Star Cake

Well, it just took me entirely too long to cover a cake in fondant. (My own inexperience is probably to blame.)
I had a request for "my" Red Velvet cake in the shape of a star. Its not actually my recipe. It is the Waldorf-Astoria Red Velvet Cake from the 1920's and it is made with beets. I got the recipe from the following site: http://www.food.com/recipe/waldorf-astoria-red-velvet-cake-1920s-recipe-425556 . It isn't very red, but I also don't see the purpose of adding a full ounce of red food coloring. The beets however do give the cake a very moist texture and a unique taste. The cake's chocolate and beets combine to provide the cake with a very deep brown red color.

Waldorf-Astoria Red Velvet Cake (1920s Recipe)

Ingredients

• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour ( I would use cake flour!)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 lbs canned beets, drained and pureed
• 1 teaspoon red food coloring
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 12 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
2. Butter three 9" round cake pans and line them with parchment paper or waxed paper.
3. Melt Chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water or in the top of a double boiler (or melt in microwave for 20 – 25 seconds).
4. Meanwhile. place the sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed for two minutes.
5. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and continue to mix on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula so everything is well incorporated.
7. Add the melted chocolate to this mixture and continue to mix on low speed. Add the pureed beets and food coloring.
8. Continue to mix on low speed until everything is thoroughly combined.
9. Evenly divide the batter between the three prepared pans and tap down to remove air bubbles.
10. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until center of cake springs back when touched, or when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
11. Remove the pans from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool for ten minutes in the pans, then turn the layers out onto the rack and let cool completely.
12. Icing: Pour cream into a small bowl and whip to soft peaks. Set aside in the refrigerator.
13. Place the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until it is soft and smooth.
14. Add the mascarpone and continue to mix on low speed until the cheeses are well combined.
15. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until everything is just combined.
16. Turn off the mixer and fold in the whipped cream by hand with a spatula.
17. Keep refrigerated until ready to assemble.
18. Chef’s note: Sliced canned beets are easier to work with in this recipe than whole beets.
19. Original Poster’s note – This cake works well as a wedding cake but use a cream cheese/buttercream as the icing noted here will not harden.

 

 

Now, I used a basic butter cream recipe for the icing. Although the icing listed in the above recipe is absolutely to die for. I used the left over icing on waffles and strawberries the first time I made it. It is amazing. The fondant recipe is quite simple to make as well. I got it from the Bake at 350 blog that I really enjoy.

http://bakeat350.blogspot.com/2010/05/homemade-fondant.html

I did need to add additional water to the recipe to keep it from cracking and so that it was easier to work with. (I feel like I did 100 push-ups just kneading the stuff. On the positive side, much more of that and I should be buff in no time.) The detail work and writing was just some royal icing that I had left from the Over the Hill cookies I made.