Faux-stone Cake
By Martha Stewart
Faux-stone Cake
By Martha Stewart
Yield/Serves:
Makes one 9-inch layer cake
- Two 9-inch cakes (see Mix-and-Match Cakes, page 226)
- Frosting (see Mix-and-Match Frostings, page 237)
- 3 envelopes (¼ ounce each) unflavored gelatin
- ½ cup cold water
- 1½ cups sugar
- 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 12 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
- Gel-paste food coloring in 3 shades of blue, such as Wedgwood, Sky Blue, and Royal Blue
The key to this high-gloss showstopper is combining different shades of white chocolate glaze: Pour it over the cake (we baked the Basic Chocolate, on page 229) at the right temperature so it dries to a mirror-like finish. We chose three shades of blue here, but you could use a different color combination to replicate your favorite stone
With a serrated knife, trim tops of cake layers to level. Place a layer, bottom-side down, on a wire rack set over a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Spread ¼ cup frosting evenly over cake layer. Place second layer, bottom-side up, on top. Spread a thin layer of frosting over cake to form a crumb coat. Chill in freezer until cold and firm, about 2 hours.
In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine sugar, condensed milk, salt, and ½ cup water in a small saucepan; bring to a gentle simmer over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved (mixture should feel smooth when rubbed between your fingers).
Place white chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture over chocolate and let stand 5 minutes; mix with a spatula until combined. Using an immersion blender, blend until mixture is smooth. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain mixture into a large measuring cup.
Divide mixture into 4 small bowls. Add gel, a drop at a time, to 3 bowls until desired shades are reached. Pour all 4 back into measuring cup(do not mix). Let glaze cool until it registers 95°F on a candy thermometer.
Meanwhile, place a wire rack on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Transfer chilled cake to rack, elevating it on a smaller-size cake pan or sturdy bowl, to allow glaze to drip down and cover sides neatly.
Using a back-and-forth motion, pour glaze over cake. (Gently shake baking sheet and tap it on a counter, if necessary, to ensure that glaze covers cake.) Using a skewer or toothpick, pop any air bubbles. Let glaze set at least 30 minutes before serving. To serve, dip a knife in hot water, wipe it dry, and cut cake into wedges.
Reprinted from Martha Stewart’s Cake Perfection Copyright © 2020 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, LP. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing/Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Photographs by Lennart Weibull.
With a serrated knife, trim tops of cake layers to level. Place a layer, bottom-side down, on a wire rack set over a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Spread ¼ cup frosting evenly over cake layer. Place second layer, bottom-side up, on top. Spread a thin layer of frosting over cake to form a crumb coat. Chill in freezer until cold and firm, about 2 hours.
In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine sugar, condensed milk, salt, and ½ cup water in a small saucepan; bring to a gentle simmer over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved (mixture should feel smooth when rubbed between your fingers).
Place white chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture over chocolate and let stand 5 minutes; mix with a spatula until combined. Using an immersion blender, blend until mixture is smooth. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain mixture into a large measuring cup.
Divide mixture into 4 small bowls. Add gel, a drop at a time, to 3 bowls until desired shades are reached. Pour all 4 back into measuring cup(do not mix). Let glaze cool until it registers 95°F on a candy thermometer.
Meanwhile, place a wire rack on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Transfer chilled cake to rack, elevating it on a smaller-size cake pan or sturdy bowl, to allow glaze to drip down and cover sides neatly.
Using a back-and-forth motion, pour glaze over cake. (Gently shake baking sheet and tap it on a counter, if necessary, to ensure that glaze covers cake.) Using a skewer or toothpick, pop any air bubbles. Let glaze set at least 30 minutes before serving. To serve, dip a knife in hot water, wipe it dry, and cut cake into wedges.
Reprinted from Martha Stewart’s Cake Perfection Copyright © 2020 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, LP. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing/Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Photographs by Lennart Weibull.