Vehicle Cake from my cousin's baby shower
Over the last several years there has been a rising trend to cover cakes with a sugar dough called fondant. If you have been blessed by not having a chance to try it, professional bakers have described it as like working with Play-doh, and tasting like it too. Many cake buyers sacrifice the taste of the confection they are purchasing to have it look nice. When I make a cake, I like for it to taste as good as it looks without having to remove the decorations. So I was quite happy to discover that there is a way to make a slightly better tasting version out of marshmallows.
My Recipe (makes about 2.5 lbs):
2 Tablespoons clear, imitation vanilla extract (or other clear flavoring)
3 – 4 Tablespoons water
10.5 oz mini marshmallows
2 pounds powdered sugar
gel food coloring
shortening
cornstarch
In a large microwave safe bowl, pour the extract and water, then add marshmallows. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Coat a spoon thoroughly with shortening, then stir the marshmallows. Continue microwaving and stirring until marshmallows have melted and are soupy. Between stirring sessions, clean off the spoon and recoat it with shortening.
When melted, stir in powdered sugar. When you have stirred in as much as you can, grease your hands and work surface liberally with shortening and dump mixture onto surface. Knead remaining powdered sugar into mixture until it has a dough-like consistency. Coat with shortening and allow to rest for a short time.
Clean up the shortening mess and prep the surface with a dusting of cornstarch. Add a few dots of food coloring to dough and knead to spread the color throughout. A marble effect takes a shorter kneading time, while a solid color requires more work.
Roll out to about 1/8″ and drape over cake. Smooth over the top and sides of the cake. Trim excess from the bottom edge of the cake.
Top view of the vehicle cake
Cost Breakdown:
Great Value Miniature Marshmallows (10.5 oz) – $1.00
Wilton Clear, Imitation Vanilla Extract (8 oz)- $4.00 (or $0.50 for 1 oz used)
Great Value Powdered Sugar (32 oz) – $1.68
Total Cost – $6.68 ($3.18 for what was actually used)
Additional Costs:
Great Value Shortening – $4.42
Great Value Cornstarch (16 oz)- $1.00
Wilton Pastel Food Coloring – $1.77
Compared to Wilton Rolled Fondant (5 lb) – $18.88
Polka dot gluten free cake from the baby shower
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