Anniversary Cake Recipes

ANNIVERSARY CAKE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, 1/3 cup water, meringue powder and cream of tartar; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat on high for 7-10 minutes or until stiff peaks form. (Keep icing covered at all times with a damp cloth to keep from drying out. If necessary to restore texture later, beat again on high speed. Prepare only half of the icing recipe if using store-bought candy roses or edible flowers to decorate.), ROSES: Divide icing in half; set half aside. If using store-bought roses, refer to photo for position and attach roses to top of cake using a dab of icing. If making icing roses, cut a hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert round tip # 12 and fill with remaining icing. Holding the bag straight up, pipe a dome-shaped mound or icing on the flower nail., With petal tip #103 and icing, hold pastry bag with narrow end farther away from the rose tip and turning the nail, pipe a row of three standing petals. Pipe a second row of petals, holding the narrow tip end at a greater angle. Repeat for a third row., Gently slide scissor ends underneath rose and remove it from nail to waxed paper; let dry completely. Repeat with remaining icing to make 20-22 roses. (Flowers can be made several weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container.), NUMERALS AND CAKE TOPPER: Set aside 1/2 cup of reserved icing. With round tip #4 and remaining reserved icing, pipe at least ten 3/4-in.-square "25"s, making sure to connect the two and five at the base of each., For cake topper, place pattern of your choice under waxed paper; tape both to work surface. Completely outline edges; let dry for 10 minutes. To reserved 1/2 cup icing, stir in remaining 2-3 teaspoons water to thin. Fill in outline of cake topper with thinned icing, using the same tip. Let dry completely, thin place in an airtight container to store before use., CAKE: Line two greased 12-in. round baking pans with parchment or waxed paper; grease and flour paper and set aside. In a bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Stir in additional cake ingredients based on the desired cake flavor. Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., FROSTING: In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and confectioners' sugar until well combined. Beat in milk, vanilla and salt until mixture becomes light and fluffy., ASSEMBLING: Split each cooled cake into two horizontal layers. Place bottom layer on serving plate; spread with a thin layer of frosting. Top with 3/4 cup filling of your choice. Spread a thin later of frosting over the bottom of next layer; place cake, frosted side down, over filling. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake layer., Set aside 3 cups frosting. Tint remaining frosting with color of your choice; set aside 1/2 cup. Spread remaining tinted frosting over top and sides of cake. Place reserved tinted frosting in a pastry or plastic bag with round tip #4. Pipe lettering and outlines over cake topper. Let dry., FINISHING: Place reserved white frosting in a pastry bag with star tip #21. Pipe eight vertical columns around sides of cake. With the same tip, pipe a shell border around top and bottom of cake., Just before serving, use small dabs of frosting to attach numerals between columns and roses at top of columns. Stand cake topper up in center of cake; continue to hold while piping two large dollops of frosting on either side of cake topper. Using leaf tip #69, pipe leaves around cluster of roses. (Dried decorations will collapse upon refrigeration. Remove to save.)

35TH-ANNIVERSARY CAKE

Steps:

• Cover a 20x14-in. serving board with gift wrap, taping wrap to the back of board. Cover wrapped board with clear cellophane in the same way; set aside. Line two greased and floured 13x9-in. baking pans with waxed paper; grease and flour the paper. , For the first cake layer, in a large bowl, cream 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, half of the cream cheese and 2-1/4 cups sugar. Add 6 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 3/4 teaspoon vanilla. Add 2-1/4 cups flour; mix well. Pour into one prepared pan. Bake at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Repeat for second cake layer. , For frosting, in a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Add enough milk to achieve desired consistency. , Using a serrated knife, level tops of cakes if necessary. Place one cake layer on covered board. Frost top with 1-1/2 cups frosting; spread raspberry filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. Top with remaining layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. , For fondant quilt, in a large bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, cream vegetable oil spread until light and fluffy. Beat in confectioners' sugar until crumbly. Gradually beat in corn syrup on low speed (mixture will be stiff)., On a work surface dusted with confectioners' sugar, roll out fondant into a 10-1/2-in. square; trim 1/4 in. from all sides with a fluted pastry wheel. Referring to Fig. 1, use the straight edge of a ruler to form a parallel line 1/4 in. from each fluted edge by gently pressing down to make shallow indentations. See Fig. 2. Score a parallel line 1 in. from the last line on each side. See Fig. 3., Referring to Fig. 4, use the ruler to form four 5-in. squares. Score a parallel line 1 in. from each side of the two intersecting lines in the center of the quilt. See Fig. 5. Make a diagonal square (about 1-3/4-in.)in the center of each larger square. See Fig. 6., Carefully position fondant quilt diagonally over cake, draping ends down the sides, as in Fig. 7. With food coloring and a clean paintbrush, paint quilt squares teal and burgundy; blot gently with paper towels. See Fig. 8. The finished fondant quilt top should look like Fig. 9. , For heart topper, in a microwave, melt white candy coating; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. On waxed paper, draw a 2-in. heart. Pipe candy coating along edge of heart; let dry. Spread remaining candy coating inside heart; smooth with a spatula and let dry. , Paint heart burgundy; blot gently with paper towels and let dry. Pipe candy coating along inside edges of heart; pipe "35" inside heart. Let dry. With a sharp knife, make a slit on inside corner of cake; insert heart topper.

ELEGANT ANNIVERSARY CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 (8-inch) square cake pans with shortening or cooking spray.
• Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 8-inch cakes. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around side of pans to loosen cakes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• On serving plate, place 1 cake layer. Spread with about 1/2 cup white frosting. Top with second layer. Frost sides and top. Using black decorating icing, pipe desired designs on sides and top of cake. Place candles on cake. Store loosely covered at room temperature.