Adventures in the Kitchen with Michelle, The Polka-Dot Stunt Cake

In case you haven’t heard there’s going to be a wedding in Perfect this month. And as part of this event, I’m hosting a bridal luncheon. I have so much fun putting together parties and such – I can’t wait for either.

In my quest for ideas for my little soiree, I was surfing the latest and greatest black-hole-of-time site on the Net…Pinterest. Don’t get me wrong I love Pinterest. As I’d seen on a post “Pinterest makes me like people I’ve never met, and Facebook makes me dislike people I know in real life!” There is soooo much truth to that. I got that off of one of the boards that I follow of some woman from England that I’ve never met or even seen on tv, but I think we’re cousins somehow!

Speaking of cousins, this craziness to follow came from a link that I pulled from Lauri’s Board (once-upon-a-pedestal.blogspot.com). It’s one of those really cool ideas that makes you wonder, ‘Do people really DO that stuff?’ Uh, yeah – we do,….I do anyway. And I did. Yes, Lauri, it’s the Polka Dot Cake. I just couldn’t resist!! I have to do this for the luncheon! (so I guess this post means my secret’s out…oh well) My Mom said that I’d better try it first before attempting to make it for a party. Geee, twist my arm. This week the kids are out for Spring Break, which means I have many taste test victims. Perfect timing!

The Polka Dot ‘Stunt Cake’

First you’ll need cake pans. Three 8″ round cake pans and a Cake Pop pan. The kind that makes round ones, not the half ovals. I ordered mine off Amazon and it makes 18, a nice even number to split with 3 layers. It’s a moderately expensive for a cake pan, but every once in a while I need a new toy to play with.

Then you’ll need some white cake mix (2) and food coloring. Yes, next go round I’ll be flavoring each of the colors a bit different. I’m sure it’ll taste like a Fruit-Loop Cake!

Step 1: Mix up the white cake (1) and divide in half. Set half aside. Then put the other half of the batter into 3 bowls evenly. Add food coloring to each as you like. After you’ve sprayed the pan with a little BakersJoy (yes, I know it’s teflon…spray it anyway) Now scoop in the batter carefully, and make it heap a bit.

Step 2: Put the top pan on and clip. Set it on a cookie sheet and get into the 350deg oven. Bake them for about 18min. That’s more than what the Blog said, but way less than the pan’s directions called for. You want them a tad underdone, because they’ll get baked again.

Step 3: Ok, another change from the Blog, she used a 6″ pan…which is tiny and not worth me firing up the oven for. Besides, the boys that are hovering around the kitchen today number 5, plus my sister, and my favorite taste tester Jon. So, a 6″ pan just means trouble. Mix up the other cake mix and add to that half of the batter you’d sat aside. Spray 3 pans with BakersJoy and spoon in batter to cover the bottom of each. Place the dots, mixed, in the pans and cover with the remaining batter.

Step 4: Get them in the oven and bake for 30 min. more or less…keep and eye on it. See what happens when you add a touch too much batter to one pan. (yummy, cake trimmings – where’s my coffee) See the other ones, the dots are peeking thru their bottom sides.

Step 5: Mix up some icing and get it thrown together – it’s a stunt cake, so the stucco icing technique is fine. Besides, I’m sick of chasing the boys out of the kitchen!

Finale: OMG – so funny! The guys loved it!!! Next time it’ll have a chance to be put in the freezer and the crust shaved off and I’ll position the dots a bit differently. But this is a super cool cake.

After: And this is all that’s left after the teenaged eating machines were done. Then I cut that piece in half and sent it home with my sister (my waistline is thanking her).

This was so much fun to do and I made some mishaps along the way, that’s ok too – that’s why it’s a stunt cake! Looking forward to that luncheon even more. This cake’s got my mind reeling though, I can’t wait to make one for Halloween….. filled with eyeballs !!!!