BIRTHDAY FLOWER CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• For the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (This Recipe uses the Reverse Creaming Method of Mixing.) Grease and flour two 8 x 2 inch round pans. In the bowl of your mixer add the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl, add the eggs, orange juice concentrate, milk, orange extract and zest. With the mixer on low speed, add the slices of butter a few pieces at a time to the dry ingredients. Increase the mixer to medium speed and beat until the dry ingredients look crumbly and moistened. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl. SLOWLY add 1/2 of the egg mixture, increasing to medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes, the batter will become thick and fluffy. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add a small amount of Orange Coloring Gel to the bowl if you would like the batter to be orange. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, beating for 20 seconds after each addition. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Let the cakes cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out. Works well for cupcakes. Makes 6 cups batter. For the Orange Cream Filling: Combine the pudding mix and heavy cream and orange extract in a mixing bowl. I prefer to mix with a hand held mixer, but a whisk is just fine too. If using a mixer, start on low speed until well combined. Then, switch to high speed and whip the pudding until thick and fluffy. If mousse is too thick, mix in small amounts of heavy cream to reach desired consistency. If mixing by hand, simply whisk rapidly for a couple of minutes or until mixture is nice and thick. Refrigerate until ready to use. Cakes with this filling should be chilled until close to serving time. For the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting: Cut the butter into slices and add to the bowl of your mixer. Beat on low to medium speed until the butter is softened and smooth. Cut the cold cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter, beating at low to medium speed until incorporated. Add the vanilla and orange flavorings. Gradually add the powdered sugar beating on low speed until blended. Cover the bowl with a towel to keep down the cloud of powdered sugar. Increase mixing speed and beat until fluffy. Don't over beat. This frosting will pipe best if used while still chilled. You can make it in advance, refrigerate and when ready to use let it soften slightly (do not microwave) and remix. Will frost a 3 layer 8 or 9 inch cake. When decorating our Dreamsicle Cake, we frosted our cake and then went back in with swirls of lightly tinted orange frosting for a pretty effect.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Generously grease 13x9-inch pan and 2 (8-inch) round baking pans and lightly flour, or spray with baking spray with flour.
• Make 1 cake mix as directed on box, using 3 of the eggs, 1/3 cup of the butter and 1 cup of the water. Pour into 13x9-inch pan. Bake as directed on box. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Make second cake mix, using remaining 3 eggs, 1/3 cup butter and 1 cup water. Pour into 8-inch pans. Bake as directed on box. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Crumble 13x9-inch cake into large bowl. Add 1 container of frosting; mix well. Shape by 2 tablespoonfuls into balls. (You should end up with 34 to 36 cake balls; you will need 32 for the cake.) Place on cookie sheet. Freeze at least 15 minutes.
• In 2 separate microwavable bowls, microwave white and orange candy melts as directed on bag. Remove several cake balls from freezer at a time. Dip tip of 1 lollipop stick into melted candy and insert stick halfway into 1 cake ball. Dip half of the cake balls into melted white candy to cover; tap off excess. Dip remaining half of the cake balls into melted orange candy; tap off excess. Poke opposite ends of sticks into foam black. Let stand until set.
• Meanwhile, place 1 cake layer on serving plate; spread with some of the frosting from second container. Top with second layer. Frost top and side of cake with remaining frosting.
• In another microwavable bowl, microwave blue candy melts as directed on bag. Transfer melted candy to decorating bag; pipe blue candy in swirled design on white and orange cake pops. Let stand until set.
• Insert cake pops into side of frosted cake. Insert stem of each flower into drinking straw, or attach lollipop stick to stem with small rubber band. Decorate top of cake with flowers, making sure only the straw or stick, not the stem, touches the frosting. Remove flowers from cake before serving.