Peep Cake
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 14 to 16 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 14 servings
- Calories
- 382
- Total Fat
- 4
- Saturated Fat
- 2
- Carbohydrates
- 84
- Dietary Fiber
- 1
- Sugar
- 55
- Protein
- 4
- Cholesterol
- 3
- Sodium
- 550
- Total: 2 hr 10 min
- Prep: 45 min
- Cook: 1 hr 25 min
Ingredients
For the cake:
Unsalted butter, for the pans
All-purpose flour, for the pans
2 18.25-ounce boxes yellow cake mix, plus required ingredients
For the frosting and decorations:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon yellow food coloring
Yellow sanding sugar, for coating
Small chocolate disks (such as melting wafers)
Directions
- Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch cake pan plus a 1-quart and 2 1/2-quart ovenproof bowl. Make both cake mixes; divide the batter among the pan and bowls. Bake at 350 degrees F until a toothpick comes out clean, about 35 minutes for the pan and small bowl, and 50 minutes for the large bowl.
- Let the cakes cool 15 minutes in the pan and bowls, then unmold onto racks to cool completely. Trim the flat sides of the bowl cakes with a serrated knife to make level. Using a chef's knife, cut the 4 corners off the rectangular cake, as shown; set aside 3 of the cake triangles for the tail and beak.
- Put the flat cake on a cake board or platter; use toothpicks to attach 2 cake triangles to a short end for the tail. Position the large bowl cake on the flat cake as shown, then top with the small bowl cake; insert a skewer through the cakes to secure. Trim another cake triangle to make a beak; attach to the small bowl cake with toothpicks.
- Make the frosting: Heat the sugar with the cream of tartar, salt and 2/3 cup water in a saucepan, stirring, until dissolved. Beat the egg whites with a mixer until frothy. Slowly beat in the hot sugar mixture, then increase the mixer speed and beat until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts and the food coloring.
- Cover the cake with a thick layer of the yellow frosting, using the frosting to sculpt a rounded chick shape. With the edge of an offset spatula, use some frosting to extend the beak and tail.
- Coat the cake with yellow sanding sugar. Refrigerate, uncovered, 15 minutes. Press the chocolate disks into the frosting for eyes. Remove the skewer and toothpicks as you cut the cake.