Sunflower Potluck Cake Recipes

SUNFLOWER CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottoms and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans.
• Prepare the cake batter according to the package instructions. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake the cakes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 23 to 28 minutes. Let cool in the pans about 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks and let cool completely.
• For the frosting: Meanwhile, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, salt and 3 tablespoons milk the in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld electric mixer). Mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until smooth, adding more milk as necessary to make a spreadable frosting.
• Transfer 1 cup of the frosting to a small bowl and tint with the brown gel food coloring. Scrape the brown frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch plain round tip (number 804).
• Tint the remaining frosting with the lemon yellow and golden yellow gel food coloring. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain round tip (number 803) with 3 cups of the yellow frosting.
• Cover the remaining yellow frosting (about 3 1/4 cups) with plastic warp and reserve for frosting the cake.
• To assemble: Place one cake layer upside down on an extra-large cutting board or platter (at least 20-by-14-inches). Using a serrated knife, cut the other cake layer into 8 wedges. Lightly trim the rounded side of each wedge so it is flat; discard the trimmings. Arrange the wedges around the cake, trimmed side against the cake, to create a sunflower shape.
• Pipe a circle of yellow frosting around the center cake to create a 1/2-inch border.
• Spread the reserved yellow frosting in the bowl evenly over the top and sides of the cake, (including the petals), leaving the circle inside the piped border unfrosted.
• Pipe a continuous spiral of brown frosting inside the 1/2-inch yellow border, starting at the edge of the border and working in towards the middle until the center of the cake is filled.
• Place one brown candy on its edge in the center of the brown frosting. Place a second candy next to it, leaving a candy-size space between. Continue to place candies around the center, working out towards the edge and arranging the successive rows of candies in the spaces between the previous rows until the center of the cake is filled.
• Holding the pastry bag with the remaining yellow frosting at a 45-degree angle, pipe a small dollop of frosting on the edge of one of the cake petals, stopping and pulling the bag off the dollop to create a tip. Repeat the dollops, working out toward the tip of the petal until the petal is filled. Repeat with the remaining petals. Slice the cake and serve.

PEEPS SUNFLOWER CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using two greased and waxed paper-lined 9-inch round baking pans.
• Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely; carefully remove waxed paper.
• Level tops of cake.
• Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake.
• Without separating peeps, and curving slightly to fit, arrange chicks around edge of cake for sunflower petals.
• For sunflower seeds arrange chocolate chips in center of cake.
• Yield 12 servings.

SUNFLOWER CAKE

Steps:

• Using a palette knife, frost 1 of the 9-inch cakes with the chocolate frosting. Frost the sides first, building extra frosting at the top of the sides. Then, frost the top. Since this part of the cake is supposed to look like the center of a sunflower, the frosting should not be smooth, but should swirl into peaks. To create this swirled, peaked effect, lightly run the palette knife through the frosting and gently pull up. Using a spatula place the cake in the center of a platter that is at least 20-inches by 20-inches or you can use a piece of cardboard that is covered with foil.
• To create the petals: Using a serrated knife, cut the second 9-inch cake in half. Then, cut each of the halves in half again. You should have 4 triangles. Cut each of these 4 triangles in half again to create 8 triangular pieces. Using a paring knife, trim each of the eight petals to curve slightly inward so they hug the outside of the center of the cake. Be careful not to trim off too much. Start at the corner of the curved edge, and trim a slightly rounded arc that ends at the opposite corner of the rounded edge. Using the yellow frosting and a small spatula or palette knife, frost the top and 2 sides. There is no need to frost the curved edge. Once the pieces are frosted, place them around the cake. Looking at the cake as though it was a clock, place the petals at 12, 3, 6 and 9. Place the remaining four petals in between 12 and 3, in between 3 and 6, in between 6 and 9 and in between 9 and 12.