Saints on The Clouds of Heaven Cake

This post was written by Robina, at Motherly Loving, and submitted for publication here at Catholic Cuisine. Thank you Robina!


For the Solemnity of All Saints, I made this cake which is meant to be a Saints on The Clouds of Heaven Cake. The cake inside is blue for the blue sky and the marshmallow fluff meringue frosting is swirled like fluffy clouds. I used this recipe (which I quoted below with my changes).  The Saints are meant to be standing on or floating above the Clouds of Heaven.

I made the following variations from the original which I included in the tweaked recipe below:

I only made 3 layers with 2/3 of a white box cake in each pan.  I used only blue food coloring.  I used almond flavoring instead of lemon.  I used applesauce instead of oil and it was so moist and delicious (I will never use oil again).  I decorated the top with some small plastic statues of Mary & St. Joseph and some skewered felt Saint Softies.

Clouds of Heaven Cake:

(tweaked from recipe for Cakerrific Cake from How Does She)

You will need:

Food Coloring (I just use the normal watery kind)

1 Jar of Marshmallow Fluff

2 WHITE Cake Mixes

Applesauce (or oil)

Eggs

Powdered Sugar

Butter

Almond Flavoring

Circle Cake Pans (you can try different shapes, it just makes it harder to stack)

Empty Cereal Box (or any box big enough to trace the pan)

STEP 1- Use the cardboard to trace the pan once, Cut out, and set aside.

STEP 2- Mix first cake, following instructions on the back of the box, making sure NOT to use yokes (it will mess up your colors). 

STEP 3- I also substitute applesauce instead of using oil. 1cup oil = 1cup applesauce.

STEP 4- Divide batter into three bowls, and add the coloring. I used 20 drops of food coloring for each cake. Pour into buttered and floured cake pans and bake.You can follow the baking instructions on the box, just remember each cake is 2/3 of the batter, and not 1/2, so it will take a little more time. Repeat this process with the third cake as well.

STEP 5- Once they are cool enough, release the cake from the pan; run your knife around the outside put your hand on top of the cake, and pop it out.  Next, partially freeze the cakes, this will make them easier to level (step six). I like to put them separately onto paper plates, and let them rest in the freezer for a half hour or so. That means while you are cooking the second two cakes, the first two can be resting in the freezer, and so on, and so forth.

STEP 6- Stacking and leveling the cakes requires a little patience, and a big knife! First take your big bread knife and cut the rounded part of each cake off.  Once you have all six tops off, make sure they are level, and trim off a little more if necessary. Then lay your cardboard circle down on a big plate. (you will want to freeze the stacked cake before you finish frosting it, so don’t use your cake plate yet).

Frostings:

#1 - Almond Frosting:

1 lb Powdered Sugar

1 stick of Butter

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp almond Flavoring

1/4 cup water

—Mix Well—

#2.- Crummy Almond Frosting  

same as #1., just cut the recipe in half, and add some water to make it runny enough for your crumb coat (step7 ).

#3.-Marshmallow Fluffy Perfection

(recipe on STEP 8)

O.k. back to STEP 6- Spread a little smidgen of the Almond Frosting on the cardboard round, then place your first cake down.  Next, spread a generous 1/4′ish inch layer of the same frosting on the first layer, then place the next cake round down.

Repeat these steps till the cake is stacked. Be sure to frost the top of the cake with your Almond Frosting cause it tastes so yummy!!!

Once you have your cake to this point, just pop it in the freezer for a half hour while you make frosting #2.

STEP 7- Coating the cake with Crummy Almond Frosting. Depending on the day, you will need to add more or less water. Don’t worry, if it gets too runny just add some more powdered sugar.  

Next, spread #2. frosting over the whole cake.  The frosting will get all crummy by the time you’re finished with the crumb coat, which is the whole point. So, to sum things up, the “crumb coat” stops the “crummy cake” from ruining the “real frosting,” which is the Marshmallow Fluffy Perfection!  

Once it is all covered, (yes it will look that ugly), pop it in the freezer overnight, or for a few hrs till the crumb coat hardens.

STEP 8- Here is how you make Marshmallow Fluffy Perfection. 

Pour 1/2 cup Sugar, 2 Tbsp Water, and 2 Egg Whites in medium saucepan.   Cook over low heat, beating continuously with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.  Add Marshmallow Creme(7-oz jar, 1&1/2 cups); beat until stiff peaks form.  You really want them to be quite stiff. If you don’t do it long enough, the pretty swirls won’t hold their shape. Remove it from the heat and add 1 tsp vanilla.

Pull the cake out of the freezer, and transfer it onto the cake plate. Oh wait, put two pieces of parchment paper down on the cake plate before you transfer the cake. This way you can do your decorating without messing up the cake plate. Next you will want to smear dollops of frosting onto the cake.

Once the entire cake is covered, take the spatula and make the frosting swirl around in random circles. The frosting will look all bubbly, but once it rests, the little bubbles just fade “perfectly” away.

Slowly pull out the parchment paper, and now you get to decorate.