Big Fish Cake And Little Fish Cupcakes Recipes

SCHOOL-OF-FISH CUPCAKE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with blue paper liners. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter in a separate bowl with a electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in the vanilla.
• Beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches on low speed, alternating with the milk in 2 additions, then beat on medium-high speed until just combined.
• Spread half of the batter in the cake pan and divide the remaining half among the paper liners. Bake until the tops spring back and a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes for the cupcakes and 30 to 35 minutes for the cake layer. Let cool 5 minutes in the pans, then remove to a baking rack to cool completely.
• For the buttercream: Beat the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high until light, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt and beat on low to combine, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the milk, a tablespoon at a time, to make a spreadable frosting. Add the food coloring, a drop at a time, to make a medium blue color.
• Frost the cupcakes with about half of the buttercream. Halve the cake layer crosswise. Cut a small "V" from the middle of the flat side of one piece to make a fish tail. Frost both layers with the remaining buttercream.
• For the decoration: Shingle the M&Ms on one half of each cupcake to make the fish scales (you will have enough for 2 cupcakes per color, with some of each leftover for the tail). Add a candy eyeball to each. Insert 2 red cinnamon candies on the opposite side from the scales to make fish lips. Halve 6 of the white gumdrops crosswise, then halve those pieces lengthwise to make half-moons. Stick 2 pieces of white gumdrop at the top and bottom of each cupcake for the fins.
• Stick a white gumdrop near the top of the cake fish head. Top with a black M&M, using a little frosting to make it adhere.
• Halve the red gumdrop crosswise. Halve one piece lengthwise to make half-moons and stick to the rounded side of the cake fish head for lips. Set the head at the left side of your serving tray. Follow the head with the cupcakes to make the fish body. Fit the tail on the tray at the end. Shingle the remaining M&Ms on the tail in stripes to make fish scales.

GOLDEN FISH CAKES

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the first nine ingredients; mix well. Shape into 12 patties, adding additional water if needed; coat with the Italian bread crumbs. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook the patties until lightly browned, 4-5 minutes on each side. If desired, serve immediately with tartar sauce and lemon.

PROPER BRITISH FISH CAKES

Steps:

• Mix mayonnaise, capers, shallot, parsley, tarragon, horseradish, mustard, and cayenne together in a bowl for tartar sauce and refrigerate until needed.
• Add milk and bay leaf to a saucepan and place the pieces of fish over the top. Season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. As soon as the fish firms up, but before it starts to flake apart, turn off the heat and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes before draining. Let cool, about 10 minutes. Refrigerate until needed.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add russet potato and boil until tender but not falling apart.
• Drain and mash potato in a bowl. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Add parsley, chives, and lemon zest; add 1 tablespoon tartar sauce mixture. Mix until combined. Flake chilled fish over the top. Mix until combined.
• Scoop out ¼ of the mixture and form into a patty. Repeat with remaining mixture.
• Dust cakes with flour on both sides. Brush both sides of cakes with beaten egg. Coat in bread crumbs.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry patties in the hot oil until golden brown and heated through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels before serving with tartar sauce.

GO FISH CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake and cool as directed for cupcakes.
• Reserve 1/2 cup frosting in small bowl. Stir food color into remaining frosting. Place cupcakes on serving plate, fitting snugly together and forming fishbowl shape. Frost top row of cupcakes with reserved white frosting. Frost remaining cupcakes with blue frosting. Place gummy candies on frosting. Sprinkle candies at bottom of "fishbowl" for "gravel." Cut and shape fruit snacks to look like seaweed or water plants; place on cupcakes.