Winter Hat Cake Recipes

SIMPLE WHITE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a muffin pan with paper liners.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.

HAT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Bake and cool cake as directed on box--except use one 8-inch round pan and one 9-inch round pan. For easier handling, refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes or until firm.
• Cut 6-inch circle out of waxed paper; place on 8-inch layer. Cut cake around circle with small knife to make 6-inch round layer; place on 9-inch layer, attaching pieces with small amount of frosting. Frost with a thin layer of frosting. Refrigerate or freeze 30 to 60 minutes to set frosting.
• Frost cake. Trim hat with ribbon and flowers. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

WINTER FANTASY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Frost cupcakes, reserving some frosting for decorating as desired., For snowmen cupcakes: Dip the top of each cupcake in coarse sugar; gently shake off excess sugar. For stovepipe hats, microwave chocolate wafers for a few seconds to slightly soften as needed. Use a serrated knife to cut two narrow strips from opposite sides of each wafer. (Large center piece will form crown of hat; one strip will form the brim.), Add chips and mini chips to cupcake to form eyes and mouth. Cut a small piece of orange slice to form the nose. , Stick brim of hat, rounded side up, into top of cupcake; insert hat crown into the top edge. Secure with additional frosting. Color frosting if desired; place in a resealable plastic bag. Cut a small hole in corner of bag. Pipe a decorative hat band; add dragees and sprinkles if desired. Sprinkle cupcakes with glitter if desired.,

HI-HAT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Prepare the batter: Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl, and set it over a medium saucepan of barely simmering water; stir chocolate until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from heat, and set aside to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed, scraping sides of bowl as needed, until light and fluffy. On low speed, mix in melted chocolate. Increase speed to medium, and add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla, and beat until mixture is creamy and color has lightened slightly, about 1 minute. Mix in sour cream. On low speed, add half of reserved flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Mix in 1/2 cup water. Add remaining flour mixture, and mix until just incorporated.
• Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Fill each liner with enough batter to come 1/8 inch from top, about 1/3 cup. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool in pan for 10 minutes.
• Use a small knife to loosen any tops stuck to the pan. Carefully invert cupcakes onto the wire rack. Turn cupcakes right side up, and let cool completely.
• Prepare the frosting: In a large heatproof bowl, combine sugar, 1/4 cup water, egg whites, and cream of tartar. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat on high speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Set bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Beat on high speed until frosting forms stiff peaks, about 12 minutes; frosting should register 160 degrees.on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and almond extracts, and beat for 2 minutes more until frosting thickens.
• Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain pastry tip. Leaving a 1/8-inch border on each cupcake, pipe a spiral of frosting into a 2-inch-high cone shape, using about 1/2 cup of frosting per cupcake. Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet, and refrigerate while preparing the chocolate coating.
• Prepare the chocolate coating: Combine chocolate and oil in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a medium saucepan of barely simmering water; stir until melted and smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, and let cool about 15 minutes.
• Holding each cupcake by its bottom, dip cupcake in the chocolate to coat frosting, allowing excess to drip off. Transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Spoon more coating around edge of cupcake and any exposed frosting; none of the frosting should show. Let cupcakes stand at room temperature 15 minutes.
• Carefully remove paper liners from cupcakes, and discard. Place cupcakes on a serving platter, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let coating set. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours more. Serve cold. Cupcakes can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

WINTER CAKE

Steps:

• Decorating Ideas: Trees made from Bugle (horn shaped corn snacks) and pretzel trunks Marshmallow snowmen sporting gumdrop hats and noses and fruit by the foot chewy fruit snack roll scarves Teddy Grahams with chewing gum skates, gummy ring inner tubes or gum stick toboggans Ice Teddy Grahams with Mittens, Scarves, and Earmuffs.
• Bake cake as directed on package in 2, 9 inch round pans, using water, oil, and eggs.
• Cool 15 minutes.
• Remove from pans; cool 20 minutes or until completely cooled.
• Freeze one layer for at least 20 minutes.
• In medium bowl, combine frosting and marshmallow creme, beating until smooth.
• Place room temperature cake layer, rounded side down, on serving plate.
• Frost top of cake.
• Place frozen cake later, rounded side up, on cutting board.
• To make pound in cake layer, use small sharp knife to cut out an irregular 6x4 oval shaped hole, no closer than 1 1/2 inches from the edge of the cake.
• Remove oval piece from cake.
• Place frozen cake layer, rounded side up, on top of frosted cake layer.
• Frost side and top of cake.
• Thickly frost inside of the pond being sure to seal completely.
• Cut oval piece in half lengthwise.
• Place 1 half on top of cake close to the pond for sliding hill.
• Secure by inserting pretzels into the hill.
• Frost hill.
• Use other half to feed anxiously watching child Prepare jello as directed for speed set using the hot water and ice cubes.
• Carefully spoon slightly thickened gelatin into the pond to within 1/4 inch of the top of cake.
• Decorate as you desire, using ideas mentioned.