For that Special Birthday Cake, Elmo is always going to be a winner. How to make an Elmo birthday cake as requested by Kay Witthoft

   CLICK HERE to visit our Store -  and let us try to offer you more 

The size of your cake will purely depend upon how many youngsters you are catering for. I shall presume for the following approx 12 - 15.

3 x square 6 or 8 inch cake tins*, grease each tin and line with greaseproof paper, making sure the paper extends over 2 sides by 2 - 3 inches, to aid the removal of the sponge.

1 1/2 pints of prepared basic cake mix.

3 x wire cooling racks*

2 x packets of marzipan ( at room temperature)

Clingfilm

Softened light coloured jam. i.e. apricot

Icing Sugar

Red & Orange Food Colouring

1 - 2 tubs of margarine (at room temperature)

Either 1 x flat sheet of liquorice or 4 - 5 flat strips

Presentation board.

* instead of buying 3 tins and wire racks the cakes can be baked separately.

Elmo Body

Put equal measures of cake mix into each tin and bake according to instructions.

Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 mins in the tins. Take a wire rack and place across the top of the tin, ensuring the greaseproof paper folds away from the sponge. Turn over the sponge and wire rack and carefully remove the tin, leaving the greaseproof paper still attached to the sponge. Allow to cool for a further 5 mins, then peel away the paper. Place a board across the cake and turn again, then remove the wire rack.

It’s very important to make sure now the cake is allowed to stand until completely cold approx 45 min.

The sponge will have formed a dome in the centre very carefully with a long knife slice off the excess on one sponge only making it completely flat.

Now using the templates

Elmo Templates

and taking a small VERY sharp knife start with the head. Place your cut out template on top of the cake over the raised area and cut out the shape discarding the excess sponge.

Repeat this procedure for the body, but placing the template just a little lower to the raised area as this will become Elmo’s tummy.

Now taking the flat sponge cut out the arms and legs.

Using cling film place a large piece on the work top and cut off a half slice from the marzipan, place it in the middle of the cling film, then fold over the remaining film. Use a rolling pin to roll out the marzipan, until it is quite thin approx 1/8th inch. With your templates again cut out the shapes, but this time allow approx an extra 2 - 3 inches around the template. Take a basting brush and gently brush on one side of the marzipan a thin coating of jam. Now carefully place the jammed side of marzipan over each piece of sponge.

Mould the other areas around the sponge, pinching out a thumb if required. Take a sharp knife and cut away any excess marzipan around the bottom, but leaving aprox. 1/2 inch loose where the cake pieces will join.

When all the segments have been covered, use a spatula to very gently lift the main body and place in the centre of your presentation board. now start with the head again use a spatula to lift the head and place as close as possible to the body. Take the two marzipan flaps and carefully squeeze together, if they have become a little dry use a tiny bit more jam. Don’t worry about any ridges, these will be hidden when iced. Continue until all the pieces are in place.

Using a large mixing bowl pour in couple of spoonfuls of warm water with some red food colouring place approx 1/2 lb of margarine chopped into small pieces into the bowl and start to sieve in your icing sugar, this will take a little time, but using a sieve will eliminate any lumps. Blend together until the mixture is of s soft consistency. The amounts will vary according to how thick you’d like the icing.

When applying the icing (frosting) start at the highest point of the cake and work downwards, but stopping about 1/4 inch from the board. (This way any drips, can be wiped away before you apply the icing to the bottom of the cake.) Place small amounts of icing and use a pallet knife which is nice and wide and flexible to flatten out the icing, then with a gently jerking motion slightly raise the icing to create a fluffy textured finish.

For Elmo’s eyes there are probably a number of different things you could use, such as large marshmallow, but you can just use normal icing sugar mixed with a tiny amount of water to form a stiff paste then mould into shape and fix. Again for Elmo’s nose the same applied, just add a little orange food colouring to the water before mixing.

The mouth has presented a bit of a problem, personally I’d go for liquorice either in strips cut to size, or if you are able to find liquorice sheets. again cut to size. I believe it is possible to purchase black food colouring, if so then either paint the mouth or using icing sugar mixed with dye and water make the mouth and place on some greaseproof paper to dry then place on the head.

I hope this helps, I will say this will certainly take a little time to make and involve a lot of patience *S*, but I think it will be worth it. For storage don’t place the cake in a fridge, just cover and store in a cool room.

Just realised I believe in the US greaseproof paper is called parchment paper and icing is called frosting.

Have a wonderful Birthday Party,

   CLICK HERE to visit our Store -  and let us try to offer you more 

---