Under the Sea Themed White Forest Lemon Cake.

My daughter turned 2 years old last week. She loves sea creatures so I decided to make her an UNDER THE SEA themed cake. I made an Eggless 2 TIER WHITE FOREST LEMON CAKE with 2 layers on each tier with blue colored frosting in-between the layers and marshmallow fondant on top. I tried to make all the sea creatures my little one loves like the sea turtle, octopus, star fish and some tiny fishes. I also made some sea weeds as well to give it a more authentic look. It took me about 14 hours to make it because I am just in the learning phase but all this effort was totally worth-ed for me. I had tears in my eyes with the final outcome. My daughter loved it. She started name calling all the sea creatures on the cake and was so excited. My husband loved it too and the birthday party was a great great hit. It was absolutely a great achievement for me which I will cherish my whole life.

Ingredients:

1. Mini Marshmallow - 300grams
2. Castor Sugar - 600 grams (almost double the marshmallows or little lesser)
3. Vegetable Shorterning - 1/2 Cup
4. Water - 4 tsp

Procedure:

1. Take the marshmallow in a microwave safe bowl, drizzle 1 tsp water and microwave for 20 seconds.
2. Remove from microwave, mix it well and again microwave for 20 seconds.
3. Mix again and if there are no lumps, then do not microwave further. Else keep for another 10seconds and mix.
4. Add castor sugar and mix.
5. Spread little vegetable shortening on the work space so the marshmallow mix does not stick to the work surface.
6. Drop the mixture on the work surface and knead.
7. Add in more castor sugar and keep kneading until it forms a stiff ball of dough.
8. Hold the dough stiff with one hand and pull the other end with the other hand, if the dough stretches by 2 inches and starts breaking, then its perfect. Stop kneading.
9. Apply shortening all around the dough ball liberally and cover it with plastic wrap and set aside over night.
10. The white marshmallow fondant is ready for use the next day.
11. Inorder to color the fondant, it is preferable to use gel colors.
12. Liquid colors can alter the consistency of the fondant.
13. Take a tiny bulb of white fondant and dip it inside the gel color and wipe it on the white fondant and knead well. Repeat this process, until the right color is obtained.
14. I have used vibrant colors for different sea creatures and a nice blue to depict the sea water. My daughter just loved it.

Ingredients:

1. Heavy Cream - 473ml
2. Icing Sugar - 5 tbsp
3. Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
4. Blue Gel Color

Procedure to make frosting:

1. Pour cream in a bowl.
2. Beat it with a hand mixer until it becomes thicker and fluffy.
3. Pour vanilla extract and rebeat it.
4. Pour the food color and mix gently with a spoon.
5. Cover it with plastic wrap so its air-tight and store it in refrigerator when not in use.

The frosting is ready.

INGREDIENTS:

1. For the base cake :
   • All Purpose Flour - 4.5 Cups
   • Baking Soda - 1.5 Tsp
   • Baking Powder - 2 Tsp
   • Sugar - 3.5 Cups
   • Unsalted Butter - 2 Cup
   • Thick Yogurt - 3 Cups
   • Whole Milk - 2 Cups
   • Vanilla Extract - 3 Tsp
   • Lemon Zest - 2 Tsp
   • Lemon Juice - 3/4 Cup
   • Salt - 1/2 Tsp
2. For the frosting:
   • Heavy Whipping Cream: 450 ml
   • Sugar - 1.5 Cup

PROCEDURE TO MAKE THE WHITE FOREST LEMON CAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F.
2. Sift the dry ingredients (flour,baking soda, baking powder, salt) together so it mixes well.
3. Mix butter and sugar in another bowl with a hand mixer till it forms a creamy mixture.
4. Pour vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon juice and beat again.
5. Pour the dry ingredients from step 2 into the wet ingredient mixture and fold in. Add in the milk and yogurt and fold in again.
6. Pour the cake batter into a greased pan and bake for 30mins. I used a bigger pan and a smaller pan so I can make a 2 tire cake. Each cake having 2 layers.
7. Use a tooth pick to check if the cake is fully cooked and set aside so it cools to room temperature. Then let it cool in the refrigerator for atleast 5hours so that it does not break when we cut it to make layers.
8. The White Forest Lemon Cake is ready.

Use a cardboard box. Cut it into a circle so its diameter is 2 inches bigger than the actual cake. Cut a smaller circle or rectangle and stick it to the bottom of this board so it gives more support and also gives some space for us to slip the fingers below and lift the cake board while the cake is on it.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator, use a long knife and cut into 2 layers. Dab sugar solution on each layer, then apply the frosting generously. Place one layer of cake on top of the other. Apply frosting on the side walls as well. Set this cake again in the refrigerator over-night. Dabbing sugar solution will keep the cake moist.

Please note:

1. It is advisable to cut the cake on the top and sides so its uniform. This will enable to give a nice neat plain look when we put the fondant on top of the creamed cake.
2. To make the sugar solution, use equal quantity sugar and water and make a fine solution.

1. Make tube Corals: Take a small piece of fondant. Make a ball between your palms. Then place it on the work space and start rolling it with one palm against the work space so it starts forming a long tube. Flatten the two ends. Use the back side of paint brush and push in the top middle portion so it looks like a hollow space inside the tube. Re-adjust the sides by rolling against your palms. Your tube coral is ready.
2. Make rocks: Take a small piece of blue fondant, roll it into a ball. Take another colored fondant. Roll it as thin as possible. Cut it so it is little smaller than the ball. put some water on the ball and then place the rolled fondant on it so it will stick to the blue fondant. Use a tooth pick and start poking random holes. The rocks are ready.
3. Make sea weeds: Take a small piece of green fondant. Roll is as thin as possible with a rolling pin. Cut it into thin strips. Take a paint brush or any plastic thin long object. Put a speck of water on one end of the strip. Place that at the top end of the paint brush so the fondant will stick to it , then roll the strip around the paint brush like a snake. Let it dry for atleast 5hours. Post 5 hours, you can slowly pull the spiral strip and this forms your sea weed.
4. Make Sea Turtle:Take a small ball of fondant. Roll it between your palms so it has a smooth finish. Divide the ball into 2 parts so that one part is almost half of the other. Roll it again so it forms a smooth ball. Use the smaller ball for the head. MAke the eys and smile and set aside. For the body, use a sharp edge of a brush and make hexagonal impressions on the body. Use a dab of water on the back of the head and stick to the bigger ball. The sea turtle is ready.
5. Make Star Fish: Take a small ball of fondant. Roll it between your palms so it has a smooth finish. Press it a make patties. Use a star cookie cutter and cut it so it form a star fish. Use white and black fondant to make the eyes. Use water to stick it on the star fondant. Use a round cookie cutter and make a half circle impression on the star to make a smile. The start fish is ready.
6. Make Octapus: Take a small ball of fondant. Roll it between your palms so it has a smooth finish. Make the eyes and mouth and set aside. This is the octapus head. Take a small piece of fondant, roll it with so it forms a long thin cylinder. Cut it into 8 equal parts which will be the octapus legs. Place all the 8 parts so that one end of each piece touches the same center point. PRess the center point, so they all stick together in one end. Then dab little water at the bottom of the head and place it on the center point. Let it dry for sometime. Octapus is ready.

1. Take the blue fondant, knead it well before rolling so its smooth and easy. Roll it as thin as possible. I was able to roll it to a 1/4 inch. Carefully place your palms below the rolled fondant, carefully lift it and place it on top of the cake. Smoothen the top and then the sides with your palm. Then cut the extra fondant on the bottom.
2. I made sure that the fondant is covering the cake board as well and then cut the extra fondant going beyond the cake board. I used this extra space to place some more sea figurines and brown sugar depicting sand.
3. Place the figurines wherever required and then drizzle brown sugar to cover all empty spaces.
4. Make tiny balls of white fondant to depict bubbles and just throw them around the cake.
5. The UNDER THE SEA theme cake is ready! Just use your imagination and make as many sea creatures you wish with great colors and kids will just love it.