Volcano Surprise Recipes

Steps:

• For the volcano: Use a round plastic crudite platter for the base of your volcano and cut a small hole in it large enough for the hose of a fluid transfer pump to go through. Snake the depositing end of the pump hose through the hole in the platter. Invert a bundt pan over the platter, snaking the hose up through the hole in the bundt. Cut a hole in the center of the tomato half, then insert the tomato cut-side up in the top of the hole in the bundt pan, pulling the hose up through the hole in the tomato and pushing down a bit on the tomato to snugly plug up the hole in the bundt pan with the tube inside.
• "Paint" or "spackle" the sides of the bundt pan with the cheese, using an offset spatula or rubber gloves. Then layer the chips on top of each other around the bundt, starting flat but angling as you go up, sticking them to the cheese. This creates a volcano look.
• For the decorations: Arrange your accoutrements however you like. I put a lot of diced tomatoes and beans around the top to make it look like a caldera. I also liked incorporating cilantro stems and broccoli florets at the base of the volcano, as they look like trees.
• For the cheese sauce: Turn a large slow cooker to low while you prepare the sauce on the stove.
• In a pot, combine the sodium citrate and 3 1/2 cups water over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the cheese in handfuls, whisking until incorporated before adding the next handful. Once all the cheese is incorporated and melty, add the sriracha and use an immersion blender to blend to a uniform consistency.
• Transfer the mixture to the preheated slow cooker. Place the receiving tube of the pump into the cheese sauce and slowly and carefully pump to create "lava." Note: The cheese sauce might splash, so use with caution and put in a safe location.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 (8-inch) cake pans, 2 (10-inch) cake pans and 1 (6-inch) Bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• Beat cake mix, water, oil, and egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Divide batter equally between prepared cake pans.
• Bake 8-inch cakes and 6-inch Bundt cakes in oven for 35 to 40 minutes and 10-inch cakes for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Remove and cool completely.
• To assemble, use a serrated knife to slice off the tops of the 8 and 10-inch cake so the surface of each cake is flat. Place the cut tops into a large bowl and break up to from large crumbs. The crumbs will be used a "lava rocks" at the base of the volcano. Slice the bottom off the 6-inch bunt cake so it sits flat.
• Spread a thin layer of chocolate frosting between the 10-inch cake layers and stack. Spread a thin layer of chocolate frosting between 8-inch cake layers and stack. Place another thin layer of frosting on top of the 8-inch layer cake and place the bunt cake cut side down on top. Place a dollop of frosting on top of the 10-inch cake and carefully, place 8-inch cake on top and center of 10-inch cake.
• Use a serrated knife to trim edges around the tops of both cakes to create a cone shaped cake. (Make angled cuts downward and leave a round base on top for icing to "flow" from.)
• To decorate, frost outside of entire cake with remaining chocolate frosting. Place the cake crumbs around the base of the cake. Pipe green icing around the entire bottom of the cake for "grass". To create "flowing lava" pipe red icing a quarter from the top of cake in downward strokes to the middle of the cake with ribbon tip. Repeat technique with orange icing, starting almost at top of cake and ending where red icing begins with slight overlap. Repeat technique with yellow icing starting at the very top of cake and overlap orange icing. Drizzle yellow and red gel coloring around the very top of cake.
• For the smoke effect place a few pieces of dry ice into glass candle votive. Place the votive into the hole of the bunt cake. Pour a small amount of warm water into the votive and watch it smoke.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and base line an 18cm round cake tin, a 800-900ml oven proof (Pyrex) bowl and a 1.2 litre oven proof bowl.
• Put the butter, 300g of the sugar, eggs, flour and milk into a large bowl and beat well until light and creamy. Spread just under half the mixture in the cake tin.
• Take just under half of the remaining mixture and put into a bowl and colour deep red with food colouring. Put 3-4 small spoonfuls of red cake mix onto the mixture in the cake tin. Using the handle of a teaspoon pull the red mix through to give a marbled effect.
• Using the remaining plain and red cake mix place spoonfuls in a random fashion in the two prepared bowls. Again use the teaspoon handle to give a marbled effect.
• Bake in the oven for about 30 mins for the small bowl, about 35 mins for the medium and 50-60 mins for the cake tin. The mixture is cooked when firm to the touch and when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• When the cakes are cold trim off any peaks that have formed. Place the round cake on a large cake board. Cut three small 'v' shapes on the edge of the cake, to make an uneven shape for the volcano base. Spread a little apricot glaze all over the cake and place the larger bowl cake, rounded side up, on top. Brush with apricot glaze and place the remaining cake, rounded side up, on top. Cut a small hollow in the top of this cake (to represent the 'mouth' of the volcano) and then brush the cake with apricot glaze.
• Roll out the marzipan to a large circle to cover the cake. It can be quite a rough shape. Lift it onto the cake and drape in a random fashion in the nooks and crannies to make a volcano shape.
• Melt the chocolate in a microwave or in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Using a pastry brush, paint the volcano with chocolate. Attach chunks of chocolate, popcorn etc with melted chocolate. Add the dinosaurs. Drizzle any remaining chocolate over the volcano in a random fashion.
• To make the lava put the remaining 50g sugar into a small non-stick frying pan. Heat gently without stirring until the sugar has melted but is still clear. Lightly oil a metal baking sheet. When the sugar is just turning light brown at the edge, remove from the heat and carefully stir in a little red paste food colouring. Using a teaspoon, drizzle lava shapes onto the prepared tray. Leave to cool completely.
• When cold, carefully lift the lava shapes and place in the top of the volcano. For extra effect use birthday candles, cake sparklers, or cake fountains.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease or spray two 8-inch round cake 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. Meanwhile, 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 with remaining frosting.