Cakes for Charity ... Mickey Mouse Cake

Another cake for Birthday Dreams done.  This is actually a cake I've done before so it was easy to do since I had it in my head how to do.  I had a little 2 year old boy at the shelter who requested a Mickey Mouse Cake, I went to the Mickey Mouse Cake I made for Caden last year.

What you Need:

Your favorite cake recipe (I made a chocolate cake as requested see recipe below)
2 6" Round baking pans
1 8 or 9" (I prefer 9) round baking pan (I just used 2 9" and cut out 2 circles out of one cake)
Frosting (I used my Sturdy Buttercream Frosting)
A big surface to put the cake on (I used a cake board)

Make your cake mix (see recipe below). Pour mix into greased pans and bake until done (I swear by Wilton's Cake Release). Stick a toothpick in to check it is done, as soon as the cake comes out of the oven, take a butter knife and run it around the edges of the cake to make sure it is separated from the pan. Let the cakes cool 15-20 minutes. 

While cake's cool I split my batch into 3 colors.  For the yellow I used a 1/4 cup then broke up the rest of the frosting into 2 batches.  One in Red and one in Black.  I used AmeriColor Super Black, Super Red and Lemon Yellow food gel (I pick mine up at Hobby Lobby but Amazon also sells them).

Then, remove them from the pan, evening the tops (which will then become the bottom, if needed). Place the cakes on your cake base (I used a cake board). Classic Mickey has 2 ears connected to the head (so you cut a moon off each small circle - see picture below).  The Tootles version you would leave the small circles with no cutting.  Once cake is cooled, I frost it.  I decided that I would do the top half (the ears and half the large circle) black and the bottom red.  I then put the cake back into the fridge to harden up the frosting.  I then took yellow frosting to make to ovals like buttons on the red and added a little black to look like button holds.  I also added red frosting gel with the #2 on each ear.  

For the Chocolate Cake I used a Moist Chocolate Cake found on Foodess.  I volunteered at the shelter the following week with my church and the mom I made the cake for her child came up to me to tell me how moist and yummy the cake was.  I was so tickled to hear this. I made another cake for her daughter and used the same cake recipe (Barbie post to come tomorrow).

For the Chocolate Cake Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1¾ cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated white sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (or substitute by putting 1 tbsp white vinegar in a cup then filling the rest up with milk; let stand 5 minutes until thickened)
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot coffee (or 2 tsp instant coffee in 1 cup boiling water)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch baking pans (or line with parchment paper circles) and set aside.
2. In the large bowl of a standing mixer, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract and beat until smooth (about 3 minutes). Remove bowl from mixer and stir in hot coffee with a rubber spatula. Batter will be very runny.
3. Pour batter evenly between the two pans and bake on middle rack of oven for about 35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached.
4. Allow to cool 15 minutes in pans, then run a butter knife around the edges of each cake. Place a wire cooling rack over top of each pan. Wearing oven mitts, use both hands to hold the racks in place while flipping the cakes over onto the racks. Set the racks down and gently thump on the bottom of the pans until the cakes release. Cool completely before handling or frosting.

You don't have to bake to help Birthday Dreams, please check them out.

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.