Best Sailboat Cake Recipes

NAUTICAL CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease or spray bottoms and sides of 3 (8-inch) round pans with cooking spray. Place 8-inch round piece of cooking parchment paper in bottom of each pan. Grease or spray paper.
• Make cake mix as directed on box using water, oil and egg whites. Divide batter evenly among 3 bowls (about 1 1/2 cups each). Add different amounts of blue food color to each to make different shades of blue. Stir each color until well blended. Pour 1 bowl of batter into each pan.
• Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Remove parchment paper. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Using serrated knife, cut rounded top off cakes to make a level surface. Place deepest color cake layer on cake plate, top side up. Spread frosting over top. Stack the next darkest color, top side down; spread top with frosting. Place lightest color on top, top side down. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Use metal spatula to give frosting a smooth look.
• To make the waves decoration, knead 4 oz of fondant to soften. Add blue food color. Knead fondant slightly to create marbleized streaks. If necessary, lightly sprinkle smooth surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar. Roll out fondant to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut parchment paper into wave pattern (see photo). Use wave template to make 12 waves from fondant. Brush lightly with lemon juice on one side of fondant waves and sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Press waves lightly into sides of cake.
• To make rope, knead 8 oz fondant to soften. Add golden yellow food color. Knead to mix color into fondant. Divide fondant in half; roll out each half into 30-inch long rope. Place 2 rope pieces side by side; press together at one end. Holding the joined end, twist 2 pieces together. Cut 5 inches from end; set aside. Wrap remaining twisted rope around bottom edge of cake; press ends together to secure.
• Cur parchment paper into boat and buoy patterns. For top of cake, color the following portions of fondant as directed, roll out and use the patterns to make the boat and buoy. Color 2 oz fondant a deep blue color for the boat and sails. Color 1 oz fondant red for the stripes on the mast buoy. Use 1 oz white fondant for the life saver buoy. Place designs on top and side of cake as in photo. Place reserved yellow rope over boat.

DEVIL'S INFERNO CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment rounds; butter parchment. Combine boiling water, cocoa, and chocolate in a bowl; stir until chocolate has melted. Let cool 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat butter with brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, then chocolate mixture to combine. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture in two additions, alternating with sour cream, until just combined.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Bake until a tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack 20 minutes. Turn out cakes and place on rack, top-sides up; let cool completely. With a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes so they are level.
• Buttercream: In the bowl of a mixer, whisk together granulated sugar and egg whites. Place over (but not in) a pot of simmering water; continue whisking constantly until sugar has completely dissolved and mixture is warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Place bowl in mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until thick, glossy, and cool, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Switch to paddle attachment. Beat in butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, on medium-high speed until combined. Beat in chocolate. Reduce speed to low and continue beating until air bubbles are gone, 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Flames: Line several baking sheets with parchment. In a small saucepan, combine granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until mixture registers 300° to 310° (hard-crack stage) on a candy thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes. Swirl in a drop or two of yellow food coloring, then pour syrup into a glass measuring cup.
• Working quickly, pour lengths of syrup (each between 1 and 3 inches long) onto prepared sheets, dragging the tip of a knife through in random places to create flame shapes. If desired, add a drop of red food coloring to the last few tablespoons of syrup to create redder flames. Let stand until hardened, about 5 minutes.
• Assembly: Place one cake layer on a stand, trimmed-side up, and spread 1 1/2 cups buttercream evenly over surface. Top with remaining cake layer, trimmed-side down. Spread a thin layer of buttercream over top and sides. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes (this ensures a crumb-free finish). Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake, keeping top as flat and level as possible.
• Ganache: Place chocolate in a small heatproof bowl; add salt. Bring cream just to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour over chocolate. Let stand 10 minutes, then whisk until smooth and shiny. Let cool a few minutes. Pour half of warm ganache over center of cake, then slowly but steadily pour remaining ganache around edges, allowing it to drip down sides. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. (At this point, cake can be refrigerated up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before serving.)
• To garnish, press candy flames into top of cake, arranging lighter flames toward back and darker flames toward front.

SAILBOAT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan or spray with baking spray with flour. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate or freeze cake about 1 hour or until firm.
• Cut cake as shown in diagram. Arrange pieces to form sailboat on tray. Tint 1 1/3 cups frosting with yellow or brown food color for hull. Spread a thin layer of white frosting over top and sides of sails, and a thin layer of tinted frosting over top and sides of hull, to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes to set frosting.
• Frost entire cake with remaining frosting. Cut licorice pieces to desired length for the mast; place near the edge of the longest sail. To create the top flag, spread a thin layer of frosting on a small piece of aluminum foil. Unroll and remove wrapper from fruit snack roll; press onto frosting-coated foil. Using kitchen scissors, cut into flag shape. Secure flag to mast with a small amount of frosting. Use candy for portholes, or decorate as desired. Store loosely covered.