Spring Garden Cake Recipes

SPRING GARDEN CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare carrot and zucchini cakes as directed, and cool to room temperature. If necessary, use a serrated knife to trim cake tops level. Each cake should be about 1 1/4 inches high.
• Prepare cream cheese frosting. Place zucchini cake on a 10-inch cake round, and spread top of cake with 1 1/4 cups cream cheese frosting. Place a carrot cake on top of the frosted zucchini cake. Chill until icing is set, about 15 minutes. Ice entire cake with remaining frosting. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes. This can be done up to 1 day in advance.
• Sprinkle top of cake with 1/2 cup cookie crumbs, leaving a 1/4-inch border around perimeter of cake. Using a paring knife, lightly mark cake top, dividing into quarters or four "plots." Rake the plots with the tines of a fork. Place green sprinkles on the perimeter of cake. Arrange marzipan fruits and vegetables on the plots. Carefully press pastillage fence posts onto the side of the cake, about 1/4 inch apart, and place candy pebbles around the base of the fence. Serve cake at room temperature.

PASS THE GARDEN CAKE

Steps:

• For the tomatoes: Knead the red fruit chews together in your hands until soft and pliable. Divide into 4 equal pieces and roll into small balls. Use a skewer to make wrinkles in the top and drill a small hole in each.
• For the carrots: Knead the orange fruit chews in your hands until soft and pliable. Divide into 4 equal pieces and form each piece into a carrot shape. Drill a hole in the top of each with a skewer.
• For the eggplant: Knead the purple fruit chews together in your hands until soft and pliable. Divide into 4 equal pieces and form each piece into an eggplant shape. Knead the green fruit chews in your hands until soft and pliable. Divide into 4 equal pieces, form each piece into a stem shape and place one on each eggplant.
• For the lettuce: Knead the green and yellow fruit chews together in your hands until soft, pliable and evenly mixed. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a 4-inch-long rope and lightly press to flatten. Roll up each rope to form concentric circles like a head of lettuce, flaring out the outer layer to form leaves.
• For the bunny butt and feet: Place the regular marshmallow on the end of a skewer and frost it entirely with the frosting. Roll the marshmallow in the coconut to completely coat. Remove from the skewer. Dab a small dollop of the white frosting on the flat side of the regular marshmallow to use as glue, towards the top in the 12-o'clock position. Glue on the mini marshmallow to create a bunny tail.
• To make bunny feet, use the pink icing to pipe paw pads onto each almond. Dab 2 small dollops of the white frosting on the flat side of the regular marshmallow to use as glue, towards the bottom in the 4- and 8-o'clock positions. Glue on the bunny feet.
• For the sunflowers: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, combine the almonds, yellow food coloring and 1/2 teaspoon water and mix until the almonds are yellow. Spread out on the lined baking sheet to dry.
• Insert the almond slices into the frosting around the edge of the mini cupcakes in 2 rows to mimic the petals of a sunflower. Carefully sprinkle the center of each cupcake with the chocolate sprinkles to mimic sunflower seeds.
• For the cake assembly: If using a 1/2 sheet cake, use a toothpick to draw a 12-by-8-inch rectangle in the center of the cake, 1 1/2 inches from the edges. This rectangle will be the dirt garden plot. Cut about 58 of the rolled wafer cookies in half and set aside.
• If using a 1/4 sheet cake, draw a 10-by-6-1/2-inch rectangle in the center of the cake, 1 inch from the edges, to form the dirt garden plot. Cut about 36 of the rolled wafer cookies in half and set aside.
• Fill a large resealable plastic bag with the green frosting. Using a toothpick, punch 8 to 10 holes in one of the corners along the bottom of the bag. Squeeze the bag and pipe grass in the border around the garden plot. Carefully spread an even layer of the ground cookies inside the rectangle to create dirt for the garden plot. Using the remaining ground cookies, make 4 evenly spaced long dirt mounds in the plot.
• Press the rolled wafer cookie halves around the outside of the cake to form a fence.
• Place the eggplants along one of the dirt mounds. Place the carrots along the second dirt mound and plant some into the dirt. Insert mint sprigs into the top of the carrots to create carrot tops. Place the lettuce heads along the third dirt mound. Place the tomatoes along the fourth with mint sprigs to mimic vines.
• Place a sunflower mini cupcake in each corner of the garden and place 2 mint sprigs around each to mimic leaves. Place the bunny butt in the garden plot.

SPRING GARDEN PASTA

Steps:

• Beat flour, eggs, oil, and salt together in a bowl. Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until a smooth and very thick dough forms.
• Turn dough out onto a work surface and knead until very smooth, about 10 minutes. Cover; let dough rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into 8 balls. Roll each into a thin sheet about 18 inches long using a pasta roller or a rolling pin. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flower petals, 1/4 tablespoon thyme, and 1/4 tablespoon dill on the lengthwise half of each sheet. Fold sheet in half over petals and herbs, then roll again into a thin sheet. Cut into long, 1-inch wide strips using a pizza cutter.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and boil until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
• Toss with Parmesan cheese, butter, lemon zest, and juice. Season with salt and pepper.

CREAM-CHEESE FROSTING FOR SPRING GARDEN CAKE

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add sugar and vanilla, and beat on low speed until well blended. Increase speed to high, and beat until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Use immediately.

FAIRY GARDEN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease or spray 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make, bake and cool 1 box cake mix as directed for 2 (8-inch) rounds. Make, bake and cool other box as directed for cupcakes. Reserve 3 cupcakes; save remaining cupcakes for another use. For easier handling, refrigerate or freeze cakes 30 minutes or until firm.
• Stir green food color into 1 container frosting to make light green. On plate, place 1 cake layer, rounded side down. Spread with 1/2 cup light green frosting. Top with second cake layer, rounded side up. Spread thin layer light green frosting over cake to seal crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze 30 minutes.
• Spread another layer light green frosting on cake; smooth with spatula. Stir green food color into 1/3 cup frosting to make dark green. Spoon into small plastic bag. Cut 1/4 inch off corner, and squeeze gently to draw grass, flower stems and bushes on cake.
• Stir blue food color into 1/3 cup frosting to make blue. Spoon into small plastic bag. Cut 1/4 inch off corner, and squeeze gently to draw pond and river on cake.
• Stir yellow food color into 3/4 cup frosting to make yellow. Remove baking cups from 2 cupcakes. Place 1 cupcake, rounded side down, on cake for fairy cottage. Spread 2 teaspoons yellow frosting on cupcake; top with another cupcake, rounded side up. Spread yellow frosting on top and sides of cupcake stack. Place 3 cookies on rounded top of cupcake, using remaining yellow frosting to stick them together. Place remaining cookies on cake as shown.
• Press 2 large gumdrops together; on sugared surface, roll gumdrops with rolling pin to flatten. Cut out large circle for roof; place on top of cottage.
• Spoon melted chocolate into small plastic bag. Cut 1/4 inch off corner; squeeze gently to draw door and windows on cottage.
• To make gumdrop mushrooms, use melted white chips to attach 3 large gumdrops to round chewy caramels. Cut chewy chocolate candy in half crosswise; use white chips to stick 1 to base of each small gumdrop. Use melted white chips to draw dots on gumdrops and roof. Place on cake.
• Decorate with candy rocks and sprinkles as shown. Spread remaining frosting on last reserved cupcake.