The Edge of December

I've been working quite bit this November (and had no time to post) but there is a big blank work horizon in December with lots of time to make Christmas crafts and snacks. This little cake house is what I'm working on this week---here at the edge of December.
Goodbye November.

Surprise Halloween Cake

The first time I made this style of surprise cake, I used a special pan to make the cake balls and colored the batter and baked the cake from scratch and it was a looooong and arduous process.

This time I went for speed: using a cake mix, cans of frosting and candy eyes but most importantly- donut holes or munchkins as we call them in New England. I’m also going to spell them "donuts" here too to be consistent (though usually I spell them doughnuts) because that's how the folks as DD do it and that's where I picked up my donut holes. Let's get started.

 

Materials:

24 donut holes- I bought the pumpkin munchkins from Dunkin Donuts- you could use chocolate or both kinds!

White cake mix (or try chocolate?) and the ingredients the cake direction call for on the box (eggs, oil etc.)

White frosting and chocolate frosting (not shown)

Wilton Candy Eyes (they make several sizes)

Mix and cover

If you make a lot of cakes you probably have a system- I use parchment paper on the bottom of 8” round pans then spray the pans with Canola oil (thank you Traders Joes).

Make the batter according to the box directions (I’m a fan of Duncan Hines).

While the cake is mixing (2 minutes or so), line each pan with 12 donut holes.

Divide the batter in half (I eyeball it- you could measure it).

Add each half of the batter, in spoonfuls over the donuts in each pan-try to not let the donuts touch. 

Bake and cool

Bake according to the box directions or until a skewer comes out clean or/and the cake pulls away from the sides.

Allow the cakes to cool completely then remove them from the pans.

At this point, you can wrap them up and freeze them for a few hours – it makes it easier to handle them and frost them.

When you’re ready --assemble the cake.

I use a cake board trimmed to fit under the cake (mostly because I wanted to use a wire cake stand).

 

Middle Layer Frosting

Add a dab of frosting and set the first cake on the board or cake plate with the bottom side down.

Add the middle layer of (white) frosting – spread it around generously then add the second cake, bottom facing up and give it a firm pat into place (the bumpy tops will sink together in the bed of frosting).

 

 

 

Outer frosting

Continue to frost the outside of the cake with the chocolate frosting –again I make a lot of cakes and invested in this “revolving“ cake stand; you don’t need it but it’s fun to use so-- with or without a stand- frost away.

I usually start at the top and then do the sides.

 

  

      

When the cake is frosted, add the candy eyes- be random and have fun putting them on!

Surprise! It has eyes outside and dots inside.

Enjoy this is cake- it’s fun to cut into and while the textures are slightly different – it really works.

You’re going to ask-- hey- aren’t the donuts dry after being baked? Nope!

Amazing and delicious and great for a special occasion.

Think of the possibilities the next time you’re in the donut hole section of the bakery.

Doughnut Cake

Please understand- I'm a Cook's Illustrated kind of gal all the way - all 40 ingredients and 80 steps (love this video). But for work - sometimes I go fast; cut corners, buy refrigerated sugar cookie dough, use canned frosting and food coloring.

I do. Sigh.

But this is not for work. This is for my boy who loves doughnuts; however, I broke my rules and used food coloring to give it a 4th of July kind of twist.

Gather:

3 cake doughnuts

White frosting in can

Red and Blue food coloring gel

Add a little food coloring (remember to use a clean toothpick to go into the food gel so you don't contaminate it) to 2 little bowls of frosting.

Slice the doughnuts (as fresh as you can get them) in half lengthwise.

Practice stacking the doughnut halves with one flat half on the bottom and the other half up on top.

Add the frosting - I layered it in red, white and blue but you do what ever you like.

Put it in the refrigerator to set up for 15 minutes or so- it was 90 degrees in the kitchen when I made mine so it was pretty goopey.

Frost the outside.

 

Add sprinkles.

  
Lots of sprinkles.
































 




Then break out the good Lego silverware.