Food Network Magazine - (10)October 2020

The Geode Cake

Trim the cakes to make them level.

Working on a turntable, stack the 6-inch

cakes on a cardboard round, spreading

the buttercream between them with an

offset spatula. Stack the 8-inch cakes

the same way on an 8-inch round.

Cover each layer cake with a thin layer

of buttercream (this is the crumb coat),

smoothing it with a bench scraper.

Refrigerate until firm, 1 hour. Cover

with more buttercream; chill overnight.

(Reserve ½ cup buttercream for step 4.)

1

Add a few more drops of vodka or

extract to dilute the remaining food

coloring; apply the lighter color around

the dark center of the geode. Continue

diluting the food coloring; paint outward

until all the rock candy is covered.

Add the geode to the 6-inch layer

cake: Using a paring knife, carve out

an irregular piece from the side of the

cake. Be careful not to cut deeper than

one-third of the diameter of the cake in

order to maintain the cake’s structure.

Dilute a few drops of food coloring

with a splash of vodka or lemon

extract. (Test your color on some

spare rock candy.) Using a paintbrush,

paint the center of the geode in an

irregular shape; do not oversaturate.

Frost the inside of the cutout, then

gently add the rock candy. (Don’t press

too hard or the frosting will ooze out.)

Using a spoon, sprinkle sanding sugar

around the edges of the cutout to fill in

any gaps.

Mix a few pinches of silver luster dust

with a few drops of vodka or lemon

extract. With a clean brush, paint the

edges of the geode silver, then apply

the gold leaf around the silver paint

in spots.

Decorate the 8-inch cake, placing

the geode on a different part of the

cake. Insert skewers into the 8-inch

cake, cutting them level to the top,

then carefully add the 6-inch cake

on top so the cardboard round rests

flat on the skewers.

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3 4 5

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HOW TO MAKE

2 6-inch round cakes, cooled

2 8-inch round cakes, cooled

9 cups vanilla buttercream

Clear rock candy

Clear sanding sugar

Purple gel food coloring

Vodka or lemon extract

Edible silver luster dust

Edible gold leaf transfer sheets

● Cake turntable

●2 cardboard rounds

(6 inch and 8 inch)

● Offset spatula

● Bench scraper

● Small paintbrush

● Three 12-inch wooden skewers

What You’ll Need

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PHOTOS AND STYLING: RACHAEL TEUFEL, INTRICATE ICINGS CAKE DESIGN.

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