Frankenstein’s monster templateprinted twice at 100%
X-Acto knife
Stencil tapeoptional
1fine-tipped black food color writer
1/4poundwhite fondantrolled flat to 1/4-inch thickness
1/2tablespoonblack gel food color
1tablespoonclear vanilla extract or vodka
Fine-tipped paint brushes
Chocolate bolt decors and other final flourishes
1large hardware boltunused (new), washed in soapy dishwater, rinsed and wiped dry
1poundbrown sugar
8ouncessemisweet chocolatemelted
9x12 acetate sheet
Cellophane tape
1/4cupblack sixlets
1/4cupgrey sixlets pearls
2tablespoonsblack sugar pearls
Instructions
Green cake layers
Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease pans and line three 6-inch pans with parchment, or spray them with flour-based baking spray and skip the parchment.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Whisk together egg whites and milk in a separate bowl; set aside.
Beat butter using the paddle attachment until soft and creamy. Add sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla.
Add flour mixture alternately with the egg white/milk mixture. Begin and end with flour mixture and beat until smooth on medium-low speed after each addition. Add the food colors a little at a time, starting with 1/2 teaspoon of moss green and 1/4 teaspoon neon green. Add more color until a vivid monster green is achieved. Scrape down the bowl and fold the batter over to make sure no white streaks of batter remain.
Divide batter between pans. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the cakes spring back in when pressed in their centers. Let cool slightly in pan, then turn out and cool completely. Level the cakes using a serrated knife or cake leveler. Cut each cake in half horizontally (torte) so that you have six even cake layers.
White vanilla buttercream
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter until lightened in color, about 3-5 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar. Begin on low speed until crumbly, and then increase to high and beat for 3 minutes. Add milk or cream a little at a time to thin the mixture to spreading consistency.
Add vanilla and beat again until light and fluffy.
Fill each 6-inch cake layer with 1/3 cup frosting. Stack cake layers and frost entire cake with a thin crumb coat; refrigerate. Frost a second time with a generous covering of buttercream. Smooth the sides evenly. This cake will be rather tall, so a support may be necessary. Use a long plastic straw or dowel cut to just shy of the cake’s height as a support. Press it through the top center of the cake and down through all six cake layers so that the layers don’t shift when moved. Refrigerate the cake until well-chilled, about 1 hour.
Place the leftover buttercream in a large piping bag with 1/2-inch opening in the tip. Reserve it for later use.
Frankenstein’s monster silhouette
Cut around the outside of the image on one template. Lay the image on the fondant and lightly place stencil tape at the top and bottom. Trace around the outside of the image using the food color marker. Be sure to use a light touch; resting the heel of your hand or a finger on the fondant can cause dents in the paste. Remove the image and, using scissors, cut away the eyes and nose in one large piece; set aside. Cut away the white portions that remain around the head and mouth so that you only have the black areas of the image left for template. Lay the image back onto the fondant, lining it up with the previous outline. Holding the template in place, outline the interior black images. Cut out the eyes and nose in the same manner and outline them also. Dilute a little of the gel food color in a few drops of the extract. Load a paintbrush with the color and paint in the areas designated black using the second template as a visual guide. Use the black food color maker to draw in fine details, such as the pillow under the lip and dots at the hairline. Allow the painted image to dry flat, about 1 hour or until the image loses its glossiness. Measure the side of the frosted cake and cut the fondant image to size, squaring the edges portrait-style. Designate the side of the cake where the image will be placed and spread a little of the reserved buttercream on that side. Gently lift the fondant square and place it on the cake upright, so that Frankie is looking right back at you.
Chocolate bolt decors and other final flourishes
For the rusty bolts, place the brown sugar in a 8-inch round bowl or other dish with at least 2-inch deep sides. Pack the sugar down firmly. Place the bolt into the chocolate and press firmly. Lift the bolt to reveal the impression. If you don’t like the impression, re-pack the sugar and try again. Make as many impressions as you want bolt decors. Place the melted chocolate into a piping bag and fill the impressions. Tap the bottom of the container on a work surface to level the chocolate and remove air bubbles. Refrigerate. Use a knife to remove the bolts – they will have all kinds of sugar clinging to them - this is normal! Place the decors in a glass of ice water, or run them under very cold water to remove the sugar. Very gently pat the chocolate bolts dry with a paper towel and place them in the refrigerator until ready for use.
For the twisty chocolate conductive wire, cut the acetate sheet in half lengthwise and tape together. Draw squiggly lines using the piping bag of chocolate onto the acetate sheet. Pick up the acetate sheet and curve it around the outside of a 6-inch cake pan; secure with cellophane tape. Transfer the pan to the freezer.
Meanwhile, pipe dollops of the reserved buttercream on top of the cake. Garnish with the black and grey pearls. Remove the chocolate bolts from the refrigerator and place on top of the cake also. Remove the pan with the piped chocolate from the freezer. Gently remove the tape and acetate from the sides of the pan. Peel the acetate away from the chocolate. The chocolate pieces will break, but they will be curved so that you can piece them onto the top edge of the cake. Quickly place pieces on to the top edge of the cake so that the wire runs all the way around the top edge.
Slice the cake and serve pieces at room temperature (it tastes best that way!).
Notes
Notes: See the video for helpful visuals. Allow the fondant to dry for 10 minutes before using.
Keyword fondant silhouette, moss green food color, piped chocolate