Last week I was asked to make some (~6-7 dozen) dessert pastries for our temples gala fundraiser, This week I made the First Holy Communion cake for our granddaughter Grace, and her cousin Joe. What fun!

This cake is the second time I made a cake for 60 people. It is a two layer cake with fresh raspberry mousse filling, as requested by Grace. It took me 5 attempts to develop the mousse that fulfilled my requirements of fresh taste but firm enough to be a cake filling, without being too dense. Oddly, it also took me 5 attempts to perfect the chalice and the circular disk which represents the Eucharist. I ended up with simple fondant cut outs. The chalice was sprayed with edible gold glitter. A cross was impressed on the disk with a fondant tool. The sun rays were fondant cut at a thin taper with a pizza cutter, then dried.

The vanilla cake (as requested) is two 3” layers, each 11×15”. They were crumb coated with basic buttercream. I built a dam to hold the mousse b adding some meringue powder to a portion of the buttercream and piped it around the edge of the lower cake layer. Another portion of the buttercream was dyed in an attempt to color it gold. A few drops of yellow and one of orange was the prescribed ratio. I would have added a very small amount of brown, if I had the courage. To add very small amounts, just dip the end of a toothpick in the food dye and wipe it through the buttercream, then beat.

The fondant is basic marshmallow fondant, but a lot of it. I needed it to be 16×25” to cover the cake. One issue I had was the fondant was drying out as I kneaded and rolled it out. (Next time, don’t make it 2 days in advance.)

Yellow Sheet Cake (2 required)

YIELD: SERVES 25-30

INGREDIENTS

• 570 g all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
• 2tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 460 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 700 g granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 240 g (1 c) sour cream, at room temperature
• 480 ml (2 c) whole milk, at room temperature

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Generously grease and lightly flour a 11x15x3” cake pan. Set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy – about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 3 full minutes until creamed together. The mixture should be a light yellow color. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. On medium-high speed, add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition until both are mixed in. On high speed, beat in the vanilla extract and sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
3. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients alternating with the milk. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix this batter. The batter will be smooth, velvety, and slightly thick.
4. The full recipe yields 2000g of batter. Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan. Smooth it out into a thin, even layer. Bake for 20-22 minutes (for the jelly roll pan, less for a half recipe or 45-50 minutes for a double in an 11×15” pan.) Actual times depend on pan used, less time for shallow pan, more for deeper, or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or 200F. (Two 8” round pans required 30 minutes to bake in my oven.) Make sure you rotate the cake pan once or twice during bake time if your oven has hot spots. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan placed on a wire rack. As the cake is cooling, make the frosting.
5. Make ahead tip: Cake can be made 1 -2 days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrapped tightly at room temperature.
6. I suggest freezing the wrapped cake for a couple of hours before assembling the cake. They are very tender and fragile when at room temperature and much more stable when chilled/frozen.

Raspberry – Cream Cheese Mousse

INGREDIENTS

• 340 g (~2 ½ c, 12 oz) fresh raspberries
• 2 Tbl confectioner’s sugar
• 1 Tbl instant vanilla pudding mix (substitute corn starch if desired.)
• 112 g (4 oz) cream cheese softened
• ¼ cup Tbl powdered sugar
• 1 Tbl freeze-dried raspberry powder
• Optional: ¼ tsp red food coloring
• Optional: 1 tsp ouzo (for tartness)

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
• 2 Tbl instant vanilla pudding powder (substitute corn starch if desired.)
• 2-3 Tbl powdered sugar

METHOD

1. Combine raspberries and 2 Tbl confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and add to a food processor and pulse until berries are reduced
2. Sieve the mixture allowing enough time for most of the raspberry juice to drip into a bowl, (enough to make 200ml (2/3 c) puree)
3. Add 1 Tbl vanilla pudding, softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup sweetener, raspberry powder and ouzo and beat until well combined (3-4 minutes on high.) Mix in red food coloring in 2 or 3 aliquots until desired color is attained.
4. In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream and confectioners sugar. Add red food coloring (in several small amounts until desired color is attained) and whip to firm peaks.
5. Add the vanilla pudding mix near the end and stir slowly. It will start setting the mousse quickly.
6. Fold the raspberry mixture into the whipped cream until combined. Divide the mousse among 6 dessert cups, cover, or fill a piping bag and chill until set, about 1 hour.

Marshmallow Fondant (2 required)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package (16 ounces) white mini marshmallows
• 2-5 tablespoons water
• 2 pounds sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening

METHOD

1. Grease a mixing bowl and a glass bowl that can be used to melt marshmallows in the microwave.
2. Place the marshmallows, water and flavoring of your choice in greased glass bowl and microwave on high at 30 second intervals.
3. Stir every 30 seconds until marshmallows are completely melted, about 2 minutes.
4. Sift one half of the 2-pound bag of confectioner’s sugar in a greased mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the confectioner’s sugar and pour in the melted marshmallows.
5. I use the paddle attachment for my KitchenAid mixer for this first part of the mixture.
6. Mix until all the melted marshmallows are incorporated in the confectioner’s sugar.
7. Add any food coloring at this point.
8. Mixture will be thick but still runny.
9. Sift the remaining half bag of confectioner’s sugar into the melted marshmallows.
10. Mix on low until it comes together.
11. Change to your dough hook attachment as this will get extremely thick.
12. Fondant will be very thick and have a dough like consistency. I like to knead by hand to assure everything is well mixed.
13. Wipe a thin layer of vegetable shortening over the surface and wrap the fondant in plastic to make sure no air gets to it.
14. Rest fondant for at least an hour before use. Store at room temperature for no more than a day.

Buttercream Frosting (May need 2-3 recipes)

INGREDIENTS

• 452 g (4 cups) of powdered sugar (or 1 box)
• 1 Cup (2 sticks) of softened butter
• 2-3 teaspoons of vanilla
• 1-2 tablespoons of whipping cream (for crumb coat frosting add cream as needed)
Optional
• 2 Tbl Meringue Powder to make crusting frosting.
• Violet food coloring (a very small amount will make the frosting white)

METHOD

1. Add powdered sugar to mixing bowl.
2. Add softened sticks of butter
3. Add vanilla. If you want white frosting add a very small amount of violet food coloring
4. Add 1 tbsp of cream.
5. Beat on low until powdered sugar is incorporated. Then move mixer up to medium-high speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When completely mixed the frosting may appear dry.
6. Add more cream, a little bit at a time, beating at slowest speed, until frosting is the proper consistency.