Elephant Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Line two 9-in. round baking pans and one 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease the paper. Prepare both cake batters and bake according to package directions, using the 9-in. pans for the yellow cake and the 13-in. x 9-in. pan for the chocolate cake. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Level cake tops if necessary., Referring to Fig. 1 and using a serrated knife, cut out a trunk and two feet from one yellow cake. Referring to Fig. 3, cut out an ear and tail from second yellow cake. (Discard leftover cake pieces or save for another use.), Center chocolate cake on a 28-in. x 16-in. covered board. Referring to Fig. 2, position trunk along left bottom edge of cake and tail on right side. Place feet at bottom corners of cake. Place ear 2 in. from left side of cake., For frosting, in a large bowl, cream the shortening and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. , Tint 1/4 cup of frosting black; set aside. Set aside 1/2 cup white frosting. Tint remaining frosting blue-gray, using small amounts of black and blue food coloring. Spread 2 cups of the blue-gray frosting over top and sides of cake., Trace a 1-1/2-in. x 1-1/4-in. oval for the eye. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert round tip #4. Fill bag with black frosting. Outline eye and fill in pupil; pipe eyelashes and mouth. Using star tip #25 and reserved white frosting, pipe stars to fill in eye and add nostril and toes., With blue-gray frosting and star tip #16, pipe stars over top and sides of elephant.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottoms and sides of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with shortening or cooking spray.
• Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 8-inch rounds. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For easier handling, refrigerate or freeze cakes 30 minutes to 1 hour or until firm.
• Use diagram (template can be found under the Tips below) as a guide to shape the elephant. Cut 1-inch slice from edge of cake about 2 inches into cake. Cut small inverted U-shape piece for trunk. Place body on tray. From remaining cake, shape trunk from U-shape head piece and tail from the trimmed sections. Arrange trunk and tail pieces next to body. Repeat with remaining cake, turning diagram over to allow elephants to face each other.
• Spoon frosting into large bowl. Stir in enough food color until desired color. Spread thin layer of frosting over cake pieces to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes to set frosting.
• Frost entire cake with remaining frosting. Add mints for eyes. Press 2 of the gumdrops together; on sugared surface, roll gumdrops with rolling pin to form large thin sheet. Repeat with 2 more gumdrops. Trim each gumdrop sheet as in diagram to look like ears. Press ears into frosting on elephant to attach. Cut toe shapes from scraps of gumdrop sheet. Place on bottom of elephant legs.

Steps:

• Bake cake
• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is light yellow. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the coconut milk and the flour mixture alternately, ending with the flour mixture, and continuing to beat well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
• 2. Divide the batter evenly among 3 lightly buttered and floured 8-inch square pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan, then invert onto cooling racks.
• 3. To create a 4-tiered cake, cut a 2-inch, 4-inch, and 6-inch square out of 2 of the cakes. Using sturdy cardboard, cut precise squares of the same dimensions. Place the cut cakes on the corresponding cardboard squares (they will serve as bases).
• 4. Insert 4 heavy-duty plastic straws, cut to 6-inch lengths, into the center of the remaining 8-inch cake, forming a square (they will act as the support for the 6-inch cake). Place the 6-inch cake on top of the 8-inch cake. Repeat this process with four more straws on the 6-inch cake, then place the 4-inch cake on top. Repeat the procedure for the 2-inch cake.
• Make buttercream frosting
• 1. Cream the butter in a bowl until light and fluffy; set aside.
• 2. Combine 2/3 cup water and the sugar in a heavy saucepan. Heat until the liquid reaches the soft-ball stage, 240°F on a candy thermometer. Watch carefully; do not let the sugar syrup overheat.
• 3. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt until very stiff peaks form. Continue beating on high speed as you slowly pour in 1/4 cup of the sugar syrup. Gradually add the rest of the syrup using the same method.
• 4. Continue beating as you add the butter, several tablespoons at a time. (Make sure the mixture has no heat left in it or the butter will melt). The frosting should become thick and creamy. If it doesn't thicken, cool it over a bowl of ice, then try beating again. Stir in the vanilla. Frost the cake and adorn it with elephant cookies ($8 to $12 each, elenis.com).