Hidden Snowman Cake

By lakecar

Give your family the cutest surprise when they cut into this Hidden Snowman Cake!

Ingredients

• VANILLA CAKE:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 ⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk
• CHOCOLATE CAKE:
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped
• 1 cup very hot brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks)
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 6 eggs
• MARSHMALLOW FROSTING:
• 6 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons light-color corn syrup
• Pinch of salt

Preparation

Step 1

VANILLA CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9×2-inch baking pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment; grease paper and flour pan. Set aside.

In a medium bowl stir together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down sides as necessary, about 3 minutes. Add oil; beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating on medium-low speed after each addition until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven. Transfer pan to wire rack; cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze 30 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 10-inch tube pan with nonstick cooking spray for baking; set aside. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour hot coffee over; do not stir. Let stand 2 minutes. Whisk chocolate and coffee mixture until smooth; cool. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla; set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until combined, about 30 seconds; set aside.

In a very large bowl beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed, scraping down sides as necessary, about 2 minutes. Add oil; beat 2 minutes more. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and chocolate mixture, beating on medium-low speed after each addition until fully incorporated. Increase speed to medium high; beat 20 seconds more. Set chocolate batter aside.

Using a 3-inch snowman cookie cutter, cut 12 to 15 snowmen from vanilla cake; set snowmen aside.*

To assemble, spread half of the batter into prepared tube pan. Place snowmen cutouts, heads down, into batter, about 1⁄2 inch apart. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large open round tip with some of the remaining batter. Pipe (or spoon) batter around snowmen, keeping them evenly spaced. Spoon remaining batter over snowmen to within 1 inch of top of pan; carefully spread to cover. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake cake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a long skewer inserted near center of cake comes out clean. Loosely cover cake with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent over browning. Remove; cool 15 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Using a table knife, loosen sides and around tube. Invert pan onto the rack; remove pan. Cool cake completely.

MARSHMALLOW FROSTING:
In a large heatproof stainless-steel bowl combine egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Set bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water). Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy and an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F, about 10 minutes. Remove bowl from saucepan. Continue beating until stiff peaks form; let cool. Using a small offset spatula, generously frost top and sides of cooled cake.