Themed Birthday Cakes


   PIRATE SHIP CAKE

INGREDIENTS:
2 baked 9" or 10" round cakes
3 to 4 cups chocolate icing

Decorations:


Chocolate wafer sticks
Milk chocolate wafer rolls
Several pieces of white or off-white paper
3 10" wooden skewers
Malteasers
Rolo candies
Gold wrapped chocolate money
Plastic pirate figures, washed thoroughly                             


1. Cut the cakes in half and layer them, rounded sides all facing the same direction, adding a thin coat of chocolate icing between the layers.

2. Trim the bottom curves of the cakes slightly to help them sit flat, then turn the cakes upright, as shown. (Tip: If necessary, wrap the cakes in plastic and chill in the freezer to make them firmer. Also, two drinking straws stuck through the four layers of cake will help keep them together.)

3. Cover with the chocolate icing, then create planking lines along the hull with a butter knife. Chill at least one hour to firm the icing.

4. Use dabs of icing to anchor wafer stick gunwales along the edge of the deck.

5. Press the wafer rolls into both sides of the ship for cannons.

6. Cut sails from the paper, then slip them onto the skewers and set the masts in place.

7. Add Malteaser cannonballs, plenty of Rolo gold booty, Gold wrapped chocolate money, then station a few pirates to keep watch.

8. For safety, place the candles in the cookie cannons, far from the paper sails. Also, make sure that the surface on which the cake rests is impervious to wax, as the burning candles will drip.

Treasure Chest Cake                        


Prep Time: 50 minutes (Ready in 3 hours)
Makes 25 Servings

Ingredients

CAKE:                                                                                                                         

Sponge Cake Mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs

FROSTING:

Milk Chocolate Frosting

DECORATIONS:

Fruit strips
Edible treasures, such as chocolate coins, Rolo candies, chocolate almonds

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 9x5 inch loaf pan. In large bowl, combine all cake ingredients; beat at low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Pour batter into greased and floured pan.

Bake at 350°F. for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan; place on wire rack. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled.

Cut off top of cake, leaving base of treasure chest about 1 3/4 inches high. Trim 1/2 inch off 1 long side of cut off top of cake to form chest lid; crumble cut off piece of cake and set aside for later use. Place "chest base" on platter or foil covered cardboard; frost cake. Place candies on front edge of "chest base."

Frost trimmed side of "chest lid" with a small amount of frosting. Place "chest lid" on top of "chest base", lining it up with back long side of "chest base." Frost remaining surfaces of "chest lid." With fork or pastry comb, create wood grain affect.

Attach fruit strips on edges and across center of "chest." Sprinkle reserved cake crumbs around cake. Arrange candies on platter around cake.

BARBIE CAKE

 
To make a bowl cake for the Barbie Birthday Cake:
Make half the cake recipe, and bake in a buttered and floured three-quart,
nine-and-a half-inch-diameter stainless-steel bowl at 350° for forty minutes,
or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.


1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter one 10-inch tube pan. Dust the bottom and sides of pan with flour, and tap out any excess. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until well incorporated, occasionally scraping down the sides of bowl.

3. Mix together buttermilk and vanilla. Slowly add the sifted flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Do not overbeat.

4. Pour batter into prepared tube pan, and until cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan, and cool completely on wire rack. Cake can be stored in freezer, double wrapped with aluminum foil, for up to 1 month.


Decorating The Cake


1. Trim the tops off the 2 tube cakes to level. Trim the flat end of the bowl cake to level. Cut a hole through the center of the bowl cake the width of the Barbie doll. Place one tube cake, trimmed side up, on a cake plate. Place the second tube cake, trimmed side up on top, and the bowl cake, trimmed side down, on top. Spread 1 cup of frosting between each layer.

2. Remove all clothing from the doll and wrap the doll’s hair in plastic wrap. Insert doll into the hole of the bowl cake up to its waist. Use half of the remaining frosting to completely cover the outside of the cakes, evenly smoothing to form the skirt part of the doll.

3. Tint remaining frosting with food coloring to desired colors. Using pastry bags and decorating tips, decorate the skirt and upper half of the doll with colored frosting, as desired. Remove plastic from the doll’s hair, and serve.