By
Surprise! This fancy cake
is actually a giant Rice Krispies Treat with a little fondant and a lot
of wow-factor. It's a great alternative to a traditional cake to
celebrate America, and it's also a fun way to get the whole family
involved in dessert-making. Take note: This cake requires some Luster
Dust ($10, Amazon.com).
Difficulty: Advanced
Total time: 2 1/2 hours
What You'll Need
• 40-60 Rice Krispies Treats (number can vary depending on your desired size)
• Fondant (see below on how to make)
• Copper, brown, and black food coloring
• Gold luster dust
• Pizza cutter or scissors
• 1 teaspoon vodka or other clear alcohol
• Frosting of choice
• 1 package of semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• Powdered sugar for dusting counter
• Serrated knife
• Plate for decorating
• Plate for display
• Rolling pin
• Pastry brush
• Double-boiler
[post_ads_2]
How to Make the Fondant
Fondant Ingredients/Tools:
• 3 16-oz packages of powdered sugar, plus extra for the counter
• 2 packages of marshmallows
• 1 teaspoon water
• microwave-safe bowl
• airtight containers
STEP 1:
Place 5 bags of marshmallows with 1 tablespoon of water into a
microwave-safe bowl at 45-second intervals. Continue heating until all
the marshmallows are melted.
STEP 2:
Add powdered sugar to the bowl and mix with your hands. Continue adding
the powdered sugar and mixing until the mixture no longer stick to your
hands or the sides of the bowl.
STEP 3: Place the fondant in an airtight bag and then into a plastic container. Keep at room temperature.
How to Make the Cake
STEP 1: The
first step is shaping the bell. Remove 8 Rice Krispies Treats from
their packaging and combine them to form a circular base for the bell on
a cake plate. It should be about a foot in diameter. Next, you'll need
about 40 more Rice Krispy Treats to mold the body of the Liberty Bell.
Start by adding Treats at the base and move upward, working towards a
general bell shape as you go. Be sure to push the treats together so
they mold into one cohesive piece.
STEP 2: Once
the general shape is there, use a serrated knife to carefully trim down
the cake until you have sleeker sides, smoother edges, and a more
defined bell curve.
STEP 3: Add
any elements to the cake (like letters or defined corners) by rolling
and cutting out small pieces of fondant and placing them where the
indentation should be shown.
STEP 4: Cover the cake in the icing of your choice. This will be glue for the fondant.
STEP 5: Using
a rolling pin, roll out the fondant on a powdered sugar-covered surface
to be double the size of the bell. Also, rub some of the powdered sugar
on the pin to prevent sticking and pulling. The fondant should be about
1/8" thick when rolling is complete. Working from the side opposite of
you, roll the fondant up and toward you onto the rolling pin for
transport.
STEP 6: Place the tip of the fondant on the bottom corner of the bell and unroll over the bell until it is completely covered.
STEP 7: Move quickly and carefully to smooth out all corners and bumps using your hands.
STEP 8: Using a pastry brush, paint the bell with brown and copper-colored food coloring.
STEP 9: Add
a cap-sized amount of vodka or other clear alcohol to a bowl and gently
tap in some gold luster dust until a paint is formed. Paint the gold
luster dust onto the bell. Decorate as desired.
STEP 10: To
finish off the cake, create the top with Rice Krispies Treats.
Depending on the size of your bell, two vertical treats side by side can
create the side wings; the center can be filled in with 2 1/2 to 3
treats lying horizontally.
STEP 11: Cover the cake topper with icing to act as glue.
[post_ads_2]
STEP 12: Make
modeling chocolate by placing a bag of semisweet chocolate into a
double boiler until completely melted. Add 1/3 cup of corn syrup to the
chocolate and let cool until the chocolate is moldable and solid.
STEP 13: Roll
out the modeling chocolate on a powdered sugar covered surface and
place over the top. Cover the same way as when using fondant.
STEP 14: Gently
brush the top with black food coloring and use extra modeling chocolate
to create little nodules (to emulate bell detailing) on top for
decoration as you please.
STEP 15: Enjoy!
