Christmas Treats from Bakers Delight and Christmas Cake Reicpe

      

I was so lucky to receive two lovely goodie bags from Baker Delight last week both filled with a 6 pack of Fruit mince pies and a Christmas cake, and I have to say they were both delicious my family were very lucky to get to taste them with me and they all agreed. The pastry from the fruit mince pie are beautiful and go down nice with a hot cuppa. Since they Bakers Delight were so generous at giving me two bags I decided to do a little competition on my Facebook page and give it away to my friends who had to answer a simple question which was 'How long has Bakers Delight been around for?. If you want to know the answer or if you would like to buy some of these Christmas goodies for yourself then head over to there website www.bakersdelight.co.nz to find out.

                                 

If you would like to make your own Christmas Cake this year Try Annabel Langbeins easy three-ingredient Christmas Cake recipe.

Annabel Langbeins Three-Ingrediant Christmas Cake.

Makes: 1 medium cake

Cook about 1 hour 15 mins

1kg mixed dried fruit

2 1/2 cups (600ml) milk

2 3/4 cups self-raising flour, or 2 3/4 cups plain flour mixed with 2 3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp sherry, rum or whisky, to brush (optional)

icing sugar, to dust on top (optional)

Place dried fruit in a bowl,cover with milk and leave to soak overnight in the fridge.

The next day, preheat oven to 160.C and line a medium(23cm diameter) springform cake tin with baking paper.

Stir flour into fruit mixture until evenly combined and smooth into prepared tin. Bake until it is risen, set and golden and a skewer inserted onto the centre comes out clean (check after about 1 1/4 hours and return to oven for a little longer if needed). Remove from oven and, while still hot, brush with sherry,rum or whiskey, if using. Cool in the tin before turning out. Stored in an airtight container, it will keep for several weeks. Just before serving, dust with icing sugar, using doily cut-out or snowflake stencils to create festive patterns (optional). Enjoy :)

Pumpkin Cake

        

Sorry I haven't posted anything lately I've been busy caring for my adorable baby who is nice 5 weeks old and growing more beautiful each day. I finally got time today to bake this delicious Pumpkin cake which has been on my to-bake list for a year now. To make this cake I used a tin of puréed pumpkin I bought from Martha's Backyard but you can purée your own pumpkin if you can't find the canned stuff.

Pumpkin Cake

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cups vegetable oil

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups (1-15 oz.) can pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat sugar and eggs til well blended and light in color. Add oil, continuing to beat. Combine dry ingredients to egg mixture. Add pumpkin and mix well. Pour into greased pan. 

Bake at 180C for 55 minutes. Let stand in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto baking rack or platter and allow to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese Icing.

Cream Cheese Icing

1/2 cup (4 oz.) cream cheese,softened 

113 grams(1/2 cup) butter, softened

2 cups icing sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

In a medium bowl, blend softened cream cheese and butter til smooth and creamy. Add vanilla. Then add icing sugar until desired consistency is achieved. Frost and top with chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) before icing sets.

Recipe source: www.lickthebowlgood.blogspot.com

Annabel Langbein Ultimate Chocolate Cake

3 cups self-raising flour
2 cups sugar
1½ tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda, sifted
200g butter, softened
1 cup milk or unsweetened yoghurt
3 large eggs
1 cup boiling hot coffee

Icing:Chocolate Ganache

Fill with whipped cream

Heat oven to 160°C. Grease the sides and line the base of a 30cm round cake tin or 2 x 20cm round cake tins with baking paper.

Place all ingredients in a bowl or food processor and mix or blitz until the ingredients are combined and the butter is fully incorporated. Pour mixture into prepared tin or tins and smooth top. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin. If not using at once, the cake will keep for about a week in a sealed container in the fridge. You can also freeze it uniced.

Cover cake with chocolate Ganache and fill with whipped cream

Variation:

To make chocolate cupcakes using this recipe, preheat oven to 160°C and line 24 muffin pans with paper cases. Prepare cake batter according to the instructions for The Ultimate Chocolate Cake (see above). Spoon mixture into the paper cases, filling about two thirds full. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool before icing. For icing, beat 200g firm cream cheese with 100g softened butter until smooth. Gradually beat in 2 cups icing sugar until smooth and creamy. Add a few drops of food colouring to get the desired colour. Icing can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a week. Pipe onto the cakes and top with confectionery sprinkles. Makes 24.

Edmonds Banana Cake

I must make this cake at least once or twice a week, one for my Family and the other for my Nanny Family. The Edmonds Banana cake recipe is my go to recipe when I have over ripe Bananas lying around, because its so easy and it never fails I don't know why I haven't put it on my blog sooner. I usually double this recipe.

Edmonds Banana Cake.

125g Butter, softened

3/4 c Sugar

2 eggs

2-3 Mashed Banana

1 tsp Baking Soda

2 tbls Hot milk

2 c Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

Pre-heat oven to 180c and grease your cake tin of choice.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add mashed banana mix well. Dissolve baking soda into hot milk and add to creamed mixture stir well. Sift flour and baking powder. Fold into mixture.

Put mixture into cake tin and bake for 45-50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.

When ready leave in tin to cool for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. When cool ice with cream cheese icing(my fav) or chocolate icing (the kids fav).

Tip: For a light and fluffy cake don't over mix this cake once you add the dry ingredients otherwise it will come out hard and dry.

Recent Cake projects

Here is a bunch of cake projects I have made over the last few months.

Purse Cake

This is my latest cake I made for my Nieces 5th Birthday. I found this really easy tutorial here at Jessicakes blog.

Titans Cake

This cake I made for a family member who was turning 21, my sister helped me out with this one since I had 3 cakes to make over one weekend.

Dog Cake

This cake was for my friends sons 1st Birthday, the fondant dog topper is suppose to look like his pet dog.

3 Tier Cake

I love the colours of this 3 tier cake I made for a joint childrens party.

Skylander Cake

This cake was for a 5th Birthday for a little boy who loves the Skylander video game.

Yellow Ruffle Cake

I made this yellow ruffle cake for my Nieces 6th birthday, the cake topper is made from coloured paper and a butterfly all from the $2 shop, easy and cheap to make.

Fondant Safari Animal 

I made these cute little animal cake toppers for a little boys birthday, his mum made the cake for these to go on top.

Fondant Frangipanis

30 Frangipani fondant flowers for a a friends wedding cake.

If you would I to know how I made all these cakes leave me a comment and I'll be happy to get back to you.

Crumb Cake

What better way to spend a long weekend then in the kitchen trying out new recipes. I decided to make a Crumb cake since I've been wanting to make one for a while now. When I went to America Crumb cake was everywhere, especially in New York, they even serve it for breakfast and sometimes call it coffee cake or New York crumb cake. Most crumb cake recipes just have the crumb topping but this recipe also has a cinnamon and brown sugar layer in the middle, delicious. If you love cinnamon then you will love this cake.

Hope you are all having a nice break over the long weekend.

Happy Baking

xxx

Crumb Cake
Recipe source: Cannella vita

Crumb Topping
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 ¼ tsp cinnamon
½ cup (113g) butter, softened

Cinnamon Sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
¾ tsp ground cinnamon

Cake
¾ cup (170g) butter, softened
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup buttermilk (yoghurt works too)
1/3 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 325F (165C).
2. Make topping by combining the flour with the brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Mix in the softened butter and use your hands to combine until the mixture is crumbly and has the consistency of moist sand.
3. Make the cinnamon sugar that will go in the middle of the cake by combining the light brown sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl.
4. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Add the eggs, oil and vanilla and mix until fluffy. Add the buttermilk and milk and mix well.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine this dry mixture with the wet mixture and mix well.
6. Spoon half the mixture in a 9 x 13 inch greased, floured baking pan ( I baked mine in a silicone cake ring). Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the batter and pat it down into the batter. Spread the rest of the batter over the cinnamon-sugar.
7. Sprinkle on the crumb topping evenly over the batter.
8. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the edges just begin to turn light brown. Cool and slice into 12 pieces.

Minnie Mouse Cake

Here's a Minnie Mouse Cake I made over the weekend. Its a two tiered chocolate cake covered in ganache then fondant. The topper is made from black fondant, then I attached the ears with spaghetti pasta. I found this Tutorial for the pink bow on top. I'm really happy with how this cake turned out. I tripled my chocolate cake  recipe for this cake.

Baby Shower Ruffle Cake

Cake Bunting and Ruffles are so in right now. I made this cake for a family members baby shower, this is the second time I've made a Ruffle cake, you can see my first one here. Cake bunting is all over Pinterest, I love looking at what other caker's come up with, I used scrap paper and silver letters for mine. The base of the cake is Chocolate Cake click here for recipe or click here for buttercream recipe.

Lolly Cake

 

A kiwi classic The Lolly cake, kids and adults love this delicious no baked slice its so easy to make and perfect for kids party's.

Lolly Cake

Recipe source: Griffin's

120g Butter

1 Packet (250g) of Griffin's Malt Biscuits - crushed

1/2 a tin (200g) of Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 Packet (190g) of Eskimo lollies or Fruit Puffs

Dessicated Coconut

Warm butter and condensed milk in microwave. Cut up Eskimo/fruit puff lollies into bite sized chunks.

Mix butter, condensed milk, crushed Malt biscuits and lollies together. Form into a log shape. Roll in coconut. Chill in fridge for 4 hours. When set, cut into slices and serve.

21st Birthday Cake

I made this cake for two of my friends 21st Birthdays. They wanted to have them both on the cake, one doing the Pukana and the other was suppose to be hanging up the washing but I found it really hard to make the figures standing up so I made her sitting down by the washing line with a bunch of book. I think it turned out really great but will make sure I use a better glue next time cause the heads and eyes were starting to fall off at the end of the night. I doubled my Chocolate Cake Recipe for the cake then covered it in my Favourite Ganache recipe from Planet Cake.

Chocolate Ganache

Adapted From Planet Cake.

300g Nestle Dark Chocolate

150mls Cream

Place chocolate and cream in a bowl and melt in the microwave for 1 minute stir then place back in the microwave again for 30 seconds until chocolate has melted. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or until firm and cooled. Once cooled its ready to use.

Apple Cake

I was given a big bag of green granny smith apples from my sister, since she doesn't really fancy them so my next two post will be about Apples. I was on the look out for a lovely Apple cake and found this one in the recent Food magazine from Countdown. 

Apple Cake

2 cups peeled and finely chopped apple

2 tsp lemon juice

150g butter,melted

3/4 cup caster sugar ( I used granulated sugar)

3 eggs

2 tsp Vanilla essence

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted

Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the apples in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and gently mix. Set aside. Line the base of a 20cm loose-bottom round cake pan with baking paper. Grease the base and sides of the cake pan. Place melted butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined. Fold in sifted flour. Add the apples and gently mix together. Place mixture in prepared cake tin. Bake cake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool slightly before removing it from pan. This cake is delicous served with a dollop of cream or yoghurt. Enjoy xx

Monkey Cake

 

I made a Monkey cake this weekend. Its a Chocolate cake covered in butter cream with a fondant Monkey on top. I used Chelsea's Delicious Chocolate Mud Cake recipe.

Chocolate Mud cake
Recipe from Chelsea

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
250g dark chocolate, broken up or roughly chopped
1 cup hot strong coffee, can be strong instant
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup White Sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line the base of a 22 - 23 cm spring-form tin with non-stick baking paper and spray with non-stick baking spray.
Mix the lemon juice with the milk and set aside for it to sour the milk.
Place oil, chocolate and hot coffee in a microwave bowl or small saucepan and heat gently, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and the mixture smooth. Cool.

In a large bowl, mix the flour baking soda, baking powder, sugar and cocoa.
Mix the eggs and soured milk into the cooled chocolate mixture, combine thoroughly, and then whisk into the dry ingredients.

Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour. When tested, fudgy crumbs will still adhere to a skewer. This is the desirable sticky mud cake consistency. Cool for 15 minutes in the tin, then turn out and cool further on a wire rack.

All Blacks Cake

My friend asked me if I could make an All Blacks cake for her Brothers Birthday, so of course I said yes. I had look online at a lot of different designs and there were mostly shirt shaped cakes but thought it would be to large of a cake for a family dinner so decided on this design, a round shirt cake.

I used Satin Ice black fondant which is a wonderful product and used Pettinice white fondant for the fern and letters. The Cake under the fondant is by far the best Chocolate cake I have ever tasted and is now my go to chocolate cake recipe. Thanks to Esme from New Zealands Hottest Home Baker for sharing it with me.

Chocolate Mud cake
Recipe from Chelsea

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
250g dark chocolate, broken up or roughly chopped
1 cup hot strong coffee, can be strong instant
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup White Sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line the base of a 22 - 23 cm spring-form tin with non-stick baking paper and spray with non-stick baking spray.
Mix the lemon juice with the milk and set aside for it to sour the milk.
Place oil, chocolate and hot coffee in a microwave bowl or small saucepan and heat gently, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and the mixture smooth. Cool.

In a large bowl, mix the flour baking soda, baking powder, sugar and cocoa.
Mix the eggs and soured milk into the cooled chocolate mixture, combine thoroughly, and then whisk into the dry ingredients.

Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour. When tested, fudgy crumbs will still adhere to a skewer. This is the desirable sticky mud cake consistency. Cool for 15 minutes in the tin, then turn out and cool further on a wire rack.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Since my last Lemon Cake was a disaster I decided to give it another go. This time I used Chelsea's recipe because every recipe I make from their site they turn out perfect. This cake is very quick to make and is delicious served with the syrup on the side or poured over the cake while still hot in the tin.

Lemon Yogurt Cake
Recipe adapted from Chelsea

Cake:
1 cup White Sugar
Zest of 3 lemons
125g butter, softened
3 eggs
1 cup self-raising flour
¾ cup natural yoghurt (used Greek yogurt)

Lemon Syrup:
¼ cup lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
½ cup white Sugar
Extra yoghurt to serve (optional)

Method
Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Grease a 20cm spring-form cake tin.
Blend the sugar and lemon zest in the food processor until fine. Add the softened butter and process until a pale coffee colour.
Add eggs one at a time and pulse to combine. Sift the flour before adding alternately with the yoghurt in two batches. Pulse after each addition.
Pour into prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes.

Serve drizzled with lemon syrup and plain yoghurt.

Lemon Syrup: Place the lemon juice and sugar in small saucepan and heat gently without stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Ruffled Chocolate Cake

This is my First ruffle cake and I love it. Ive been wanting to make a ruffle cake for a while now ever since I first saw it on Martha Stewart's website, I don't know why I haven't made it sooner its so easy to make.

Ruffle cakes are very popular right now, to achieve the ruffle look all you need is a Wilton petal tip #104 and Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

Wilton Petal Tip #104

Swiss Meringue Buttercream is a very silky smooth buttercream  that's not to sweet and is perfect for piping. It does take a while to make and has a lot of Butter in it but it's well worth it.

The chocolate cake is my all time favorite, its so easy and simple, you throw everything in a bowl give it a good mix and it turns out perfect and moist every time.

Just a note I doubled the cake and frosting recipes for the ruffle cake.

Rich Chocolate Cake 

Recipe from Nessa Jay Warne

• 2 cups Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 cups Sugar
• 1/2 cup Cocoa
• 1 cup Oil (I use canola)
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp Coffee
• 1 tbsp White Vinegar
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Pre-heat oven 180c

Sift dry ingredients in a bowl mix to incorporate add oil,eggs, milk. Place coffee in the 1 cup water to dissolve add to mixture with vinegar and vanilla give mixture a good mix, poor into pan.

Bake for 30-40. Let cake cool, before removing from tin.

*If I have buttermilk in the fridge, I use that instead of  the milk and vinegar. 

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Recipe from Sweetapolita

• 5 Large egg white (30g each-total 150g)
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp caster sugar ( I used normal sugar, caster dissolves faster)
• 1 pound (4 sticks) 454g unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes ( I wouldn't use salted butter in this recipe.
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract
• pinch salt

Wipe the  bowl of an electric mixer with paper towel and vinegar, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg white and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling)' whisking constantly, until temperature reaches 140 degrees f, or if you don't have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg white are hot.

With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the mixture is thick, glossy and cool. Switch over to paddle attachment and while mixing on medium speed continuously add softened butter in chucks until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture( if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). Add vanilla and salt, mix well. You can also do a chocolate variation: using a spatula, fold 4 1/2 ounces chocolate, melted and cooled into mixture.

Keep in airtight container in the fridge for up to one week, leaving out at room temp when needed, re whipping in mixer for 5 minutes.

Can freeze for up to 6-8 weeks. Makes 5 cups of buttercream.

Here's some great Tutorials on how to do the Ruffle technique.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHYX0qXDVy0
• http://jamosie.blogspot.co.nz/2011/05/tutorial-i-heart-ruffle-cakes.html
• http://iambaker.net/christmas-tree-cake-tutorial

Bon Voyage white Chocolate Cake

My Brother-in-Law is heading over the ditch to Australia, so I made him his favourite White Chocolate Mud Cake before he leaves. For the frosting I made White Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting which was a great match for this cake and was great for piping. I have been wanting to do the piped rose effect for a while and finally had the change to do it on this cake. If you want to try the piped rose effect check out iambaker for her awesome tutorial.

White Chocolate Mud Cake Recipe

Recipe from Exclusively Food. 

• 300g white chocolate (we use Cadbury Dream white chocolate)
• 200g butter (if using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon fine table salt with the butter)
• 250ml (1 cup) milk
• 165g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
• 100g (2/3 cup) self-raising flour
• 150g (1 cup) plain flour

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius (145 degrees Celsius fan-forced).
Grease a 20cm square cake pan and line the base and sides of the pan with baking paper.
Place chocolate, butter, milk and sugar in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat when chocolate and butter have melted, and stir mixture until completely smooth. Allow mixture to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Add vanilla and eggs to chocolate mixture and stir until well combined.
Stir flours together in a large bowl. Add one cup of chocolate mixture to the flour and stir until a smooth paste forms.
Repeat with remaining chocolate mixture and stir until mixture is smooth. This gradual method of combining the wet and dry ingredients helps prevent lumps. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for about 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. When the cake is ready, a fine-bladed knife inserted into the centre of the cake should come out without any batter attached.

Loosely cover cake with greaseproof paper or a clean tea towel and allow it to cool to room temperature in pan.

Store cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving. The cake 
is suitable to freeze iced or uniced.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe from Country Living.

• 290g White Chocolate,Chopped.
• 1 1/4 cup Cream Cheese 
• 140g unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 tsp Vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups Icing Sugar

Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water or in the microwave. Cool until lukewarm, and set aside. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth in a large bowl with a mixer set on medium speed. Add the melted chocolate, salt, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add sugar and mix until frosting is light and fluffy. Store refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Once cake is iced keep in the fridge until ready to use, as this frosting softens up if been kept out of fridge for to long.

Angry Birds Cake

Heres the second cake I made this weekend an Angry Birds cake. The client also ask if I could make 10 cupcake toppers and for the cake to be neapolitan colors and flavour. I havent found the perfect vanilla cake recipe yet so I heard you can doctor up cake mixes with intant pudding so thought I'll give it a go. The cakes turned out nice and moist and a little denser then a usual cake mix. So if you want to give it a go just buy Betty Crockers cake mix and instant pudding in same flavour. I forgot to take a photo of all the flavours I used I only took a photo of the chocolate flavour Yummy.

Jersey Shore Cake

I had two cake orders this weekend this was the 1st cake a Jersey Shore cake with a silver cross necklace. I made my fav choc cake recipe then covered and filled with ganache.

Moist Banana Cake

Heres a recipe I found on the web for the most moist Banana Cake I have ever tasted the reason why its so moist once the cakes are done you put them straight into the freezer delicous you must try.

Moist Banana Cake.

Ingrediants:
1 ½ cups ripe bananas (mashed)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter (softened)
2 1/8 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups buttermilk
Cream cheese frosting-
½ cup butter (softened)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ½ cups icing sugar
Walnuts (chopped, for garnish)

Method:
Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees. Grease 2, 8” round baking pans.
Step 2: In a small bowl mix mashed bananas and lemon juice. Set aside. In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl cream ¾ cups butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla extract. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in banana mixture.
Step 3: Evenly pour batter into 2, 8” round baking pans. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Between those times keep checking on the cake with a toothpick to see if it’s done. When the cake is done take the baking pans and place them directly into the freezer for 45 minutes to cool.
Step 4: While cake is cooling, to make the frosting- In a bowl cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract. Add icing sugar a little at a time and beat on low until combined. Then beat on high until smooth.
Step 5: Remove the cake from the pans and lay out the bottom half on a plate. Spread it fully with frosting. Add the top half and cover the entire cake with frosting. Add chopped walnuts on top.

Under The Sea Cake

I had alot of fun making this cake, I made it for one of the little boys I care for who was turning five. For his party he had a huge under the sea bouncie castle Tunnel so I decided to do the cake based on that. It had a huge yellow octopus on top so I made that the main feature on the cake. I made the sea shells out of fondant then pressed them in to chocolate molds and left them to dry. For the seaweed I cut strips of green fondant then twisted them at the ends. Oscar really liked his cake.