A Cake of Joy

Prior to sculpting the Titanic cake, I had no idea of exactly how much cake I would need to make.  Just to be safe I made four very large cakes that were 30 x 40 cms (12 x 16 inches) and stored them in the freezer.  Running out of cake turned out to be not my problem as I’d made twice as many cakes as I needed.

Decorated in heart sprinkles

Decorated in heart sprinkles

So I had a couple of cakes taking up valuable freezer space and that just won’t do.  A few days ago I pulled one out and left it to thaw on the bench.  You might remember I have a lot of cake boards.  But I don’t have one that’s rectangular in size so I took my thawed cake and measured a 30 x 30cm (12 x 12 inch) cake and chopped off the excess.  Now it fitted perfectly on one of my boards.

A cake of joy

A cake of joy

Last week I saw on Joanne’s lovely blog, a rainbow cake she’d made that was covered in cream cheese frosting and decorated with ‘hundreds and thousands’ (sprinkles).

All inspired but without any rainbows or cream cheese, I covered my white chocolate cake in a white chocolate butter cream.  I then went to look for my very large heart-shaped cookie cutter but alas, it has gone walkabout.  I did manage to find a pathetically small one so there are hearts on this cake, they’re just scrawny.

This is a big cake and will feed everyone in your crowd

This is a big cake and will feed everyone in your crowd

And then what to do with the cake!  It was very large, dense and rich.  I took a quarter of it up to Carl’s office.  They’re always hungry up there and this was perfect for their dipping afternoon sugar levels.  At school ‘pick-up’ time I cut up another quarter and took it to Alfie’s school.  I was swarmed.  Boys have a radar for anything sweet and free.  The boys managed to wolf down at least two  pieces each accept for one boy (there’s always that ‘one boy’).  On his first bite, he said it made him vomit.  But that will happen if you try to run at top speed while also inhaling cake crumbs so let’s not blame the cook!

Fear not - in the beginning it will look curdled

Fear not – in the beginning it will look curdled

The other half of the cake will be used to celebrate my husband’s birthday.  This cake of joy has many uses and I’m thinking it will not only make an excellent ‘happy birthday’ cake but would be a lovely cake to make for your mum on Mother’s Day.

This cake can be made with any recipe you like but if you’d like to try the very moist and dense white chocolate cake I made, you can find the recipe here.

Butter cream

Butter cream

The frosting recipe is from a Donna Hay Magazine.

 

5.0 from 4 reviews
A Cake of Joy
Author: 
Recipe type: Cake Frosting
Cuisine: Australian
Serves: 30
 
Whipped Vanilla Cream
Ingredients
  • 1¼ cups sugar
  • 5 egg whites
  • 500gm (1lb) cold butter, chopped
  • 250gm (80z) melted and cooled white chocolate
  • 1½ tspns vanilla extract
  • heart-shaped cookie cutter
  • hundreds and thousands (sprinkles)
Instructions
  1. Place the sugar and egg whites in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
  2. Whisk for 1-2 minutes until the sugar is dissolved Remove the bowl from the heat and beat the mixture with and electric mixer until cool.
  3. Continue beating and add the butter, a few cubes at a time (the mixture will look curdled at first).
  4. Beat for a further 10 minutes until the mixture is light and creamy. Use a metal spoon to mix in the vanilla.
  5. Keep in a cool place at room temperature until required.
  6. Using a metal spatula, cover cake in butter cream.
  7. Gently place heart-shaped cookie cutter on the cake and use a teaspoon to fill in the shape with hundreds and thousands.
  8. Remove cookie cutter and repeat until your cake has as many hearts as your 'heart' desires.
  9. Using your fairy fingers, lightly scatter extra hundreds and thousands around the cake.
  10. To get the sprinkles on the sides of the cake, take a few in your fingers and throw them at the cake. They will stick but this is a messy job and you can expect the sprinkles to not only land on the cake but scatter across every corner of your kitchen. But that's half the fun!

 

One can never have too many sprinkles

One can never have too many sprinkles

‘I have just (at long last) started using the Easy Recipe plug-in to make it ‘easy’ for you to print recipes you see on this blog.  Easy Recipe has been created by Maureen and her husband, John.  If you’re considering purchasing a recipe plug-in for your blog, I can recommend Easy Recipe.

A super-easy but pretty cake

A super-easy but pretty cake

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Comments

  1. G’day Charlie! Great cake indeed! Wish I could try some too!
    ABSOLUTELY LOVE Easy Recipe plug in but would highly recommend upgrading to pro as the basic version is a tad limiting!
    Better to have too much cake than not enough I say!
    Cheers! Joanne

  2. Danielle says:

    This cake of joy (and many purposes) looks so pretty, what a great idea to use cookie cutters and sprinkles. I wonder if that is the same boy in Alfie’s class who did not like the ladybird cupcakes? He should probably just stay away from cake! Really like the new recipe plug-in.

  3. What a grand idea for decorating with sprinkles. Love it.

    Also, I can imagine the reaction at Carl’s office. The guys at my husband’s workplace practically inhale any food brought in there. Not that I ever bring any, but I’ve heard the stories.

  4. I love the little hears – they look like freckles but cuter – we have cake in the freezer at the moment and I am very pleased to have it on standby – but it is a bit rough round the edges unlike your lovely square cake

  5. Simple but gorgeous!! I wish I was close by, I would’ve helped you unload your cakes. I have to start on Laith’s next week and how I would love for the cakes to be ready already!!
    I always love that one child who does so much for our self confidence!

  6. Can I borrow you as my faux-mum for a week or so when I get back? I want cream cheese with sprinkles.

  7. I think the smaller heart cutouts actually look better than larger ones would. This way more people get part of the sprinkles on their piece. Yes.there’s always that “one boy” who doesn’t appreciate a great cake. I have had similar experiences with home made sugar cookies I took and shared with my students. The buttercream in the last picture looks so tasty. I’ve only made it once … a chocolate version I used to decorated a chocolate sponge roll.

    I have frozen cake in my freezer as well. A single 9 inch round and several (3?) smaller rounds I wanted to play with one day. I needed to use up a cake mix in my pantry and couldn’t think of what to do with the results because I didn’t want to make cupcakes.

  8. Oh, Charlie, it’s beautiful!! The hearts are perfect!! 🙂 xo

  9. All that cake…..so beautiful too. I am now virtually 5 lbs heavier.

  10. Goodness that’s a mighty big cake, but at least a lot of people were able to enjoy it! I love the heart decorations, very colorful and fun.

  11. Charlie didn’t you do a perfect job. I do love this whimsical nature of this design. Yours is beautiful. So handy to have that cake tucked away at this busy birthday tiime!

  12. –Charlie, WOW.
    this sprinkled cake makes me happy! xxxxxxxx

  13. I love rainbow sprinkle cakes. Especially since you buy those 100s and 1000s in such huge bags. I’ve made a cake where it is entirely covered in them and it made me happy just to see it! 😀

  14. Oh, that IS a cake of joy…except for the one lad. Always one in the bunch. I love the sprinkles garnish…I might even be able to master that!!!

  15. Our schools etc are so PC, we would not be allowed to take cake there anymore…. might give it a go one day after my assignments and exams, oh wait I am of to Aussie then, maybe on my return lol. Have an awesome day 🙂

  16. You must have been the most popular mum at school pickup!

  17. Another work of art, in my book. You really do some extraordinary cakes, Charlie. I can’t imagine any child, young or young-at-heart, who wouldn’t just love a cake with zillions of sprinkles. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe. And that buttercream icing looks luscious!

  18. oh yes that butter cream looks so divine. you can never have too much frosting or too many sprinkles for sure. i once made a cake that had a bowlful of frosting on top. i am talking a big ceramic bowlful..those yanks love their frosting!

  19. I love the idea of using a stencil to make shapes with sprinkles on a cake.
    Have a wonderful day Charlie.
    🙂 Mandy xo

  20. Wish blogger had a plug in like that. Love the way you have decorated it. Perfect for Mother’s Day.
    Carolyn
    Ps I doubt any of your food would cause vomiting.

  21. You are a cake guru my lady. Seriously, will you come to the Berra and help me make an epic birthday cake for my bestie? Such a great cake, its so pretty. 🙂

  22. Well now I feel like i should make ANOTHER cake and top it with that buttercream! Luscious.

  23. You’re a baking genius! And so good at decorating. This looks terrific — thanks.

  24. Wow, this cake sounds sinfully delicious! I saw that cake on Joanne’s site and thought it was super cute. Yours came out great, Charlie 🙂 Plus it sounds like it was majorly appreciated by all!!

  25. I’m still very very intimidated with making a cake from scratch… I guess I need to start practicing… There will be no Titanic in my lifetime, but I’d love to have a nice size cake like this for all occasions. 🙂 Looks very beautiful!

  26. The cake looks not only pretty but very happy. I’m not surprised that it disappeared so fast.

  27. Nothing makes people happier than sprinkles. I was told that once. I choose to believe it.

    I laughed at the kid we all have to have. The cake sounds delicious, Charlie.

  28. That is a serious amount of cake! I love that they are still yummy after being stored in the freezer. Sprinkles are always the right choice for decorating! Love this frosting recipe!!! Hugs, Terra

  29. I admired Joanne’s rainbow cake and you have done a gorgeous recreation! I think your small hearts are sophisticated, not scrawny 😉 I am sure Carl’s workmates and Alfie’s school friends think you are the best wife / mother ever, and deservedly so!

  30. This cake sounds just like the Magic Pudding- cut and come again! It certainly has fed a multitude, and it looks so pretty too xox

  31. Mmmm… that cake looks delicious. Sprinkles on top with the hearts is so beautiful. How many people would this size cake feed, for regular adults- not teenagers…? LOL You are an amazing women to tackle the titanic cake but this cake looks a little more manageable task. Take care, BAM

  32. Happy birthday to Carl! And how great you had a cake already made and ready to go. I tend to have more food than needed for parties too. You just never know. I cracked up at the image of the boys swarming you for free cake. I can just imagine the scene. The cake is just beautiful – love the sprinkles and the hearts.

  33. Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says:

    Such cute sprinkle hearts! After seeing your cake and Joanne’s rainbow one – I am craving cake BIG time!!

  34. This cake is gorgeous! I love the simple white frosting and the heart shapes made from those fun sprinkles. This cake would definitely put a smile on my face. 🙂

  35. This cake looks absolutely divine, Charlie! I love the white chocolate butter cream and the heart sprinkles are adorable 🙂

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