Those who know me know that I love to bake. And Colin’s birthday party was a perfect excuse to raise the bar (my bar, at least). I wanted to keep it simple but pizzazz-ey (is that even a word?), so I opted for “the” Rainbow Cake and some Batman themed sugar-cookie-on-a-stick. Add to the Batman theme some jazzed up pinwheels (pics to come) for a fun and colorful party favor and you have the makings of a fun and cohesive, simple yet pizzazz-ey (yeah, okay, I *know* that’s not a real word) birthday party for the cutest little boy in the world! Thanks to the lovely ladies and mamas on my moms board who shared most of these recipes in preparation for our childrens’ birthday celebrations!! :)
THE PICTURES
THE RECIPES
Sunny Day Rainbow Cake (courtesy of Omnomicon)
2 boxes white cake mix
24 oz of clear diet soda (2 cans, ginger ale and sprite work well)
gel food colouring
16 oz whipped topping
2 oz instant fat-free sugar-free pudding mix (2 smallish boxes)
***[Note: I made the cake according to box instructions and followed Omnomicon's directions for coloring and assembling. I also opted for a buttercream frosting as opposed to the Cool Whip topping]
The Dieting
Mix the cake mix with the soda according to regular instructions on box. It will be lumpy afterward. Again, you can use any white cake recipe you want, this is just how I do it.
The Rainbowing
Measure the total volume (by my estimate, 64 oz), then divide by 6 and measure into separate bowls. There are 8 oz in a cup, so 64/6 = 10 to 11 oz, or 1 cup + 2 tbsp.
Stir colour into each bowl with its own spoon. For the first colour into the pan, measure out 2/3 to 3/4 of your mix (in this case about 1 c) as close to the middle as you can. Drop in your first three colours, then work on the other pan with the last three colours. So if you’re doing rainbow order, the first pan should have red, then orange, then yellow, and now the purple, blue and green go into the second pan. As a recap, this is so both layers are roughly the same size.
Bake the cake for however long the box tells you to bake it. Check it when the box says to, but usually it’ll need an extra 5 or 10 minutes or maybe more because of the density of the soda method. Just keep baking, checking back every 5 minutes or so until a toothpick to the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before moving to a wire rack.
The Frostinging
Meanwhile, make your frosting. Just mix the pudding mix in with the whipped topping for a few minutes. Dye if you’re into that.
Frost your fat-free cake with your fat-free whipped frosting. Eat.
The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies (courtesy of Allrecipes and Jill Saunders)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.
Ingredients
Makes 2 1/3 cups
- 1 box confectioners’ sugar (1 pound)
- 5 tablespoons meringue powder, or 2 large egg whites
Directions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar and meringue powder. Mixing on low speed, add a scant 1/2 cup water. For a thinner consistency, usually used for flooding, add more water. A thicker consistency is generally used for outlining and adding details. Mix until icing holds a ribbonlike trail on the surface of the mixture for 5 seconds when you raise the paddle.
RICK’S SPECIAL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING (courtesy of Allrecipes)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups shortening
- 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
***[Note: I cut the sugar down to 5 cups since I prefer a less sweet frosting. Don't get me wrong--it's still sweet, just not SO, so toothachingly sweet. I also reduced the whipping cream to 1/2 cup since I didn't want it too soft and soupy]
DIRECTIONS
- In a mixing bowl, cream shortening until fluffy. Add sugar, and continue creaming until well blended.
- Add salt, vanilla, and 6 ounces whipping cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add additional 2 ounces whipping cream if necessary. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.
Marshmallow Fondant (courtesy of Peggy Weaver)
16 ounces white mini-marshmallows (use a good quality brand)
2 to 5 tablespoons water
2 pounds icing sugar
(please use C&H Cane powdered sugar for the best results)
1/2 cup Crisco shortening (you will be digging into it so place in a very easily accessed bowl)
NOTE: Please be careful, this first stage can get hot.
Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave or double boiler: Put the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, open microwave and stir, back in microwave for 30 seconds more, open microwave and stir again, and continue doing this until melted. It usually takes about 2 1/2 minutes total. Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix.
Now grease your hands GENEROUSLY (palms, backs, and in between fingers), then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle. (By the way, this recipe is also good for your hands. When I’m done, they are baby soft.)
Start kneading like you would bread dough. You will immediately see why you have greased your hands. If you have children in the room they will either laugh at you or look at you with a questioning expression. You might even hear a muttered, “What are you doing?”
Keep kneading, this stuff is sticky at this stage! Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more. Re-grease your hands and counter when the fondant starts sticking. If the mix is tearing easily, it is to dry, so add water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time and then knead it in). It usually takes me about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake.
It is best if you can let it sit, double wrapped, overnight (but you can use it right away if there are no tiny bits of dry powdered sugar). If you do see them, you will need to knead and maybe add a few more drops of water.
Prepare the fondant for storing by coating it with a good layer of Crisco shortening, wrap in a plastic-type wrap product and then put it in a re-sealable or Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible.
MM Fondant will hold very well in the refrigerator for weeks. If I know that I have a cake to decorate, I usually make two (2) batches on a free night during the week so it is ready when I need it. Take advantage of the fact that this fondant can be prepared well in advance.
HAPPY BAKING!!! :)
