STRANGER THINGS RING POP CAKES

Steps:

• WHAT YOU WILL NEED:.
• White cake, buttercream frosting, royal icing, shortbread, white candy melts, silver sugar beads, silver powder paint and unflavored vodka (to paint on the powder paint).
• WHITE CAKE:.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, sift flours, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Once creamed, add egg whites.
• In a glass, whisk together vanilla and milk. Begin adding flour mixture to the butter, sugar and egg batter, alternating with the milk mixture, whisking just until incorporated.
• Mix until just combined, being careful not to over-mix.
• Pour batter into two buttered and floured 9-inch pans. Bake in preheated oven until a tester, inserted into the cake, comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
• Out of the oven, cool the pans for 10 minutes before removing from baking sheet. At which point, they should be covered and chilled until ready to use.
• BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:.
• In a stand mixer, beat room-temperature butter until fluffy.
• Add icing sugar one cup at a time. Then add whipping cream and salt and mix until combined.
• SHORTBREAD BASE:.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a stand mixer, cream butter and powdered sugar. Add vanilla and flour and mix until dough ball forms. Roll out and cut out circular shapes, ring holes and a thin pipe shapes (as shown in photos). Place them on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 6-8 minutes until just golden brown.
• Once cooled, assemble using royal icing. (NOTE: I used a clean Dremel tool to perfect the edges and drill-out lock and key sections of my bases. Purchasing one to using only for baking has been a great investment.).
• ASSEMBLY:.
• Remove chilled cakes from fridge. Using a serrated blade, remove every edge and brown section, leaving only the fluffy white cake interior.
• Crumb into bowl and mix in buttercream frosting. From into 2-3 inch balls and freeze on a parchment-lined sheet.
• Once frozen, take out one at a time. Using a sharp blade, slice into a ring pop diamond form and set back into freezer.
• Melt white candy melts and insert a sharpened wooden dowel into the end base of the diamond cake ball and dip it into the melted candy melts. Tap gently until all excess has dripped off and have a toothpick handy to pierce any air bubbles.
• Stick base of wooden dowel in a foam carton so the diamond won't be disturbed.
• Once set, remove from wooden dowel. Using a little melting chocolate, adhere it to the shortbread cookie base. Once set and firm, chill for another 10 minutes and decorate with royal icing, sugar beads and silver powder paint.
• (NOTE: I worked with each one at a time and kept whatever I wasn't working on in the fridge for ensured rigidity of the diamond.).