Spirograph Cake Recipes

CITRUS BRUSHSTROKE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8-inch and two 6-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Whisk together the egg whites and milk in a separate bowl.
• Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment until soft and creamy. Add the granulated sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl intermittently. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the egg white and milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until smooth on medium-low speed after each addition.
• Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes spring back when pressed in their centers, about 25 minutes for the 6-inch cakes and 35 minutes for the 8-inch cakes. Allow the cakes to cool slightly in the pans and then turn out on wire racks to cool completely.
• When cool, level the cakes using a large serrated knife or cake leveler.
• For the buttercream: Cream the butter and confectioners' sugar together on low speed in the bowl of an electric mixer. When the mixture is combined, increase the speed to high and whip until light in color. Turn the mixer off and add the vanilla extract and 1/3 cup heavy cream. Beat again until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add additional heavy cream if the mixture is too thick to spread or pipe.
• Transfer the frosting to a large piping bag with a 1/2-inch opening. Pipe a line of frosting around the top edge of one of the leveled 8-inch cakes. Spoon lemon curd in the center and spread evenly. Place the second cake layer on top of the filled cake and cover with frosting. Spread the buttercream as evenly as possible and refrigerate until the frosting is firm, about 1 hour. Repeat this process with the 6-inch cakes. Reserve the leftover buttercream for later use.
• When both cakes are well chilled and the frosting is firm, use a large spatula to transfer the smaller cake to the top center of the larger cake. Keep the cake chilled
• For the candy brushstrokes and decor: Place a sheet of parchment paper over a large baking sheet. Place the different colors of wafers in separate microwave-safe bowls and heat each in the microwave at 100 percent power until they can be stirred smooth, about 30 seconds for 6 ounces of candy. In separate bowls, combine different colors of the candy to create new colors. Make as many hues as desired.
• Use a spoon to place quarter-sized dollops of the candy on the parchment sheet. Hold the parchment sheet steady with one hand as you place a craft brush over the melted candy. Use quick motions to brush the candy upward, resulting in one long candy brushstroke. Repeat the process with the other colors of candy. Transfer the brushed candy to the refrigerator to chill, 5 to 7 minutes.
• When firm, transfer the chilled candy to a large plate. Repeat the candy brushing process until you have about 40 candy brushstrokes for decorating the cake.
• Transfer any leftover melted candy to squeeze bottles and drizzle decoratively over one side of both cake tiers.
• Use leftover buttercream to attach the firm candy brushstrokes to the opposite side of the cake; arrange them upright on both tiers. Press a few small brushstrokes into the frosting on top of the cake so they also stand upright. Use as many candy brushstrokes as possible to fill up one side of the cake.
• Before serving, arrange fresh sliced citrus on the edges of the candy-drizzled side of the cake. Tuck fresh mint between the fruit and candy brushstrokes. Present to delighted guests.
• To serve, move aside the fruit slices and cut the cake into pieces. Serve the fruit slices alongside pieces of cake, if desired.

RAINBOW SPRINKLES LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake layers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat six 8-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray (or grease and flour pans).
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Combine the milk and vanilla in a large liquid measure with a pour spout. 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 mixture. Begin and end with the flour. Mix until just combined.
• Beat the egg whites in a spotlessly clean bowl on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter in 3 additions.
• Place 2 cups of the cake batter in 6 separate bowls. Tint each bowl of batter with a different gel food color, so that you have a bowl of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet batter. Fold the color in well with a rubber spatula until no streaks of white cake batter remain.
• Spread the batter into the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto wire racks to cool completely. When the cakes are cool, level the tops with a serrated knife or a cake leveler.
• For the Swiss meringue buttercream: Set a saucepan filled one-third full of water over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
• Whisk together the egg whites, granulated sugar and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over the simmering water and whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved (120 to 140 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Increase to medium high until stiff peaks form. Continue beating at medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and has cooled (the mixing bowl should feel cool to the touch).
• Turn the mixer off and switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle. Turn the mixer to medium-low speed and add the butter a few cubes at a time, beating until well incorporated before the next addition (see Cook's Note). Add the vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until the frosting is thick and completely smooth.
• Frost the cake: Transfer 1 cup of frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small star tip; set aside.
• Top each cake layer with a small amount of frosting. Begin with the violet cake layer on the bottom, followed by the blue, green, yellow, orange and red. Cover the entire cake with frosting using an offset spatula and smooth the frosting with a bench scraper or frosting smoother. Place the cake in a large dish and use a cupped hand to press on the rainbow sprinkles, allowing the excess to fall back into the dish. Repeat until the bottom two-thirds of the cake is covered with the sprinkles. Using the reserved frosting in the piping bag, pipe stars around the top edge and center of the cake, and around the bottom edge of the cake. Decorate each star on the top edge of the cake with alternating colors of the round candies. Scatter rainbow nonpareils over the bottom edge. Add more rainbow sprinkles to the top center of the cake.
• For the marshmallow fondant bunting: Combine the marshmallows and 1 1/2 teaspoons water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30-second intervals at 100% power, stirring in between each, until melted and smooth, about 1 minute.
• Add 1 cup of sifted confectioners' sugar to the melted marshmallow and stir to combine. When the first cup is thoroughly mixed in, add the second cup of confectioners' sugar. Stir well until stiff. Grease a work surface with the vegetable shortening and transfer the fondant from the bowl to the greased area. Knead well until smooth and pliable. The fondant should not be sticky and it should hold its shape firmly when rolled into a ball. If the ball relaxes and loses its shape, knead in more confectioners' sugar a little at a time.
• Roll the fondant into a ball and cut into 6 even pieces. Tint each ball with the food colors so that you have one of each: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. (Wear gloves during kneading to avoid staining hands.)
• Roll out each piece of fondant to 1/8 inch thickness on a piece of parchment paper. Use a 1 1/2-inch triangle cutter to stamp shapes from each piece of fondant.
• Place the triangles end-to-end in a swag design around the top edge of the cake, in rainbow color order (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet). If the pieces do not naturally stick to the frosting, add a small dot of water to the backs of the triangles to adhere them to the cake.
• Serve eye-popping slices of rainbow cake to delighted guests. If there are leftovers, cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

S'MORES CAKE

Steps:

• For the cakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat five 7-inch cake pans with baking spray.
• Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the baking soda, baking powder and salt; mix well.
• In a large glass measuring cup with a spout, combine the hot coffee, buttermilk and dark cocoa powder and whisk until no lumps remain. Add 1 cup of flour at a time to the creamed butter mixture, alternating with additions of the coffee mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix just until combined.
• Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the layers in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto wire racks to cool completely.
• For the marshmallow filling: Combine the cream cheese and marshmallow cream in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on high speed until well combined. Transfer to a bowl and chill until firm but spreadable, about 2 hours.
• For the ganache frosting: Combine the chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high power until the mixture is steaming but not boiling, about 1 minute. Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute, then whisk together until smooth and shiny. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until thick and spreadable, about 1 hour.
• For the meringue frosting: Combine the cold water, half of the sugar and the meringue powder in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat for 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar and beat until thick and fluffy. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large French star decorating tip.
• For assembly: Place a cake layer on a cake server and top with an even layer of marshmallow frosting. Continue to stack and frost until all of the cake layers are used; leave the top layer bare. Chill the cake until the filling is set, about 30 minutes. Cover the chilled cake with a thin layer of chocolate ganache; reserve leftover ganache for later use. Pat graham crackers over the bottom half of the cake with your hands. Break the chocolate bars into pieces and use leftover ganache to attach pieces of the chocolate bars around the bottom edge of the cake, spacing and staggering them about 1/2 inch to 1 inch apart.
• Place the marshmallows in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until hot and well puffed, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir briefly and then let sit until cool enough to handle, about 1 minute. Scoop up some of the marshmallow with your fingers (use gloves for easy cleanup) and stretch the marshmallow around the edges and over the top of the cake. Repeat as many times as desired. If the marshmallow begins to set, reheat it for 30 seconds.
• Pipe large stars of meringue frosting around the top edge of the cake; also pipe one big swirl on the top center of the cake. Use a chef's torch to toast the meringue. Insert one corner of each of the graham crackers into the middle swirl of toasted frosting so they stand upright, staggering them slightly.
• Serve the cake immediately or refrigerate it until ready to serve.