Christmas Ornament Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups or spray with cooking spray.
• Make and bake cake as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and egg whites. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In large bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 3 tablespoons milk. Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. Frost cupcakes generously.
• Create ornament designs using assorted candies. Use top of candy cane to create a "hook" on each cupcake.

Steps:

• For the cake pops: Prepare and bake the cake according to the package directions for a 9-by-13-inch pan. Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, put the white chocolate and heavy cream in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth, stirring halfway through, about 1 minute. (You can also use a double boiler.) Carefully remove from the microwave and add the orange extract; stir to combine.
• When cool, crumble the cake finely into a large bowl and add the dried cranberries and orange-white chocolate ganache. Mix with a rubber spatula or your hands until the mixture is very well combined, completely moistened and holds together when pinched.
• Using a 3/4-ounce scoop, scoop rounded mounds of the mixture and shape into balls and place on a baking sheet. You should have about 36 balls. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• For the white chocolate shell: Put the white chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth, stirring halfway through, about 1 minute. (You can also use a double boiler.) Carefully remove from the microwave and stir once more to make sure no lumps remain.
• Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the chocolate shell and stick halfway into a cake ball. Dip the entire cake ball in the chocolate shell, letting any excess drip off, then press the stick into the Styrofoam block to stand upright. Repeat with the remaining balls and sticks. Refrigerate the cake pops until completely chilled and set, about 1 hour.
• For the mirror glaze: Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup water in a small bowl; stir and set aside 5 minutes. Combine the remaining 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan with the granulated sugar and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, then add the gelatin mixture and stir to dissolve.
• Put the white chocolate chips in a large bowl and set a fine-mesh strainer on top. Pour the gelatin mixture through the strainer to catch any small lumps; remove the strainer. Let stand 5 minutes for the chocolate to soften, then stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. Tint with food coloring (divide the glaze in half if you are using more than 1 color), then let sit, stirring occasionally, until thickened and a thermometer registers 90 degrees F. Transfer to a tall, wide glass container (such as a wide-mouth mason jar) for easy dipping.
• Working one at a time, dip the cake pops into the mirror glaze to completely coat letting any excess drip off. Return to the foam board (it may continue to drip for a minute or two). Transfer to the refrigerator to set completely, about 1 hour. (Even after setting, mirror glaze stays sticky, so make sure to space the pops apart).
• Using a small, clean art brush, dust the peanut butter cups with edible gold pearl dust, then place one on top of each cake pop "ornament" (see Cook's Note). Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. , Pour into two greased and floured 1-qt. ovenproof bowls. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 60-65 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from bowls to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a small bowl, beat confectioners' sugar and butter until smooth. Add 3 tablespoons cream and salt; beat until light and fluffy, adding an additional tablespoon of cream if needed to achieve desired consistency. Cover and set aside., Using a serrated knife, level the top (flat side) of each cake. To assemble, place a teaspoon of frosting onto cake plate; place one cake layer, rounded side down onto cake plate. Frost flat side of cake and top with remaining cake later; frost outside of cake, taking care to smooth the frosting as much possible. Refrigerate until frosting is set, 15-20 minutes., Meanwhile, for fondant, in a large microwave-safe bowl, combine 2 teaspoons water and marshmallows. Microwave on high for 30 seconds; stir. Microwave until completely melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds, about 30- 60 seconds longer, adding an additional water if needed. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add shortening, beat until melted. Add confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, and beat until combined., Generously dust counter and hands with additional confectioners' sugar. Turn marshmallow mixture onto counter. Knead until fondant is smooth and pliable, but not sticky, dusting hands and counter again as needed, about 6 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of the fondant; wrap tightly and set aside. Tint remaining fondant desired shade of red with food coloring paste. , Roll red fondant into a 17-inch that is 1/8-in. thick. Carefully roll fondant around rolling pin; unroll fondant over cake, carefully smoothing with hands and spreading to avoid wrinkles. Trim fondant, leaving 1/2-inch around base of cake. Carefully tuck fondant under cake. Roll reserved white fondant to 1/8-in. thickness; cut with assorted snowflake-shaped cookie cutters; reserve scraps and cover. Brush back of snowflakes very lightly with water; adhere to cake, pressing gently. Decorate with nonpareils; let stand until set. Using reserved white fondant, roll to 1/8th-inch. Remove paper liner from peanut butter cup; cover with white fondant. Use blunt edge of knife to create crimped texture. Re-roll remaining white fondant into a rope; attach to top of peanut butter cup to from loop and place on top of cake.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, beat cake mix, buttermilk, oil, eggs, cocoa and food color with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour into pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Crumble cake into large bowl. Add frosting; mix well. Shape into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place on cookie sheet. Freeze 15 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator.
• Dip half of balls in melted green candy and other half in melted red candy; tap off excess. Return to cookie sheet; let stand until set.
• Spoon melted white candy into resealable food-storage plastic bag; cut off tiny corner of bag. Pipe designs on cake balls; let stand until set. Gently press 1 cereal piece on top of each cake ball, attaching with white candy. Pipe dot of candy on cereal piece; attach another cereal piece upright in center for ornament hook.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with shortening or cooking spray.
• Make cake batter as directed on box. Divide batter in half. Stir 4 drops green food color into one half; stir 4 drops red food color into other half. Pour into pans. Bake as directed on box for 8-inch rounds. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Place each cake layer on serving plate. Frost cake rounds completely with white frosting. To decorate like ornaments, place 1 candy at top of each cake; bend licorice pieces to look like hooks. Insert licorice into top of each candy. Decorate each ornament as desired using red and green decorating gels. Store loosely covered at room temperature.