Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Split vanilla bean lengthwise, and scrape out seeds. Stir seeds into batter; reserve bean for another use. Pour batter into 2 greased (with shortening) and floured 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch sides.
Bake at 350°F for 30 to 34 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 1 hour).
Make the Strawberry Compote: Split 1 vanilla bean lengthwise, and scrape out seeds. Stir together vanilla bean and seeds, 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries, and 1/2 cup sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until strawberries are soft and mixture is slightly syrupy. Remove from heat; discard vanilla bean. Stir in 1 Tbsp. rum. Cool completely (about 30 min).
Make the 5-Cup Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat 2 (8-oz.) packages softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 2 (16-oz.) packages powdered sugar, beating until fluffy. Stir in 2 tsp. vanilla extract.
Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake plate or serving platter. Spread with half of Strawberry Compote. Top with another cake layer; spread with about 3/4 cup Cream Cheese Frosting. Place another cake layer on top of frosting; spread with remaining compote. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread 1 1/4 cups frosting on top and sides of cake to create a thin coat of frosting. Chill cake 30 minutes. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Store in refrigerator.
2 (15¼-oz.) pkg. lemon cake mix (plus ingredients listed on box for preparing cake)
Baking spray with flour
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
¼ ounce thyme sprigs (about 1 handful
2 cups (1 lb.) unsalted butter
1 (2-lb.) pkg. powdered sugar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
Yellow food coloring gel
White sugar pearl sprinkles
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare lemon cake mix according to package directions. Divide batter evenly among 3 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with baking spray.
Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in centers of cakes comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks; cool completely, about 45 minutes.
Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium until just simmering. Add thyme sprigs, pressing down using a spoon to submerge. Remove from heat; cover and let stand until cream has cooled, about 1 hour. Remove and discard sprigs. Set aside cream.
Beat butter in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. With mixer on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar, lemon juice, and infused cream. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. (You will have about 7 cups frosting.)
Measure 1¼ cups frosting into each of 2 small bowls. (Reserve remaining undyed frosting in mixer bowl.) Add 4 drops food coloring to 1 small bowl of frosting, and stir to combine. Add 2 drops food coloring to remaining small bowl of frosting; stir to combine. Spoon ⅔ cup each of dark yellow frosting, light yellow frosting, and undyed frosting into 3 separate piping bags. Snip a 1-inch tip off of each bag. Spoon remaining dark and light yellow frostings (about ½ cup each) and ½ cup undyed frosting into 3 separate piping bags fitted with different star tips (such as Wilton 21, 32, and 2D). Set aside all piping bags.
Place a cake plate on a lazy Susan or stand. Put 1 cake layer on plate; spread 1 cup undyed frosting in a smooth layer over the top. Repeat with remaining 2 cake layers and 2 cups of the undyed frosting. Using a bench scraper or a large offset spatula, spread remaining undyed frosting (about ⅓ cup) in a thin layer over sides of cake. Remove cake plate with cake from lazy Susan. Chill until frosting sets and firms up, about 30 minutes.
Return cake plate with cake to lazy Susan. Using the dark yellow frosting in the piping bag with the snipped tip, start at the base of the cake, and turn cake while piping a straight line, creating a ring of frosting around the cake. Leaving space above the dark yellow line, repeat the piping process using light yellow frosting. Repeat with undyed frosting. (Alternatively, leave less space between the rings and repeat series of dark yellow, light yellow, and undyed lines to make more stripes.) Turn cake while dragging the straight edge of a bench scraper (or a large offset spatula) around side of cake (holding scraper at a 30-degree angle toward cake), smoothing and pressing the frosting lines together to create blended stripes of frosting around cake.
Using the reserved dark yellow, light yellow, and undyed frosting in piping bags with star tips, pipe small rosettes and flowers on top of cake. Garnish with sugar pearl sprinkles.
1 (15¼-oz.) pkg. devil’s food cake mix (plus ingredients listed on box for preparing cake)
Baking spray with flour
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups unsifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Chopped roasted salted peanuts
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare devil’s food cake mix according to package directions. Divide batter evenly between 2 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with baking spray.
Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in centers of cakes comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks; cool completely, about 45 minutes.
Beat softened butter and peanut butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low; gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and ¼cup of the cream. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. (You will have about 4 cups frosting.)
Spread 1½ cups frosting in a smooth layer over top of 1 cake layer using a large offset spatula. Top with remaining cake layer, and spread 1½ cups frosting in a smooth layer over top, spreading some of the frosting on top layer in a thin layer around sides of whole cake. Chill until frosting has firmed and set, about 30 minutes. Spread remaining frosting (about 1 cup) over sides of whole cake, smoothing as you go.
Microwave remaining ½ cup cream in a small microwavable bowl on HIGH until steaming, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips until mixture is smooth. Cool 15 minutes.
Slowly pour about half of the chocolate mixture over the top of the cake. Spoon more of the mixture around top edge, allowing it to drip down sides, and then spoon any remaining chocolate mixture onto center of cake. If needed, use the spoon to nudge the icing down the sides of the cake. Smooth the top with an offset spatula, and sprinkle with peanuts.
1 (15.25-ounce) package white cake mix (such as Duncan Hines)
4 large eggs
½ cup sour cream
1 ¼ cups pink champagne, divided, plus more if needed
½ cup freeze-dried strawberries
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Nonpareils, for decorating
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray, and line bottoms with parchment rounds. Lightly grease parchment with cooking spray.
Add cake mix to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add eggs, sour cream, and 1 cup of the champagne; mix on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium, and beat 2 minutes. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely, about 1 hour.
Place freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor, and process until a fine powder, about 30 seconds. Remove 1 tablespoon of the powder, and set aside for garnish.
Add butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, remaining strawberry powder, and remaining ¼ cup champagne; mix on low until incorporated. Increase speed to medium, and beat until light and fluffy. Add additional champagne, 1 teaspoon at a time, if frosting is too thick.
Remove parchment rounds from cakes. Place one cake layer on cake plate, and spread with about 1 cup of the buttercream. Top with second layer, and press gently.
Spread a very thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake (crumb coat). Chill 15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, and spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Decorate with remaining 1 tablespoon strawberry powder and nonpareils.
1 1/4 sticks 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c light brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 large egg room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Buttercream
1 1/2 c butter at room temperature
4 c powdered sugar
3/4 c cocoa powder
4 tbsp. heavy whipping cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch table salt
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and mix until combined.
In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared (buttered and floured or non-stick baking spray or Goop) 8-inch round cake pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 350, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
(If you cakes are not level, you may want to level them prior to assembling cake)
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.
Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy – about 5 minutes.
Add eggs. Stir in vanilla. Reduce to low speed and add dry ingredients slowly, mixing until just combined.
Fold in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350.
Divide dough into two equal parts. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by spraying with non-stick spray then laying a piece of parchment in the bottom.
Evenly press 1/2 of your cookie dough mixture into bottom of cake pan. Repeat with other half.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. (I prefer my cookie to be slightly UNDER done for this cake as it makes it easer to cut through the layers.)
Allow cookies to cool in pan.
Chocolate Buttercream
In a the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment, whisk butter and sugar on mediumhigh speed until very pale and fluffy or about five minutes.
Be sure to stop at least once and scrape the bowl.
With the mixer off, add in cocoa powder, vanilla and salt.
Turn mixer on low and blend for about 30 seconds.
One tablespoon at a time add in heavy cream.
Once all cream has been added and mixture is mostly combined, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Now turn the mixer onto medium-high to high and whisk for 3-5 minutes or until mixture is lighter and fluffier. The frosting will be shiny and seem to have many large air bubbles throughout and this is exactly what we are going for. (You can smooth those out on the cake if so desired.)
To assemble cake:
Place one 8-inch round chocolate chip cookie on cake stand.
Cover with one layer of chocolate cake.
Add no more than one cup of buttercream and smooth out with offset spatula.
Place next layer of chocolate cookie, then chocolate cake on top of that.
1 teaspoon kosher salt, if using table salt use ½ tsp
Chocolate Frosting
1 ½ cups (3 sticks or 340g) butter, room temperature
4 cups (500g) confectioners sugar
3/4 cup (94g) unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoon (60ml) heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Yellow Cake
Place softened butter and granulated sugar into stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium for 1-2 minutes.
Add milk, oil, vanilla, and eggs and mix on medium for one minute or until ingredients are fully incorporated.
Place dry ingredients into stand mixer and mix on low until fully combined about 1 minute.
Pour batter into prepared pans 8-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 18-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for about 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Frosting
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment whisk butter and sugar on medium-high speed until very pale and fluffy or about five minutes.
Be sure to stop at least once and scrape the bowl.
With the mixer off, add cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt.
Turn mixer on low and blend for about 30 seconds.
One tablespoon at a time, add in heavy cream.
Once all cream has been added and the mixture is mostly combined, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Now turn the mixer onto medium-high to high and whisk for 3-5 minutes or until mixture is lighter and fluffier. The frosting will be shiny and seem to have many large air bubbles throughout and this is exactly what we are going for. (You can smooth those out on the cake if so desired.)
Red, orange, leaf green, yellow and black gel or paste food color
Chocolate-covered raisins (Raisinets)
You’ll also need: pastry bag, coupler, petal decorating tip 101S or 101 or basketweave tip 44 or 47
Directions:
Heat oven to 350ºF. Coat two 9-in. round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with wax paper; coat with spray.
Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water and oil in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour evenly into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean.
Cool in pans on wire rack 15 minutes; invert cakes onto rack, remove paper and cool completely.
Tint one can frosting red-orange. Using leaf green, yellow and a bit of black, tint one can frosting pale green. Remove 1/2 cup pale green frosting to a pastry bag fitted with decorating tip. Using more leaf green and black food color, tint remaining pale green frosting until it turns dark green.
Stack cake layers on a cutting board; cut crosswise in half. Set one piece aside.
For large melon slice: Sandwich 3 cake layer halves with 1/3 cup white frosting between each (invert top layer so flat side is up). For small melon wedges: Cut reserved piece of cake into 3 wedges. Frost slice and wedges with a thin layer of remaining white frosting.
Frost rounded edges of cakes with dark green frosting. Using flat slide of decorating tip, pipe pale green frosting along edge of dark green frosting on sides and top. Pipe squiggly lines onto sides over dark green frosting. With spatula, smear pale green lines to create the look of watermelon skin.
Reserve 1/2 cup red-orange frosting. With remaining red-orange frosting, frost top and straight sides of cakes, leaving about 1/2-in. border of white frosting. Cut chocolate-covered raisins in half lengthwise. Place cut-side up into red-orange frosting for pits. Refrigerate several hours or overnight to set.
Remove large melon slice to serving tray, standing it on rounded edge. Frost back side of cake with reserved red-orange frosting; decorate with additional chocolate-covered raisins. Place small wedges on tray with large slice. (To serve large cake, place it back onto a flat side before cutting into slices.)
Squeeze the juice from the orange into a 4-quart saucepan. Stir in 2 cups of granulated sugar and cook on medium-high until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Add the rhubarb and cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Transfer the rhubarb to a bowl and cool slightly. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 2 hours. Stir in the chopped strawberries and refrigerate.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans and line them with parchment paper. Grease and flour the parchment and sides of the pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, whole eggs, 1/4 cup of the milk, and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla until combined. In a large bowl, with a mixer on low speed, mix the flour, baking powder, remaining 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, and salt; beat in the butter and remaining 3/4 cup of milk on medium-high speed. Add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating well between additions. Divide the batter evenly among the pans. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes on a wire rack for 10 minutes then, loosen the sides with a knife, and invert the cakes onto a rack to cool completely.
Place 1 cake on a plate. Strain the liquid from the rhubarb mixture; discard the liquid. Spread half of the rhubarb mixture onto the cake, leaving a 1-inch border. Repeat with the second cake and the remaining rhubarb. Top with the third cake.
In a large bowl, with a mixer on high, whisk the confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, and remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla until fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the cream and whisk on high until stiff peaks form.
Cover the cake with the frosting and garnish with the sliced berries. Serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap (before garnishing) and refrigerate up to 1 day.
1c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp, plus more for pan
3c. all-purpose flour
1tbsp. baking powder
1tsp. kosher salt
13/4c. granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temp
2tsp. pure vanilla extract
11/4c. whole milk, at room temp
FOR THE FROSTING
2c. confectioners’ sugar
1c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1/2tsp. kosher salt
1/4c. heavy cream
11/2tsp. pure vanilla extract
Directions:
STEP 1Make cake: Heat oven to 325°F. Butter 9- by 13-in. cake pan and line bottom with parchment, leaving overhang on 2 sides.
STEP 2In bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
STEP 3In large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar on low speed to combine. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until light and fluffy, about 3 min. Reduce speed to medium; add eggs 1 at a time, beating each until incorporated before adding next egg. Beat in vanilla.
STEP 4Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk and beating just until incorporated.
STEP 5Spread batter in prepared pan and bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 min. Let cool in pan 10 min., then use overhangs to remove from pan and let cool completely.
STEP 6Make frosting: Using electric mixer, beat confectioners’ sugar, butter, and salt on low speed until combined, then increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 min. With mixer running, slowly add cream. Beat until fluffy, about 3 min. Beat in vanilla.
STEP 7Spread frosting over cooled cake and decorate as desired.
