Marshmallow Igloo Cake With Polar Friends Recipes

MARSHMALLOW WEB GHOST CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease four 8-inch round cake pans and two 5-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. With the mixer running, gradually add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture turns pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Stir in the vanilla. Beat until just combined. Do not over-mix.
• Beat the egg whites in a clean mixer bowl on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter in 3 additions.
• Place 2 cups of cake batter in 4 separate bowls. Tint the first bowl with the green food color, the second bowl with 1 tablespoon of the purple food color and the third bowl with the orange food color. Combine the cocoa and water in a small bowl, stirring well to create a paste, then add it to the fourth bowl of batter. Fold in the black food color and stir together well until the batter is dark and no streaks of white batter remain. Pour one color of batter into each of the prepared 8-inch pans.
• Tint the leftover batter with the remaining 1 tablespoon purple food color and place 1 cup of batter in each of the prepared 5-inch pans.
• Bake until the cakes spring back when pressed in the center, about 25 minutes for the 5-inch cake layers and 30 to 35 minutes for the 8-inch cake layers. Run a knife around the edges of the cakes and the pans and turn them out on wire racks to cool.
• For the frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the confectioners' sugar and butter. Begin on low speed until crumbly, then increase to high and beat for 3 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat again for another minute. If you find the buttercream is too stiff, you may add milk or heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is spreading consistency. Place about 2 cups of buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a plain 1/2-inch piping tip; set aside for later use. Tint the remaining frosting with the black gel food color.
• Level the tops of the cakes with a serrated knife or a cake leveler. Cover each cake layer with a small amount of black frosting. Begin with the black chocolate cake layer on the bottom, followed by the purple, then the green and ending with the orange on top. Cover the entire cake with black frosting using an offset spatula. Cover a purple 5-inch cake layer with frosting and stack the second on top. Cover with frosting using an offset spatula. Refrigerate both cakes until the frosting is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Stack the 5-inch cake tier on top of the 8-inch cake.
• For the marshmallow web: Melt the marshmallows in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until they puff and lose their shape. Stir well until deflated. Let the marshmallow cool slightly. Dip fingers (or gloved hands for easy cleanup) into the marshmallow mixture and stretch until thin and web-like. Wrap the marshmallow around the cake. Repeat the process until the marshmallow web effect covers both tiers of the cake. Let stand until firm, about 10 minutes.
• For the assembly: Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use the reserved bag of frosting to pipe a 2- to 3-inch mound of frosting. This will be a ghost body. Top with a second 1-inch mound of frosting for the ghost head. Repeat the piping process, varying the sizes of ghosts for visual interest, until you have about 20 ghosts. Add 2 black sugar pearls to each ghost face using a pair of kitchen-dedicated tweezers. Use a single black confetti sprinkle to create mouths on some of the ghosts. Transfer the pan to the freezer and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• Use an offset spatula to transfer the ghosts to the edges of the cake.
• Bring the cake to room temperature before serving. Use kitchen-dedicated scissors to snip the firm marshmallow webbing before cutting into slices.

IGLOO CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions for cupcakes. Cool completely. Remove cupcakes from liners., Place one cupcake on a serving plate, top side down. Cover completely with 1/4 cup whipped topping. Cut a large marshmallow crosswise in half. Cut each half with an apple corer to make an igloo entrance; press against cupcake., Starting at the bottom, cover entire cupcake with rows of miniature marshmallows, forming an igloo. Repeat with remaining cupcakes. If desired, decorate with coarse sugar and icing decorations.

MARSHMALLOW IGLOO CAKE WITH POLAR FRIENDS

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch round cake pan and 8-inch half-sphere cake pan with cooking spray and dust with flour, tapping out the excess (see Cook's Note).
• Prepare the cake batter according to the package directions. Pour a little more than half the batter into the half-sphere pan and pour the remaining batter into the round pan. Bake until the cake round is baked through and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and continue baking the half-sphere until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove to a rack to cool. Remove the cakes from the pans while still warm and let cool completely on the rack.
• For the igloo and polar bears: If the top of either cake domed while baking, shave it flat with a serrated knife before proceeding. Place the cake round bottom-side down on a large rimmed serving tray. Spread the top of the cake with the marshmallow creme almost to the edge (a wet offset spatula is helpful when spreading the creme). Place the half-sphere cake flat-side down on top of the cake round.
• Cut the doughnut in half to make 2 half circles, trimming the insides of the pieces if necessary to make 2 arched doorways for the igloo. Frost the 2 pieces, stick them together so you have a short tunnel and attach it to the igloo with more frosting. Spread the remaining frosting all over the cake and doorway.
• Set aside 8 regular marshmallows, then snip the remaining regular marshmallows in half from top to bottom (lengthwise) with sharp kitchen shears. Starting at the base of the cake and continuing in a circle, press the cut side of the marshmallows into the frosting to adhere to the igloo, packing the pieces as close as possible so almost no frosting shows through. Continue adding snipped marshmallows in rows until you reach the top. Add more snipped marshmallows to finish the doorway, quartering some lengthwise if necessary to make a tight fit. Cut 1 of the remaining whole regular marshmallows in half crosswise and put one piece on the very top of the igloo. Spread the granulated sugar around the cake on the tray to make drifts of snow.
• To make 3 polar bear heads: Snip a thin piece from one of the flat ends of 3 regular marshmallows to make them sticky. Flip the marshmallows over onto a plate so the untrimmed flat sides are face up. Snip a thin piece from the top and bottom of 3 mini marshmallows, then adhere a marshmallow to the center of each of the heads (these are the bases of the noses). Press a brown chocolate candy onto each mini marshmallow. To make eyes, use a toothpick to hollow out 2 sticky patches on each head, then apply a set of candy eyes to each. Cut 3 mini marshmallow in half crosswise and attach 2 pieces to the top of each head for ears.
• To make the floating polar bear: Clear a space in the sugar snow with your fingers for a pool. Add the rock candy. Place one of the polar bear heads on the rock candy so it looks like it is peeking out of the water. Snip 2 regular marshmallows in half diagonally to make 4 triangular pieces. Arrange the pieces in the pool for paws.
• To make the sitting polar bears: Snip a disc from both the top and bottom flat ends of the remaining 2 regular marshmallows, then cut each disc into half-moons. Arrange 4 of the half-moon pieces cut-side up in a square to form front and back paws; arrange the other 4 in another square. Snip the jumbo marshmallow in half diagonally, then place one piece on each set of paws cut-side up, with the round end at the front set of paws. Attach a polar bear head to the upper third of the round end of each jumbo marshmallow piece. Snip an end from the remaining 2 mini marshmallows and attach one to each jumbo marshmallow piece for a tail. Sit the polar bears on the sugar.
• For the campfire and fish: Sprinkle the chopped chocolate pieces in a circle to resemble dirt for a fire pit. Pile the red, orange, pink and yellow snipped gummy bears in the center to resemble a campfire and embers.
• To make a fish over the fire: Cut an 8-inch piece of black licorice lace. Cut a small slit near the tail of 1 fish with the tip of a paring knife, making sure not to cut all the way through the tail. Thread the licorice lace through the slit and tie a knot on one end. Slide the fish down so it is secured by the knot. Lay the fish down on a work surface and lay 3 of licorice twist pieces on top of the fish so the tail of the fish and the end of the twisted licorice candies line up (eat or discard the fourth piece of licorice twist). Wrap the black licorice lace around the top of the licorice twists to keep them in a bundle, then tuck in the lace so it stays put. Stand the bundle upright and separate the licorice twists to form a tripod. Place it over the fire with the fish hanging in the middle.
• For the fish on the line: Make a small slit near the tails of the 3 remaining fish with the tip of a paring knife, making sure not to cut all the way through the tails. Thread the remaining piece of black licorice lace through the slits. Tuck the ends of the licorice lace into the side of the igloo near the fire and arrange the fish so they hang down. Sprinkle the cake and bears with the confectioners' sugar for a snow effect, if desired.

HOMEMADE GUMMY BEARS

Steps:

• Combine the fruit juice or lemonade, gelatin and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until the gelatin and sugar dissolve completely, about 1 minute (make sure there is no undissolved sugar stuck to the bottom of the saucepan). If any foam forms while stirring, skim it off and discard. Transfer the mixture to a small liquid measuring cup.
• Put the gummy bear molds on a flat surface and slowly fill each cup to the top. Give each mold a small shake to ensure the mixture settles to the bottom. Refrigerate until the mixture sets, about 10 minutes. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

JIGGLY AQUARIUM POPS

Steps:

• Bring the soda, blue drink and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the gelatin, whisking continuously until dissolved. Pour the gelatin mixture into a medium bowl and refrigerate until it just begins to thicken (it should be thick, but still liquid and pourable), about 1 hour.
• Slice the pound cake into eight 1/4-inch-thick slices. Remove the push parts of eight 7 1/4-inch-tall pushable pop molds from the tubes. Push the circle side of each mold into the cake slices to make a circle that fits snugly in the mold. Return the push part to each tube. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the tiny crunchy candy into each mold.
• To make the seaweed, fold each licorice piece in half and then twist the folded part so that the 2 ends are sticking up and resemble aquarium seaweed.
• Reserve 1/2 cup of the gelatin mixture in a small microwave-safe bowl. Using the remaining mixture, fill each mold halfway (about 1 1/2 tablespoons). Press a piece of licorice seaweed into each mold. Press in 2 fish per mold. Fill each mold the rest of the way with the gelatin mixture (about 1 1/2 tablespoons), leaving about 1/4 inch at the top; tap to remove any air bubbles. Microwave the reserved gelatin mixture until liquid, about 30 seconds. Spoon 1 teaspoon into each mold and refrigerate until completely set, about 3 hours.