Colorado Black Bear Cake Recipes

BLACK CAKE

Steps:

• Combine the bottle of port and 2 1/2 cups rum in a large pot or bowl and add the prunes, currants, raisins and cherries. Soak the fruit for at least 2 days.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with wax or parchment paper. Drain the dried fruit and transfer to a blender; blend well.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully combined. Mix in the fruit mixture.
• Add the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and cloves to the bowl and beat until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, you may need to beat the wet ingredients, then transfer to a larger bowl and stir in the dry ingredients.) Mix in the vanilla and browning. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans.
• Bake the cakes until set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove the cakes from the oven and pour 3/4 cup each port and rum onto the hot cakes, dividing them evenly. Let cool completely.

BEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Place templates on sheet cakes, and cut out with a paring knife. Discard scraps. Halve snout and belly pieces horizontally, discarding bottom halves.
• Arrange pieces into a bear shape, trimming sharp edges off shoulders, ears, and paws. Use chocolate frosting to attach pieces to one another.
• Coat entire cake with frosting, rounding over the tummy and snout. Refrigerate until frosting is firm, about 30 minutes to overnight. Add a second smooth coat to snout, ears, and front paws. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a multiopening grass tip (Ateco #233) with frosting. Pipe fur on bear, skipping center of ears and front paws and entire snout, refilling bag as necessary.
• Use licorice coins for the eyes, and licorice button for the nose.

BROWN BEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare cake mixes according to package directions. Pour 3 cups batter into a greased and floured 2-qt. round baking dish. Pour 1-1/2 cups batter into a greased and floured 1-qt. ovenproof bowl. Using remaining batter, fill six greased jumbo muffin cups and four greased regular muffin cups two-thirds full., Bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes and cakes for 40-45 minutes at 350° or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes for 5 minutes and cakes for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Level the top of the cakes, four jumbo cupcakes and two regular cupcakes. (Save the remaining cupcakes for another use.) Place large cake top side down on an 18x12-in. covered board. For teddy bear's head, place the small cake top side down above large cake. Position jumbo cupcake cut side up for arms and legs. Place regular cupcakes on top of head for ears., In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, cocoa and milk; beat until smooth. Frost tops and sides of cakes and cupcakes. Tint 2-1/4 cups coconut dark brown; tint remaining coconut light brown., Sprinkle dark brown coconut over arms and legs. Leaving a 4-in. circle in center of bear's body, sprinkle dark brown coconut in a 1-in. circle around edge of cake. Sprinkle dark brown coconut in a 1/2-in. circle around edges of the head and ears. Press dark brown coconut into the sides of the body, head and ears. Sprinkle light brown coconut over the middle of the body, head and ears., Position one peppermint patty on face for nose. Place one peppermint patty and four M&M's on each paw. Insert chocolate kisses point side down for eyes. Cut one licorice piece into two 2-in. strips; shape to form a mouth. Cut two licorice pieces into a 7-in. strip; place around the neck. Shape the remaining licorice into a bow; place below neck. Store in the refrigerator.

JUNGLE ANIMAL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Decorate cupcakes to make 6 lions, 6 tigers, 6 monkeys and 6 zebras.
• In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup chocolate frosting with black food color to make black frosting. Place in resealable plastic freezer bag; cut small tip off 1 corner of bag. Use black frosting to decorate lions, tigers, monkeys and zebras (steps 3 through 7).
• Lions and Tigers: In medium bowl, mix 1 cup vanilla frosting with enough yellow and red food colors to make orange. In small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon orange frosting with 3 tablespoons white vanilla frosting to make lighter orange for muzzles. Frost 12 cupcakes with darker orange frosting. For muzzle, spread or pipe small circle of lighter orange frosting on each cupcake.
• For lions, place caramel corn around edges of cupcakes for mane. For eyes, add brown baking bits. For whiskers, break about 1/2-inch pieces off each end of pretzel sticks and insert in cupcakes. For ears, add cereal pieces. Using black frosting, pipe on mouth and nose.
• For tigers, use black frosting to pipe on stripes, nose and mouth. For eyes, add brown baking bits. For ears, add gumdrop halves.
• Monkeys: Frost 6 cupcakes with chocolate frosting. In small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon chocolate frosting and 2 tablespoons vanilla frosting to make light brown. For muzzle, spread or pipe circle of light brown on each cupcake that starts in middle and extends to edge; pipe small tuft of hair on opposite edge. For each eye, attach brown baking bit to marshmallow half with frosting; place on cupcakes. With black frosting, pipe on nose and mouth. For ears, add mints.
• Zebras: Cut small horizontal slit in top of 6 cupcakes near edge of paper cup. Insert edge of vanilla wafer cookie into each slit to create elongated face, adding small amount of vanilla frosting to cookie before inserting to help stick. Frost cupcakes with vanilla frosting. For muzzles, frost cookies with black frosting. With black frosting, pipe on stripes and mane. Add brown baking bits for nostrils and eyes. For ears, add black gumdrop halves, cut sides down.