Bubble Surprise Cake - Cook Republic

 

The month of April never comes to pass without a plethora of birthday cakes. We have always had four birthdays and a party to celebrate and for the longest time I was the official cake master for all the birthdays. These days I only bake for three of those special days. But I only use one cake recipe. One cake recipe, year after year presented in the most unusual and creative way I can come up with. It is the most challenging fun I have in the month of April. This year I decided to make a Bubble Cake.

 

Bubble Surprise Cake - Cook Republic

 

The idea for this cake came from the one place that never runs dry of inspiration - my mind. Nah, just kidding! It was Pinterest. At the moment, my mind is as blocked as 3pm traffic on the streets of Mumbai or New York? But that block will make for another interesting post. Today I want to talk about this cake. You know that dream you have where you are dressed like a Stepford wife, not a hair out a place, carrying a plateful of fancy savouries that you just whipped up in your Sunday best and place it next to a stunning cake that you also whipped up in your Sunday best? The dream where all your friends and family are gathered around this table that stages your beautiful cake and when you cut through it, there is a collective sigh and as you draw the slice out people go "Ohhhhh!" "Wowwww!" "Ahhhh!" and some even faint? This cake can make that happen! How nice would it be to make people faint? (*evil grin*)

 

Cake Batter - Cook Republic

 

Cake Batter Colours - Cook Republic

 

Cake Colours - Cook Republic

 

And the best part. There is nothing to it. One simple butter cake recipe, a bit of crafty flair, an afternoon baking and slathering on the simplest icing in the most haphazard way (you know how I hate making fancy cakes and seriously believe that sloppy icing suggests hominess!) minutes before the party is all you will need. 

 

Making coloured cake balls for Bubble Surprise Cake

 

So, I took my butter cake recipe and mixed the batter. I divided that into 6 bowls. Dropped food colouring in all the bowls and got 6 different colours of cake batter. I dropped spoonfuls of this colourful batter in a silicone cake pop mold (cheap $16 ugly looking thing from Wheel & Barrow) and baked. Out came colourful cake balls. Then I mixed another batch of the butter cake batter, spooned some in a cake pan, dropped in the baked cake balls and covered with the remaining cake batter. I baked that and got this beautiful butter cake with spotty colourful bubbles inside. How awesome!! 

 

Bubble Surprise Cake

 

Rivs is 9! - Bubble Surprise Cake

 

Slice Of Bubble Surprise Cake - Cake with hidden polka dots

 

 

It went perfectly with the test tube and bubble theme I chose for Rivs 9th science party. There were a lot of "Ooohs" and "Can I have that?" but sadly no one fainted. Ah well, there is always next time.

 

 

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BUBBLE SURPRISE CAKE

A simple butter cake recipe becomes a fun surprise cake when you slice it to reveal colourful giant polka dot bubbles. A true celebration cake!

Makes - To Serve 16

 

Ingredients

for the cake balls (this makes 40)
125g unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon strawberry flavouring
3/4 cup caster (superfine) sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk drops of food colouring of choice

 

for the cake (this makes one 8 inch wide cake to serve 10)
125g unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon strawberry flavouring
3/4 cup caster (superfine) sugar
3 eggs 1 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

 

for the icing
200g unsalted butter, softened
120g pure icing sugar
 4 tablespoons golden syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk

 

Method

to make the cake balls

Place butter, vanilla, sugar, strawberry flavouring, eggs, flour, salt baking powder and milk in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low speed until combined for about 3 to 4 minutes. Increase speed to high and beat for a minute until smooth.

Divide mixture into 6 bowls. Add a drops of food colouring and mix well to get coloured cake batter. I made yellow, blue, green, pink, purple and red batter.

Spray cooking oil in the silicone cake pop mold. Drop heaped tablespoons of batter in the molds and bake for 160C (320F) for about 45 minutes until cooked and risen. Allow to cool in molds before popping them out.

 

to make the cake

Preheat oven to 160C (320F). Grease and line a 10 inch round springform cake tin with baking paper.

Place butter, vanilla, sugar, strawberry flavouring, eggs, flour, salt baking powder and milk in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low speed until combined for about 3 to 4 minutes. Increase speed to high and beat for a minute until smooth.

Spoon one third of the batter into the prepared cake tin. Drop cake balls evenly, alternating colours as you wish. Spoon rest of the batter over the cake balls and bake for approximately 1 hour 10 minutes until golden and cooked through when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack and cooling completely.

 

to make the icing

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until combined, smooth and fluffy. At this point I always go by feel. If the icing is too dense and soggy, add a tablespoon of icing sugar and continue mixing until smooth and fluffy.

Drop dollops of icing on the cake and go nuts with an icing spatula, using swift stroked to smooth icing out. Decorate with coloured edible pearls (available at cake shops/supermarket) or chocolate curls or 100s and 1000s.

 

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