Ruffle Cakes

Ruffle Cakes

Directions to make a ruffle cake

Making the Cake

Prepare your cakes. I used 2 - 6" round Wilton cake pans. I cut them in half and used a filling in the middle of each cake. It took me several months to find a good 'store quality' white cake recipe, but this is the one and everyone loves it! The white cake recipe I used is as follows:

• 1 box white cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
• 1 cup Swan cake flour (or use regular flour for a hearvier texture)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp oil

Mix the dry ingredients first and then add in other ingredients. Do not over mix. Spray pans with flour-cooking oil spray and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Put cakes directly into freezer as this will help hold in moisture and maintain form when decorating. Make the fondant next and wrap with plastic wrap or freeze and put aside.

Fondant Recipe

  Making the Fondant

  Fondant recipe:

• 1 tbsp. unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 2 lbs. of powdered sugar

  Sprinkle gelatin over water in a microwavable bowl. Let sit for 2 minutes. Put in microwave for 30
  second. Mix in almond and corn syrup until it is a clear mixture. Put in microwave for a few more
  seconds if it is not a clear or nearly clear mixture. Pour 3/4 of the 2 lb bag of powdered sugar into a
  bowl with a hole in middle. Pour mixture into hole in the middle of the sugar and mix together with
  a wooden spoon. After mixture becomes more solid, you can knead on a powdered surface and
  knead the rest of the 2 lb. bag into mixture, until it is a pliable, non-sticky mass. Use shortening on
  hands if necessary. To color, knead food coloring into fondant mixture . . you may need to add
  more powdered sugar to keep from being too sticky. Set aside in a covered bowl.

                                           Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Making the Frosting

Buttercream frosting recipe:

• 4 Sticks salted sweetcream butter (softened)
• 2 lbs of C&H powdered sugar ( I only use C&H brand as I have found other brands such as Crystal and generic brands are grainy)
• 1-2 tsp. pure vanilla or almond (measure to your liking)
• 1/2 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream

   Beat butter and flavorings together, then add powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream. Frosting
   will thicken upon adding more powdered sugar. Make sure to add more flavoring if you add more 
   sugar. Set aside in a covered bowl.

Directions to put cake together

1. Take cakes out of freezer and cut in half.

2. Stack cakes and place filling between cakes . . can use buttercream frosting filling, pudding or ganache

3. Put buttercream frosting on cakes

4. Color the fondant: Decide what colors you are going to work with and color your white fondant accordingly. I use the Wilton color gels that you can find at Wal-Mart or Michaels. Wrap your fondant in plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out.

4. Use wax paper and spray surface of paper with cooking spray so fondant doesn't stick. Roll out fondant and use pizza cutter to cut strips of fondant.

5. Start with darkest color first and start in middle of top cake. Place fondant in middle in a circular pattern and work out from there, with 3 - 4 rows of each color. .  darkest to lightest.

6. Tie ribbon around base or just use white fondant at base.