Tablescape Center Piece Golden Cake Topper Centerpiece Recipes

TABLESCAPE CENTERPIECE - CANDY CASTLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray each cake pan and 1 of the cups from the muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Coat the pans lightly with flour, tapping out the excess.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the cake mix with butter. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix to incorporate. Slowly add the buttermilk and mix on medium for 2 minutes, until well incorporated. Fill each prepared pan and muffin cup 2/3 of the way to the top. Bake for 30 to 50 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. The large cake will take closer to 50 minutes, while muffin will be closer to 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the cakes from the pans and cool completely, right side up, on a wire cooling rack.
• Royal icing: In a medium bowl beat together the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and lemon juice with a hand mixer or whisk, and slowly add some of the water until smooth. Continue to add water by the teaspoonful with the beaters running until the icing drops from the beaters, but holds a line when drawn in with the back of a spoon. Fill the resealable bag with royal icing and snip the corner when ready to use.
• To assemble: Using a clean pastry brush, lightly coat the sugar cones with piping gel. Hold the cones over a plate and sprinkle each with the pink and orange sprinkles. Make sure the cones are completely coated with nonpareils. Set aside to dry slightly.
• Using a serrated knife, level the tops of each of the square cakes and the muffin. Adhere 1 square cake to the 7-inch square cardboard cake board, and the muffin cake to the 3-inch round cardboard cake board with a dab of frosting. Put a layer of frosting on top of the square cake and put the second layer on top of that. Ice both cakes with a thin layer of frosting and put in the refrigerator to set up about 15 minutes. Ice the cakes again with a slightly thicker layer of frosting.
• Knead the fondant to make it more pliable. On a clean surface dusted with cornstarch roll out 3/4 of the fondant to 1/4-inch thickness. Lift with the backsides of your hands and put it over the center of the frosted square cake. Lightly dust your hands with cornstarch, and smooth the fondant down and around sides of cake. Lift the cake up and trim the excess fondant close to the cake board with kitchen shears or a paring knife. Repeat with the small muffin cake and the remaining fondant, then place center it on top of the square cake.
• Pipe a small bead of royal icing around the base of each sugar cone and put 1 on each corner of the square cake and 1 atop the center of the small round muffin cake. Using royal icing for 'glue' adhere the licorice candies vertically around the sides of the small round cake, close to the top of the cake, spacing them out. Take 2 pink and 1 orange licorice twists and twist them together to form 1 rainbow twist. Repeat with the remaining twists. Secure the licorice twists vertically to the 4 corner edges of the cake with royal icing and toothpicks, if needed. It should cover the edge from the bottom of the cake to the top. Cut 2 orange sour candies in 1/2 along the diagonal and put each 1/2 atop the licorice twists. Arrange 5 orange (Spree) candies in a horizontal line towards the top of 1side of the cake. This will be the front of the cake. Attach the strawberry and cherry candies in a grid pattern close to the bottom of the cake, under the line of orange candies to form a doorway. Cut the remaining orange sour candies in 1/2 on the diagonal, and glue each 1/2 on top of the doorway, pointed side up. Glue the gum vertically along the top edges of the square cake and on the top edge of the round muffin cake making sure to leave a 1/2-inch space between each. Glue the orange segment candies, flat edge down, all along the bottom edge of the square cake, but not over the door. Let the icing sit for 1 hour to dry before transferring the centerpiece to a cake pedestal.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray each cake pan and 1 of the cups from the muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Coat the pans lightly with flour, tapping out the excess.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the cake mix with butter. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix to incorporate. Slowly add the buttermilk and mix on medium for 2 minutes, until well incorporated. Fill each prepared pan and muffin cup 2/3 of the way to the top. Bake for 30 to 50 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. The large cake will take closer to 50 minutes, while muffin will be closer to 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the cakes from the pans and cool completely, right side up, on a wire cooling rack.
• Royal icing: In a medium bowl beat together the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and lemon juice with a hand mixer or whisk, and slowly add some of the water until smooth. Continue to add water by the teaspoonful with the beaters running until the icing drops from the beaters, but holds a line when drawn in with the back of a spoon. Fill the resealable bag with royal icing and snip the corner when ready to use.
• To assemble: Using a clean pastry brush, lightly coat the sugar cones with piping gel. Hold the cones over a plate and sprinkle each with the pink and orange sprinkles. Make sure the cones are completely coated with nonpareils. Set aside to dry slightly.
• Using a serrated knife, level the tops of each of the square cakes and the muffin. Adhere 1 square cake to the 7-inch square cardboard cake board, and the muffin cake to the 3-inch round cardboard cake board with a dab of frosting. Put a layer of frosting on top of the square cake and put the second layer on top of that. Ice both cakes with a thin layer of frosting and put in the refrigerator to set up about 15 minutes. Ice the cakes again with a slightly thicker layer of frosting.
• Knead the fondant to make it more pliable. On a clean surface dusted with cornstarch roll out 3/4 of the fondant to 1/4-inch thickness. Lift with the backsides of your hands and put it over the center of the frosted square cake. Lightly dust your hands with cornstarch, and smooth the fondant down and around sides of cake. Lift the cake up and trim the excess fondant close to the cake board with kitchen shears or a paring knife. Repeat with the small muffin cake and the remaining fondant, then place center it on top of the square cake.
• Pipe a small bead of royal icing around the base of each sugar cone and put 1 on each corner of the square cake and 1 atop the center of the small round muffin cake. Using royal icing for 'glue' adhere the licorice candies vertically around the sides of the small round cake, close to the top of the cake, spacing them out. Take 2 pink and 1 orange licorice twists and twist them together to form 1 rainbow twist. Repeat with the remaining twists. Secure the licorice twists vertically to the 4 corner edges of the cake with royal icing and toothpicks, if needed. It should cover the edge from the bottom of the cake to the top. Cut 2 orange sour candies in 1/2 along the diagonal and put each 1/2 atop the licorice twists. Arrange 5 orange (Spree) candies in a horizontal line towards the top of 1side of the cake. This will be the front of the cake. Attach the strawberry and cherry candies in a grid pattern close to the bottom of the cake, under the line of orange candies to form a doorway. Cut the remaining orange sour candies in 1/2 on the diagonal, and glue each 1/2 on top of the doorway, pointed side up. Glue the gum vertically along the top edges of the square cake and on the top edge of the round muffin cake making sure to leave a 1/2-inch space between each. Glue the orange segment candies, flat edge down, all along the bottom edge of the square cake, but not over the door. Let the icing sit for 1 hour to dry before transferring the centerpiece to a cake pedestal.

TABLESCAPE CENTERPIECE: FORTUNE BUSH

Steps:

• Line 2 sheet pans with wax paper, unwrap all the fortune cookies, and pour the sanding sugar into a shallow bowl.
• In a glass bowl in the microwave, melt 1 bag of white chocolate chips in 30 second intervals, being sure to stir the chocolate frequently. When completely melted, dip half of the fortune cookies from the pointed end and the other half from the rounded end. Dip in the bowl with purple sanding sugar while still wet. Place on the wax paper-lined sheet pans and allow to set up.
• To make the royal icing, beat together the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder with the lemon juice. Slowly add in the water until smooth and thick (the icing should not be runny).
• To assemble, cover the styrofoam cone with craft paper, using tape to secure. Start on the bottom row with the cookies dipped from the rounded end. Put a dollop of royal icing on the back of a cookie and press gently against the cone. Hold for a few seconds. Repeat around the base. Allow icing to set 5 minutes before continuing to the next row. (To help secure each cookie you can also use toothpicks inserted into the cone through the fold in the middle of each cookie.) Using cookies dipped from the pointed end, adhere around the cone above the first row in the same manner. Repeat, alternating rows between cookies dipped on the rounded and pointed ends, allowing each row to set for 20 minutes in between. Don't worry if they don't line up perfectly, the spaces will be covered later with ribbon. When complete, stick 2 cookies together with icing and place on the very top. Allow to dry for a few hours.
• To finish, using purple satin ribbon, start at the top and make loops by securing into the empty spaces with the pearl-topped pins. Scatter the violets throughout, securing to the cone in the same manner. Gently place atop a cake stand in the center of your table.

SHOWER DOME CAKES -TABLESCAPE CENTERPIECE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray each stainless bowl with nonstick cooking spray and coat lightly with flour, tapping out the excess. Put the bowls on 2 sheet trays.
• In an extra large bowl add the cake mixes with the butter and combine with a hand mixer. Add the egg whites, 1 at a time, and incorporate. Slowly add buttermilk and mix on medium until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Fill each stainless bowl 2/3 of the way to the top with the batter. Bake until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 to 50 minutes. (Large cake will take closer to 50 minutes, smaller cakes closer to 30 minutes.) Remove the cakes from oven and cool. When cool enough to handle, unmold and cool upside down on a wire rack. You will have 1 (9-inch), 2 (7-inch), and 2 (5-inch) cake domes. Keep any extra batter in refrigerator. Cool down pans in between baking times. If there is still excess batter, bake off cupcakes for shower favors.
• To decorate:
• For the gum paste leaves, knead and roll out the gum paste to 1/16-inch thickness. Using the leaf cutter, cut vine leaves from gum paste. Using the back end of a butter knife make leaf veins by pressing lightly into the gum paste. Repeat until you have about 80 leaves. Set out on a sheet tray lined with a wrinkled piece of plastic wrap to dry completely. (This step is best done a couple of days ahead of time.) To make loops for around the base of the cake, roll gum paste into a very thin rope. Cut into 3-inch pieces, pinch ends together to form a loop using a dab of water, if necessary, to stick ends together. Dry flat on a sheet tray. (You will need 24 (3-inch) loops for the large cake, 40 (2-inch) loops for medium cakes, and 32 (1-inch) loops for the small cakes.)
• Adhere each cake to a corresponding cake board with a dab of icing. Ice each cake in a very thin smooth layer with an offset spatula. Put in refrigerator to set up. Working with 1 cake at a time, put a second slightly thicker layer of icing on cake, being sure to clean the knife frequently to keep the icing smooth. (If icing is too loose try mixing in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar to stiffen it a bit.) Knead the fondant to soften slightly. Using a flat surface dusted lightly with cornstarch, roll the fondant to a large (1/4-inch thick circle about 18 inches in diameter for the large cake). Lift with backsides of your hands and put over the center of iced dome cake. Using your hands lightly dusted with cornstarch, smooth fondant down and around the sides of the cake. Lift cake up and trim the excess fondant close to the cake board with kitchen shears or a paring knife. Put on a cake pedestal. Repeat until all of the cakes are covered.
• To make royal icing for the vines: In a medium bowl beat together the 2 cups confectioners' sugar, the meringue powder and the lemon juice with a hand mixer and slowly add in a little water until smooth. Continue to add water by the teaspoonful with beaters running until the icing will drop from the beaters but hold a line when drawn in with the back of a spoon. Fill a pastry bag fitted with small round tip. Pipe vines for leaves all around the cakes, using long strokes holding tip just off surface of the cake. Adhere dried gum paste leaves in groups along the vines with a small dab of royal icing. Lastly adhere the loops along the base of the cake with a small dab of royal icing as well. Put on the table in descending-size order.

GINGERCAKE MEN -TABLESCAPE CENTERPIECE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12 by 17-inch sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
• In another bowl, with a hand mixer beat together the butter, and sugar until well combined and slightly fluffy. Add the molasses, and eggs, 1 at a time until well incorporated. Add the sifted dry ingredients into the butter and eggs in thirds, alternating with the milk. Mix, only until combined, but do not over beat. Spread the mixture in an even layer into the prepared sheet pan and smooth the top with an off set spatula.
• Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting the pan onto a cooling rack to unmold. Peel off the parchment paper and cool completely. Turn the cake onto a cutting board, and using a gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut out shapes from the cake.
• Display the gingercake men, standing up on a cake pedestal, with a jar of the maple cream in the center to be sure they remain standing.
• In a large bowl, with a hand mixer beat together the marshmallow cream, and maple syrup until well combined. Divide the mixture among the jars. Lay a piece of burlap over the top of each jar and secure with piece of twine or raffia. If using for a place marker, write the guest's name on a tag and thread it through the twine before tying off.