Princess Sofia cake

I prepared this Princess Sofia cake for the birthday of my son's friend, Mădălina. It may not have turned out perfectly in appearance, but I paid close attention to the details, especially for the decoration and fondant. I didn't have time to document the entire process with photos, but I tried to outline the steps clearly for anyone who wants to try the recipe at home. I made the fondant the night before so I would have time to use it the next day and work with it easily. For the Sofia design, I used a printed template and cut out the pieces to make them as close to the original drawing as possible. The recipe isn't complicated at its core, but it does take some time, especially if you want to work with fondant and details.

Quick Info

Total time: approximately 24 hours, including fondant resting time
Actual preparation time: 2-3 hours, divided between the cake, cream, and decoration
Cake baking time: approximately 30 minutes
Servings: 16-20 (large baking tray)
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: birthday cake, children's cake

Ingredients

For the cake:
10 eggs
500 g granulated sugar
200 ml milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
500 g flour
vanilla extract (to taste)

For the ganache cream:
700 g cooking chocolate
720 ml liquid cream

For the fondant (for Princess Sofia and decorations):
300 g powdered sugar (may need more depending on consistency)
1 bag of 100 g marshmallows
2 tablespoons water

For decoration:
600 ml whipped cream (some for covering the cake, some for additional decoration, optional)
heart-shaped candies

Optional, for syrup/cake:
sweetened milk or a simple syrup

Preparation Method

1. Marshmallow Fondant (prepare it a day in advance)
1.1. Place the marshmallows in a heatproof bowl.
1.2. Add 2 tablespoons of water.
1.3. Melt in a double boiler, stirring continuously until the marshmallows are completely melted.
1.4. Gradually incorporate the powdered sugar, mixing initially with a spoon, then knead with your hands as the mixture becomes denser.
1.5. You should obtain a soft and fluffy dough.
1.6. Wrap the fondant in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the next day.
1.7. The fondant can be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped, for up to a month.

2. Preparing the design for Princess Sofia decoration
2.1. Print the desired Sofia template in 3 copies.
2.2. Cut out each part (dress, body, head, etc.) from one copy.
2.3. Keep one uncut to have the complete image as a reference.
2.4. Take the fondant out of the refrigerator a few hours before working with it to reach room temperature.
2.5. Color a portion of the fondant with purple food coloring for the dress (or other colors according to the template).
2.6. Roll out the fondant and cut the pieces according to the template using a small knife.
2.7. If you don't have food coloring or want a different style, you can paint directly on the fondant with a brush and food colorings.

3. Cake base
3.1. Separate the eggs: egg whites in a large bowl, yolks separately.
3.2. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they double in volume.
3.3. Gradually add the sugar, continuing to mix until a stiff meringue forms.
3.4. Incorporate the yolks one at a time.
3.5. Add the oil, milk, and vanilla extract.
3.6. Fold in the flour mixed with baking powder using a spatula, with slow bottom-up movements to maintain the airiness.
3.7. Pour the mixture into a large tray lined with baking paper.
3.8. Bake in a preheated oven at medium heat for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
3.9. Let the cake cool completely before cutting.

4. Chocolate ganache cream
4.1. Break the chocolate into small pieces and place it in a heatproof bowl.
4.2. Pour the liquid cream over the chocolate.
4.3. Place over low heat and warm until just before boiling (do not let it boil).
4.4. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
4.5. Allow the cream to cool well (you can refrigerate it if you're in a hurry).
4.6. After cooling, beat the cream with a mixer until it lightens in color and doubles in volume.

5. Assembling the cake
5.1. Cut the cooled cake into 3 equal layers.
5.2. Soak each layer with sweetened milk or syrup, just enough to make it moist but not too soggy.
5.3. Place the first layer on a serving plate, spread a layer of ganache cream.
5.4. Add the second layer, another layer of cream, then the third layer and the remaining cream on top.
5.5. Cover the cake with whipped cream, both on the sides and on top.
5.6. Reserve some whipped cream for additional decoration if desired.

6. Decoration and finishing
6.1. Arrange the Princess Sofia from fondant on top of the cake, according to the template.
6.2. Decorate with fondant flowers and heart candies as desired.
6.3. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours before serving to stabilize the cream and decoration.

Why I make this recipe often

This cake is often requested for birthdays, especially for children, because it has a simple structure, but the decoration can be customized with characters or themes. The cake base is consistent but not heavy, the cream is just right in taste and doesn't run, and the homemade fondant holds up well and is easy to work with after sitting overnight.

Tips and Variations

Tips

- For fondant, avoid working with very warm hands – if it gets too soft, add more powdered sugar.
- If you don't have food coloring, you can paint with gel colorants directly on the fondant or leave it white and add details with a brush.
- The cake cuts more easily the next day or after being refrigerated.
- For creams, let the ingredients come to room temperature for better homogenization.

Substitutions

- You can use milk or white chocolate for the ganache, but the result will be sweeter.
- If you don't have liquid cream for the cream, you can try heavy cream with over 30% fat.
- Marshmallow fondant can be replaced with store-bought fondant, but the homemade version has a softer texture.

Variations

- You can adapt the decoration with other characters or themes, using the same principle with printed templates.
- If you don't want a very tall cake, make two layers instead of three.
- The cake base can also be made in a round tray or a book-shaped mold.

Serving Ideas

- Cut the cake cold with a sharp knife.
- If desired, you can further decorate with fresh fruits or grated chocolate after adding the cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the cake last in the refrigerator?
The cake lasts 2-3 days in the refrigerator, covered. The fondant decoration does not suffer if kept cool.

If I don't have marshmallows, can I make another type of fondant?
You can try a classic fondant (sugar, gelatin, glucose), but the texture will be different. Marshmallow fondant is quicker and easier to shape at home.

Can I make the cake base with fewer eggs?
For the same tray and structure, I do not recommend it. You can reduce the quantity and adjust the proportions, but the cake will be smaller and possibly denser.

If I don't want to use artificial colorings, do I have alternatives?
You can use natural colorings from fruits (beet juice, blueberries, etc.), but the shades won't be as intense and the texture of the fondant may be slightly affected.

Can I use a different cake shape?
Yes, you can use any shape, round or rectangular, adjusting the baking time according to the thickness of the cake base.

Nutritional Values (estimates)

One slice (1/16 of the cake):

Calories: approximately 520 kcal
Protein: 6-7 g
Carbohydrates: 65-70 g
Fats: 22-25 g

The values are approximate and depend on how much cream and whipped cream you use for decoration and how thick the layer of fondant is.

Storage and Reheating

The cake is stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days. The fondant holds up well in the cold and does not dry out if the cake is wrapped or placed in a box. Freezing the decorated cake is not recommended. The plain cake (without cream) can be frozen, but the ganache cream and whipped cream do not freeze well. The cake is not reheated. It is served directly from the refrigerator.

The night before making the cake, we prepare the fondant: We put the candies in a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of water, and melt them in a bain-marie, stirring continuously. Once melted, we start adding powdered sugar, mixing with a spoon. When it becomes too thick to mix with a spoon, we start kneading with our hands. It should come out like a soft and fluffy dough. After kneading well, we wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until the next day. It can be stored in the fridge for a month. For Princess Sofia, we need a printed drawing in 3 copies. We cut out each part of the body with scissors. We keep one copy to have the complete model. Before working with the fondant, it should be taken out a few hours in advance to reach room temperature. We color a piece with purple food coloring for the dress, while I painted the rest. To make the dress, we roll out the purple fondant and cut it with a small knife along the edges of the model. We do the same with the other shapes from the drawing, or we can cut everything from a single piece and paint each part of the drawing with a brush according to the model. I’m not sure if I explained it well, and I didn’t have time to photograph the process. I got inspired from here, and it might be useful for you too. Now, let's prepare the cake base: We separate the egg whites from the yolks, beat the whites with a pinch of salt until they double in volume, then gradually add the sugar, yolks one by one, oil, milk, essence, and flour mixed with baking powder, then we mix the composition well with a spatula. We pour the resulting mixture into a baking tray lined with parchment paper (the tray from the oven) and bake it in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes at medium heat. Meanwhile, we prepare the cream: We break the chocolate into small pieces and put it in a bowl, then pour the liquid cream over it. We place the bowl on the stove and bring it to a boil (be careful, it shouldn't boil!) We mix the composition and let it cool down. Once well cooled, we mix it until it doubles in volume and starts to lighten in color. We cut the cake base into 3 layers. We soak it with sweetened milk or any syrup and start assembling: soaked base - cream - soaked base - cream - base - cream. On top, we add whipped cream that we mix well (we reserve some whipped cream to make some decorations - optional). I placed the whipped cream on Princess Sofia and decorated with a few fondant flowers.

 Ingredients: for the base: 10 eggs 500 g of granulated sugar ~ 200 ml milk 1 baking powder 500 g flour vanilla essence for the ganache cream: 700 g of cooking chocolate 720 ml liquid cream for Princess Sofia: ~300 g powdered sugar crown 1 bag of marshmallow candies - 100 g 2 tablespoons water for decoration: 600 ml cream heart-shaped candies

 Tags:  chocolate cake birthday cake