Present Surprise Cake

Get into the holiday spirit by baking yourself a gift this season! We created this cake in our foods class at Wachusett Regional High School as part of a challenge to create edible art. Everything is made 100% from scratch. We made a surprise cake with a simplistic disguise as a Christmas gift box, filled with Christmas m&ms and topped with a fondant ribbon.

- Mixing bowl: To mix the melted marshmallows and powdered sugar together

- Microwave: To melt the marshmallows that will be used to make the fondant

- Mixer: To mix ingredients together to make the cake batter and buttercream

- Rolling pin: to roll out the fondant

- Cake pan: to put the cake batter in so the cake can be baked

- Oven: to bake the cake

- Measuring cups: This will be used to measure out the ingredients needed to make the cake batter, fondant, and buttercream

- Knife: To level out the cake after it has been cooked, to add the buttercream to the cake, and to cut the fondant into its desired shape

- Spatula: to fold the sprinkles into the cake

Ingredients:

Funfetti Cake:

- 9 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened

- 3 cups granulated sugar

- 1 cup vegetable oil

- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

- 4 cups+ 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (all of the flour goes into the cake batter, you will also need additional flour for preparing the cake pan)

- 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder

- 1 ½ teaspoons salt

- 1 ½ cup milk

- 9 egg whites

- ½ cup sprinkles

Buttercream:

- 2 cups unsalted butter

- ¼ teaspoon salt

- 6 cups powdered sugar

- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Fondant:

- 4 cups powdered sugar

- 4 cups mini marshmallows

- 2 tablespoons water

- Red food coloring

Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare 3 square cake pans by generously greasing and flouring.

1. In a stand mixer, beat butter on medium-low speed until creamy.

2. Add sugar and oil and beat until all ingredients are well-combined and creamy.

3. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then stir in your vanilla.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt.

5. Measure out milk. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir until each one is almost completely combined before adding the next. Pause occasionally to scrape down sides on the bowls.

6. In a separate bowl, combine your egg whites and, with a hand-mixer on high-speed, beat until stiff peaks form.

7. Using a spatula, gently fold your egg whites and sprinkles into your batter. Take care to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that ingredients are well-combined, and take care not to over-mix.

1. Evenly divide cake batter into cake pans.

2. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake layer comes out clean or with a few crumbs (should not be wet). For best results, rotate your cake pans halfway through baking to ensure even baking. Cakes should be a light golden brown when done baking.

3. Remove cakes from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes. Run a spatula around the inside rim of each pan and place each onto a cooling rack.

1. In a stand mixer, beat butter on medium-speed until creamy. Add salt and begin beating again for about 20 seconds.

2. Gradually, about 1 cup at a time, add powdered sugar, waiting until each cup is completely mixed before adding the next cup.

3.Tablespoon at a time, add the heavy cream on medium-high speed, waiting until each addition is well-combined before adding the next 2 Tbsp.

4. Add vanilla extract and mix on medium-high speed for 30 seconds.

5. Add green food coloring to the buttercream mixture and mix on medium-high speed until fully combined.

1. Level all 3 cakes on the top using a knife shaving off about ½ a cm on each cake.

2. Cut a square hole into the middle of two of the square cakes. Leaving about 3 inches off from the edge of the cake. Keep the square cut out of one of the cakes and cut in and half to save for later, this will go back on top of the cake.

3. Place the layer of the cake without a hole in it as the base of the cake on a square cake platter and frost it lightly. This will be the bottom of the cake. Don’t make the frosting too thick or the layers could slip and slide.

4. Now place one of the cake layers with a hole on top of that bottom frosted layer and lightly frost.

5. Now place the second cake layer with a hole on top of that second layer, before frosting this layer add the m&ms until it fills the top of the hole, put the half of the square you cut earlier on top of the m&ms.

6. Next, apply a crumb coat (a thin layer of frosting that helps give a nice smooth surface to frost) to the top of the cake and all sides.

7. Place cake into the fridge for 2 hours so it is easier to frost and cut.

1. As the cake is in the fridge chilling, it is time to make the fondant. Gather the ingredients and dust your counter or a large cutting board with powdered sugar.

2. Place the marshmallows and the water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, until the marshmallows are puffy and expanded.

3. Stir the marshmallows with a rubber spatula until they are melted and smooth. If some unmelted marshmallow pieces remain, return to the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, until the marshmallow mixture is entirely smooth and free of lumps.

4. Add several drops of red food coloring stir until fully incorporated.

5. Add the powdered sugar and begin to stir with the spatula. Stir until the sugar begins to incorporate and it becomes impossible to stir anymore.

6. Add the powdered sugar and begin to stir with the spatula. Stir until the sugar begins to incorporate and it becomes impossible to stir anymore.

7. Scrape the marshmallow-sugar mixture out onto the prepared work surface.

8. Dust your hands with powdered sugar and begin to knead the fondant mixture like bread dough, working the sugar into the marshmallow with your hands. Continue to knead the fondant until it smooths out and loses its stickiness.

1. Make a simple ribbon from green fondant. Do this by creating 2 long rectangles and depending on how big or small you want your bow to be, cut thin strips of the fondant and fold them over to make the bow.

2. Take the cake out of the fridge and put a second layer of frosting on it. When fully frosted add the bow to the cake.

3. Sprinkle some green sprinkles over the cake

Once the cake it finished and decorated it is time to cut the cake open and watch as you get the surprise of the m&ms pouring out. Enjoy the cake you devoted much time and effort to make.

The process of making the cake ran about 3 hours. The fondant can be tricky, so make sure you’re careful when making it! The batter was intended to be white, but the particular sprinkles we used made it pink, which most likely won’t happen when you try to replicate this recipe if you use different sprinkles. We’re really proud of how it looks and are even happier with the taste!