Coolest Dolphins Cake

Yup! Another cake request from my family! My youngest niece was turning 21 and LOVES dolphins. I made a dolphin cake, similar to one that is already posted here, for my oldest niece for her 31rst birthday. I wanted to something a little different for Katy. I wanted to attempt a 3-D effect with dolphins out of the water. I actually came up with this idea from a dolphin soap mold I found while searching the internet for pictures.

The cake base was made with 2 9-inch round cake pans. I chose a home made Hershey’s chocolate cake recipe which I have printed at the bottom of this write up. I then frosted the layers together and applied a layer of home made buttercream frosting which I had tinted light blue. I used a spatula to get the rippled effect. This was placed in the refrigerator to set up.

When I removed it from the fridge, I used white buttercream to tip the edges of the rippled water.

The dolphins were molded from home made marshmallow treats. This was a time consuming process as I had to keep remolding them until they were set. I then iced them with buttercream. I used white, rolled fondant that was “cut to size” for the “belly” area. I did this first. The bodies were covered with fondant that I had tinted a bluish gray.

Then painted with a blue glitter. I created a little blowhole on their heads with a bamboo dowel (like you use for shish kabobs) and painted the eyes with black icing coloring using a small paint brush. The letters are precut blue glitter letters which matched the dolphins and the “21” on the front was made with the blue glitter I used on the dolphins. The white waves are all shaped fondant.

I rolled each section between the palms of my hands so that one end was larger round than the other. I folded the larger end either under or over, depending on where I put it. I attached them starting with the smallest end placed under the previously attached wave.

HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa

• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup milk

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 cup boiling water

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

VARIATIONS:

ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

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