parchment at the mark to cover the extra acetate. Use an offset spatula to spread a 1/4-inch-thick layer of tempered chocolate over the exposed sheet of acetate. Let the chocolate set slightly then roll the open end toward the parchment line. When the open end meets the parchment, continue to roll the extra acetate and tape it closed. Use a tin can to press this tube into an irregular shape. When the chocolate is set, peel off the acetate. Use a hot knife to shape the top edge of this piece. Use a slow sawing motion. If you see smoke, the knife is too hot. Dip the end of this piece into the tempered chocolate and adhere it onto the base.
• To make the tall turrets, use the following technique to make chocolate tubes. Roll a tube to the desired diameter and secure it closed with tape. The turrets on my castle range from 1 to 5 inches in diameter. Tape 1 end of the tube closed with tape. Set the tube on end and fill with chocolate. When it is full, invert the tube over the bowl of chocolate allowing the excess chocolate to flow back into the bowl. Let set. When the chocolate has set, repeat this step a few more times. You want the tubes sturdy so the castle will be strong. Allow the chocolate tube to set until hard. Remove the acetate. The largest tube gets cut into pieces to make the base of some turrets. Use a hot knife to cut all of the tubes into unequal sizes. To do this, heat the knife under very hot water and wipe it dry. Hold the knife blade against the side of the chocolate where you want to make the cut. Do not press on the knife or the chocolate will break. Allow the heat of the knife to "cut" through the chocolate by melting it. To assemble the turrets: Start with the largest diameter planned for each turret and use tempered chocolate to adhere the piece to the base. Combine different size tubes to make the tall turrets. Use tempered chocolate to glue the turret pieces together. Apply the chocolate at the top of the base turret and at the bottom of the tube inserted into that base. Use cold spray or hold it until the chocolate sets. Make a cornet and fill it with tempered dark chocolate. Starting with the tube of greatest diameter, place the next smallest diameter tube piece inside it and use the cornet to "glue" the 2 pieces together. If you have cold spray, it will be helpful to use it here. Continue this process using 2 or 3 different diameter tubes for each turret. Then repeat the process to make a total of 5 turrets. Use a hot cutter to make the windows. Heat the cutter with a blowtorch or hold it under very hot water and wipe it dry. Hold the cutter against the chocolate where you want to make the cut. Do not press too hard or the chocolate will break. Allow the heat of the metal to "cut" through the chocolate by melting it. At this stage, you can spray the castle to give it a great texture. The trick is that you have to be able to fit the castle into your freezer. Place the castle in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes. The surface of the chocolate must be chilled so the chocolate coating will harden upon contact, giving it the desired texture. Prepare the paint sprayer: Place equal amounts of chocolate and cocoa butter over a double boiler and melt until smooth (no lumps).
• Remove the presentation from the freezer and place on a parchment paper lined surface. Place the chocolate mixture in a clean paint sprayer and use it to spray the dessert with the chocolate. Tip: Anything that touches the tubes after they have been sprayed will leave a mark. Use tempered chocolate to secure a rooftop to the top of each turret. Make the trees: Make a cornet and fill it with tempered dark chocolate. Draw a tree onto a sheet of parchment paper. Repeat the same technique to make as many trees as you would like. Let your imagination run wild as you draw scary trees. When the chocolate sets, lift it from the parchment paper. If it sticks, you can loosen it with a paring knife. Make the bats: Use a spoon to fill the bat molds with chocolate. Once the chocolate starts to harden, about 5 minutes, check to be sure the edges of the mold are clean and if necessary, clean with a paring knife. When the chocolate sets, it shrinks or retracts from the sides of the mold. A clean edge will keep it from sticking and cracking as it shrinks. You can place the mold in the refrigerator for several minutes to help the chocolate to harden. Repeat to make as many bats as you would like. I made mine about 7 inches tall. Make the turret squares: Use an offset spatula to spread a 1/4-inch-thick layer of tempered chocolate over a sheet of textured acetate. Let the chocolate set slightly. Wait until the chocolate begins to set. Use a rolling cutter or hot sharp chef's knife to cut rectangles that are 1-inch by 2 inches. When the chocolate has set, carefully peel away the sheet. It should release from the chocolate quite easily. Finishing details: Use tempered chocolate to attach the turret squares to the top of each turret. Glue the trees and bats in place. Use the tip of a metal skewer to poke holes in the base of the castle. Insert the chocolate lollipops into these holes.

Steps:

• Draw a 7 by 7-inch square in the center of 1 piece of the foam core board as a guide for the foundation of the house. Start gluing the sugar cubes around the outline with either the hot glue or royal icing. Make sure to leave a space for the door and once you get to the third level of cubes, leave space for 2 windows on each side. Once the sides are 5 to 6 inches high, arrange the sugar cubes in a pyramid pattern on 2 ends of the house to form the pitched support walls for the roof.
• Cut the second piece of foam core to form a 10 by 10-inch square and score it down the middle. Bend it in half to form a peaked roof and glue it to the top of the house. Decorate the roof with the marshmallows or round white candies.
• Fill the pastry bag or resealable bag with some of the frosting and use it to fill in any gaps in the house or on or around the roof.
• Use any remaining sugar cubes, round white candies, white chewy candies, or marshmallows to adorn the house or make decorations (trees, bushes, fences, or snowmen) around the house on the foam core board. Use extra icing to create snowdrifts around the house. Place the battery operated votive light inside the house to illuminate it.

Steps:

• To make the cake base: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 9 by 9-inch cake pan.
• Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and scrape into the prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Place on a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Turn the cake out of the pan and let cool completely.
• To make the towers: Generously grease the cans with shortening. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Divide the batter among the cans, filling them not more than halfway. Bake until a cake tester, wooden skewer or raw piece of spaghetti inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes for the smaller cans and 1 1/4 hours for the large can. Place on a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Turn the cakes out of the cans and let cool completely.
• To prepare the frosting: Put 2 tubs of frosting in a mixing bowl and add blue food coloring until it reaches the desired shade. Set aside. Divide the remaining tub of frosting between 2 bowls and color 1 purple and 1 pink. Set aside.
• To assemble the cake: Place the square cake on a platter and cover with blue frosting. Use a serrated knife to trim the tower cakes so the tops are flat. Cover the towers with blue frosting. Set the large tower on the center of the base cake and then set 1 of the smaller towers on top of it, securing with 1 or 2 straws or skewers. Set 1 small tower on each side of the large one, securing them to the base cake with a straw or skewer (cut to fit as needed).
• Cover the sugar cones with purple icing and place open-side down on top of each tower. Use a spatula to smooth out the frosting on the cakes or cones.
• Fill the pastry bag with pink icing and pipe a border around the edges of the cake. Insert lollipops around the edge of the base cake to make a fence. Set the doll in front of the main tower and scatter the sprinkles over all.