How to Make a Luau Birthday Cake With a Smoking Volcano
Bring a little bit of excitement to a luau themed birthday celebration with a steaming and scrumptious volcano cake that will impress every guest at the event. Begin with a rectangular slab cake to set the stage for the main attraction and then build an edible volcano as tall and wide as you would like. You can customize the size of the cake to meet the needs of your party and decorate the cake in a Hawaiian theme, with figurines of tropical plant and animal life. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 3 packaged cake mixes
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric or hand mixer
- 12-by-18-inch rectangular cake pan
- 8-inch round cake pan
- 8-inch oven-safe bowl
- Butter or vegetable oil spray
- Flour
- Cake tray
- Icing spatula
- Light brown (or green) buttercream icing
- Dark brown buttercream icing
- Red icing gel
- Votive candleholder
- Dry ice
Instructions
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1
Prepare 3 packaged cake mixes according to the package instructions. Use three cake mixes of the same flavor. Prepare two mixes in one large mixing bowl and the remaining mix in a medium-size mixing bowl.
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2
Grease the insides of a 12-by-18-inch cake pan, an 8-inch round cake pan and a medium-size oven-safe bowl with a diameter of about 8 inches. Use butter or vegetable oil spray and coat with a little bit of flour.
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3
Divide the batter between the cake pans and bowl. Fill each pan and the bowl to about 2/3 full. Bake according to the package instructions. Take the cakes out of the oven and cool the cakes at room temperature.
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4
Remove the rectangular cake from the pan and place it on a cake tray. Use an icing spatula to spread on a thin layer of the light brown buttercream icing for sand or dirt, or green buttercream icing for grass. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Take the cake out and spread a thick, smooth layer of the same icing on the cake with the icing spatula.
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5
Take the 8-inch round cake from the pan and cover it with a thin layer of dark brown buttercream icing for the base of the volcano. Chill for 20 to 30 minutes and then spread a thick, smooth layer of the same icing on the cake with the icing spatula.
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6
Locate the approximate center of the rectangular cake and place the round cake in the center of the cake. Insert a 6-inch-long wooden dowel into the center of the round cake and press it down through the rectangular cake.
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7
Remove the cake from the oven-safe bowl and turn it flat-side-down on your working surface. Scoop out the top, center of the cake. Make the hole large enough to fit a small votive candle holder.
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8
Spread a thin layer of dark brown buttercream icing on the cake, chill for 20 to 30 minutes and then spread on a thick layer of the same icing.
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9
Place the dome-shaped cake on top of the round cake and push it down onto the wooden dowel. Drizzle on a bit of red icing gel to look like lava.
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10
Place the votive candle holder in the hole in the cake. Place a few chunks of dry ice in the holder when the cake is ready to be served. Pour a little bit of warm water in the holder to make the volcano "smoke". Continue to add hot water until all of the dry ice is gone.
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Tips & Warnings
When using green buttercream icing on the rectangular cake, mix in some shredded coconut to make the grass look more realistic.
Be careful when handling dry ice. Pick up the dry ice with a pair of tongs and never touch the dry ice with your bare hands.
