Butterfly Cake

Special Supplies:

*Edible Butterflies, found on Amazon

*Cupcake Fairy Toppers, found on Amazon

*Cupcake Sprinkles, found at Walmart in the Fall

*Decorating bag with M1 piping Tip

*8-inch Cardboard Cake Base or cake stand etc….

*Straight Icing Spatula and Offset Spatula

*3 Cake Pans 6-inch round, lined with parchment paper

*Cooking Spray, like Olive Oil or Pam

Vanilla Cake

Note: Double this recipe, this will help you have enough for extra 12 cupcakes if desired or use all batter for 4 layers. Makes 3-4 six-inch round cake layers.

Ingredients:

*1/2 cup Butter, slightly soften

*1 and 1/2 cups Sugar

*4 Egg Yolks, save egg whites in medium mixing bowl for beating later

*1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

*3 cups All-Purpose Flour

*3 teaspoons Baking Powder

*1 cup Milk, room temperature not cold

*2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

*4 Egg Whites, Beaten to soft peaks 

Instructions:

In a stand mixer cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the egg yolks and salt, mix until incorporated.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour and baking powder.

In measuring cup add the milk and vanilla.

Alternate adding the flour and milk mixture 1/3 at a time to the creamed mixture and mix just until all ingredients are combined.  Then fold in beaten egg whites.

Note:  Beat egg whites in a bowl until soft peaks and fold into cake batter 1/3 at a time.

Spray pans with cooking spray and dust pans with flour, fill pans a little over 2/3rds full. Bake as directed above.

Remove cakes from oven and cool completely. I like to plastic wrap and freeze the cake layers (individually) at this point. Then when frozen remove cakes from freeze unwrap and cut out the centers with 2-inch biscuit cutter.

Note: Fill any remaining batter in cupcake liners 3/4 full in cupcake/muffin pans. Bake cupcakes 25 to 30 minutes

Stabilized Butter Cream

Note: I like to Double this frosting recipe to make sure I have plenty of frosting.

Ingredients:

*1 cup Butter, out of the fridge 30 minutes

*1/4 cup Butter Flavored Shortening or if you want a whiter frosting use regular white shortening 

*1 pound Powdered Sugar, around 3 and 1/2 to 4 cups, more or less as needed

*1 tablespoon Cornstarch 

*1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

*1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract

*1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt, to taste

*1-2 tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream or as needed

Instructions:

In a bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment add the butter and shortening and beat on medium-low speed until light fluffy color.  Mix in salt, vanilla and almond extracts, just until incorporated.  Then add corn starch and powdered sugar  a cup at a time.  Beat on medium speed for 30 seconds making sure all powdered sugar is incorporated.  Mix another 30 seconds add more cream f needed for a good spreadable consistency, mix more if needed.  Do not over mix it will make a lot of air bubbles you will have to hand-stir them out.

Divide frosting into two bowls, making the most of the frosting blue and leave some White, maybe 1-2 cups for white.

Add frosting to bottles or piping bags with small tips cut of the ends or use small piping tips at the end of bags.  Refrigerate frosting as needed if it gets too soft while frosting/piping.

See this Video for Cake decorating tips

See Fairy Garden Party Activity

Also see Fairy Garden Party

Enjoy!

Lindy