Ingredients:
Small amount of vegetable shortening and flour for preparing pans
Old Fashioned Pound Cake Batter:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup milk (preferably whole milk)
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cup (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cup granulated sugar
8 large eggs
Tip: Use standard measuring cups and spoons or scales for accurate measuring.
Vanilla Butter Frosting:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar
2 tablespoons milk, plus additional if needed
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare two 9 inch square cake pans; lightly grease the pans with shortening and dust with flour. Tip: Use cake strips around the pan to help ensure the cake rises evenly for a fondant covered cake. Tip: Make a cake strip with a length of aluminum foil long enough to encircle the pan with a little overlap. Fold the strip lengthwise until it is 2 to 3 inches wide. Wrap the strip around the outside of the pan and secure it with a metal paper clip or tape.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, and salt; sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir the milk and vanilla extract together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Tip: To cream, start by placing the butter in the bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed begin by beating the butter about 1 minute until it is smooth and light in color.
With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add the sugar to the butter, either one tablespoon at a time, or in a very slow steady stream, taking from 4 to 8 minutes to add all of the sugar, and beating until the butter and sugar are fully incorporated and the mixture is a light, or pale yellow color, with a fluffy texture. While adding the sugar, stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the mixture off the paddle and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly mixed. The mixture may appear curdled when all of the eggs have been added but this will be corrected when the flour is added.
Tip: For each egg, crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to thoroughly break up the egg before adding to the creamed mixture. Start with the mixer on low speed so the liquid from the egg doesn’t splatter, once the egg is partially mixed increase the speed to medium. Each egg should be fully incorporated into the mixture before adding the next egg, taking about one minute to blend in each egg.
- With the mixer on low speed, add about one third of the flour mixture, mix just until the flour is almost completely blended. Scrape the bowl down, and add about one half of the milk mixture, blending just until mixed. Scrape the bowl down again and continue alternating with the flour mixture and milk mixture, ending with the last portion of the flour, and stirring just until blended.
Bake:
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface with the back of a large spoon. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until a long toothpick, wooden skewer, or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place pans on a wire cooling rack to cool for 10 to 15 minutes then remove cake from the pans and place the cake on the wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Vanilla Butter Frosting:
- In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer or wooden spoon and beat the butter and shortening until smooth. Add vanilla and beat until well mixed. Gradually add the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture will appear dry after all the sugar has been added. Add 2 tablespoons of milk and beat until frosting is smooth, creamy, and fluffy. Add additional milk if necessary to make a good spreading consistency.
Assemble Cake Layers and First Crumb Coat:
- Trim and level each cake layer. For the top layer, slice off a small amount of the sharp edge to make a rounded edge for the fondant. Secure the bottom layer of the cake to a cake board or cake plate; place about a tablespoon of frosting in the middle of the board or plate, center the cake and press the cake lightly into the frosting to adhere.
- Using an offset spatula spread frosting about ¼ inch thick on the bottom layer. Place the second cake layer on top. Crumb coat the cake by covering the sides and top of the cake with a thin layer of frosting. Let the cake sit until the crumb coat is dried to the touch. At this point you can cover the cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Tip: the crumb coat is a thin layer. Don’t worry if the cake shows through in places, it will be covered again with another crumb coat layer.
- Cover remaining frosting tightly with plastic wrap until ready to continue with cake, or cover tightly and refrigerate if completing the following day.
Second Crumb Coat:
- The second crumb coat should be applied just prior to covering the cake with rolled fondant. Rewhip frosting to bring it back to a fluffy texture, adding a small amount of milk if necessary. Apply a second crumb coat by covering the sides and top of the cake with a thin layer of frosting over the first crumb coat. The second crumb coat will provide a sticky surface for the fondant to stick to.
Rolled Fondant:
- While the second crumb coat is still fresh and soft, cover the cake with rolled fondant. Decorate with cutout fondant decorations.
- Serve cake at room temperature. Cover loosely or place in a cardboard box with a cover, such as a cake box from a bakery. Store in a cool dry place.
TheBakingPan.com
Decorating List and Timeline:
I used the following decorating items and timeline to assemble and decorate the Ribbons and Curls Cake:
Decorating:
Cake board
Cake plate
Cake Lifter
3 pounds rolled fondant
Pale green food coloring, such as leaf green
Pink food coloring
Yellow food coloring
Violet food coloring
Clear alcohol such as vodka or gin or kirschwasser
Small artist paintbrush (for applying alcohol)
Pizza cutter
Straight edge ruler (a quilters ruler works well)
¼ inch wooden dowels
Day one:
Make the fondant. Shape the fondant into a thick disk and rub a thin coating of shortening over the entire surface to keep the fondant from drying out. Wrap the fondant disc tightly in at least two layers of plastic wrap and then place in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container and store at room temperature to cure overnight.
I made one batch of White Chocolate-Marshmallow Rolled Fondant for this cake, 3 pounds, 9 ounces, which was enough to cover the cake and make the decorations. I used about 2¾ pounds total.
Leftover fondant can be wrapped tightly and stored for a future project.
Bake the cake. After the cake is cooled, cover and refrigerate overnight to tighten the crumb and firm up the cake.
Day two:
Prepare the frosting. Assemble and fill the cake layers with frosting and apply the first frosting crumb coat. Let the crumb coat sit until dry and firm to the touch, at least 30 minutes, or place in the refrigerator to speed up the drying. Cover remaining frosting tightly with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container until ready to continue with cake.
Remove the cured fondant from the plastic and knead for several minutes to warm the fondant until it is pliable and smooth. You probably won’t need any vegetable shortening on the rolling surface for this kneading, however if it starts to stick use a little shortening on the rolling surface and your hands. If the fondant is stiff and difficult to knead, microwave for about 15 seconds to warm it up. If the fondant seems too dry you can knead a small amount of vegetable shortening in, or if it seems too sticky knead a small amount of powdered sugar or cornstarch in. Cover until ready to use.
Apply the second crumb coat just prior to covering with fondant.
Roll the fondant 1/4 inch thick and cover the cake. Use the fondant scraps for the decorations.
Reknead and divide the fondant scraps; tint about 1/2 of the kneaded scraps with pale green food coloring. Divide the remainder into fourths and tint one portion with pink, one portion with yellow and one portion with violet. Keep the last portion white in case you need it for any touch-ups or color changes.
Roll the green fondant into a rectangle about 18 inches long and at least 3 inches wide, and 1/16 inches thick for each ribbon. Use a ruler and pizza cutter to cut 2 ribbons about 18 inches long by 1¼ inches wide. (Make sure and measure the top and sides of the cake to determine if 18 inches is the correct length.) Place one ribbon across the center of the cake and down the sides. Use the pizza cutter or a sharp knife to trim off extra ribbon. Rub a small amount of clear alcohol under each ribbon end and press gently against the cake to adhere. Place the second ribbon across the middle of the cake and down the remaining two sides; trim off extra ribbon and adhere the ends with clear alcohol. Slice the portion out of the top ribbon that crosses over the bottom ribbon to remove extra bulk.
 
Cutting ribbon strips Placing ribbons on cake
 
Cut excess middle ribbon Making bows
Set the cake aside, uncovered, until ready to finish decorating the following day, but do not refrigerate the cake at this point.
Roll out green fondant 1/16 inch thick for the bow. Use a ruler and pizza cutter to cut 4 bows about 6 inches long by 1¼ inches wide. Fold each strip over to form loops, pinch the ends gently together to secure, and stuff crushed paper towel, napkin, or tissue in the loop to maintain the shape while drying. Cut another piece of green fondant about 2½ inches long by 1¼ inches wide for the middle loop; form into a loop, overlap the edges or gently pinch together, stuff with tissue while drying.
Use the remaining green fondant, along with the pink, yellow, and violet, to make the fondant curls. Roll out the fondant 1/16 inch thick. Use a ruler and pizza cutter to cut into longs strips ¼ inch wide. Loosely spiral wrap the strips around a ¼ thick dowel to form the curls; set aside for about 10 minutes to slightly dry. Slide the curls off the dowel. Let the curls dry several hours or overnight.
 
Making ribbon curls Drying curls
Let all decorations dry overnight.
Day three:
Center the bows on top of the green ribbon on the cake; adhere the bottom of the bows to the ribbon with clear alcohol. Place the loop in the center of the bow; adhere the bottom of the loop with alcohol. Place the curls randomly around the center bow; attach the ends with a bit of clear alcohol or just place under the loops.
Your beautiful gift is finished and ready for the party.
TheBakingPan.com
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