Ben and Gabrielle's ‘Merry Cocoa to All, and to All a Good Bite!’ Snow Globe Cake Centerpiece

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Ben and Gabrielle's ‘Merry Cocoa to All, and to All a Good Bite!’ Snow Globe Cake Centerpiece

Course:

Dessert, Cake

Seasonal Event:

Christmas

Hot Chocolate Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and prep two 6-inch and two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray sides with nonstick spray.
2. Stir 2 packets or 6 tbsp of hot chocolate powder into 2 cups of milk and set aside
   
   • 6 tbsp hot chocolate mix powder (Swiss Miss)
   • 2 cups whole milk (room temp) – 480ml
3. Combine all the dry ingredients into bowl of stand mixer and stir on low until combined.
   
   • 4 cups all-purpose flour – 530g
   • 3 cups granulated sugar – 600g
   • 4 tsp baking soda
   • 2 tsp baking powder
   • 1 tsp salt
4. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and hot cocoa mixture and stir on low until combined.
   
   • 1 cup vegetable oil -240ml
   • 4 eggs, room temp
   • 3 tsp vanilla extract
   • 1 ⅓ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder – 120g
5. In a small bowl on stovetop, heat 2cups of hot water until a simmer. Remove from burner and slowly pour the hot water into the cake mix. Batter will be thin.
   
   • 2 cups hot water – 480ml
6. Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool before frosting.

Sugar Snow Globe:

1. Fill balloon with cool water until reaches about 6-inch diameter. Knot and sit on top of ramekin and parchment paper.
2. Read instructions of isomalt brand. If similar to the one we practiced with, combine 2 cups isomalt sugar with ½ cup water (4:1 ratio) in a small stovetop on medium heat, stirring until dissolved.
3. Once dissolved, insert candy thermometer and cook without stirring until temperature reaches 320 degrees F or 160 degrees C.
4. Remove from heat and pour over water-filled balloon.
5. Let sit until ready to decorate cake. To remove water, snip a small cut right about the knot and gently pour out water.

Sugar Cookies:

1. Using stand mixer, beat butter with sugar until smooth
   
   • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter (room temp) – 341g
   • 2 cups granulated sugar – 400g
2. Add in eggs and vanilla and bit until combined
   
   • 4 large eggs (room temp)
   • 1 tsp vanilla extract
3. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until combined
   
   • 5 cups all-purpose flour – 625g
   • 2 tsp baking powder
   • 1 tsp salt
4. Put dough in refrigerator for ~15 min (or as long as possible) to allow it to cool before rolling
5. After dough has cooled a bit, preheat oven to 400*F (200*C), line baking sheet with parchment paper, and dust counter with flour (for rolling dough)
6. Roll dough to ¼ - ½ inch thick and cut out cookie shapes (stockings)
7. Bake cookies for 6-8min (should be very lightly browned)
8. Allow to cool before frosting
9. Frost some with red and some with cream-colored buttercream. Add sprinkles.

Peppermint Buttercream Frosting:

1. Mix softened butter on medium-high heat until creamy
   
   • 3 cups unsalted butter, room temp – 339g
2. Add powdered sugar in increments while mixing on low
   
   • 10 - 11 cups powdered sugar – 1260g
3. Add milk, peppermint, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low until combined
   
   • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
   • 1 ¼ tsp peppermint extract
   • 4 ½ tbsp whole milk, room temp
   • ½ tsp salt

Assemble Cake:

1. Apply crumb layer and allow cake to chill in refrigerator
2. Set aside ~⅓ of frosting for later. Add red and brown/black food coloring to ~2/3 of frosting to get maroon color of chimney
3. Coat both layers in maroon frosting and smooth
4. Use white frosting and small circular tip to apply brick lines around cake (helps to work as a team to spin cake)
5. Use thicker/decorative pipe to apply brick line at edges of the cake and along the bottom
6. Add black food coloring to the remaining red food coloring to create chimney hole
7. Options for Santa’s legs:
   
   • Marshmallows covered in red frosting, topped with white frosting, and use mashed cake + frosting + black food coloring to make boot shapes
   • Use fondant to create legs, adding colors for each part
8. Top with dome!