Shirt Cake
Ingredients: Ingredients for the Base: 20 eggs, 20 tablespoons of flour, 20 tablespoons of sugar, 1 baking powder. Ingredients for the Cream: 1 liter of Megle whipped cream (or hulala), 700 grams of cooking chocolate, 100 grams of pistachios, 150 grams of peanuts. Other ingredients: coffee, rum essence, sugar to taste. Marshmallow Fondant: 450 grams of colored marshmallows, 2 tablespoons of water, 2 vials of vanilla essence, 900 grams of powdered sugar, a frame to grease the dish in which we melt the marshmallows, cornstarch for rolling out.
Preparation of Fondant: We start by greasing a generous bowl with a bit of butter, ensuring that the fondant will easily come off once it's ready. We place marshmallows in this bowl, add 2 tablespoons of water, and put the bowl in the microwave. We set the time for 30 seconds, making sure to constantly check the melting process. The marshmallows will puff up considerably, so it's essential to choose a larger bowl. Once the marshmallows are completely melted, we add the 900 grams of powdered sugar and use a spoon to mix well until all the sugar is incorporated. The mixture will be very sticky, but we continue to stir patiently. Once we achieve a homogeneous composition, we sprinkle a little cornstarch on a sheet or bag and let the fondant cool for at least 2 hours. This fondant is ideal for covering the cake, and it spreads easily on a surface dusted with cornstarch.
Preparation of Sponge Cake: Now we take care of the sponge cake, which will be made from 20 eggs. We start by beating the eggs well until they become frothy. In a saucepan, we put 700 ml of cream over low heat and add 700 grams of cooking chocolate. We keep it on the heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture comes to a boil. Then, we take the saucepan off the heat and let the cream cool for at least 12 hours. It will have the consistency of thicker sour cream. We use a mixer to whip the cream at high speed. In another bowl, we whip the remaining 300 ml of cream and gradually add it to the chocolate cream while continuing to mix. Separately, we take 6 tablespoons of the obtained cream to spread on the outside of the cake after filling it. We add ground roasted pistachios and peanuts to the remaining cream for extra texture and flavor.
Preparation of Soaking the Cake: In the meantime, we prepare a weaker coffee, to which we add 2 vials of rum essence after it has cooled. We use this mixture to soak the cake, which will be cut in half. We fill the cake with the delicious cream, and on top, we spread the reserved cream. Then, we cover everything with the previously prepared marshmallow fondant. From the same fondant, we shape the collar for the shirt, the pocket, and the tie. To add a splash of color, we mix a little red dye into the fondant intended for the tie, so that it gets a distinct shade from the shirt. We also make buttons from fondant and, to give the collar better stability, we place a strip of cardboard underneath. Here’s how, with a bit of patience and creativity, we created a cake that not only delights the taste buds but also the eyes.
