It’s happy birthday to everyone with this rainbow sprinkle icebox cake

Everyone’s favorite birthday cake gets an icebox makeover. Shortbread cookies are layered with sprinkle-studded cream-cheese-and-whipped-cream frosting and assembled in a springform pan. The cream cheese helps to cut down on the sweetness and adds a lovely tang to the cake. Once released from the pan, the entire cake can be coated in more sprinkles.

A cake this festive calls for a scoop of ice cream on the side.

[Read the story: How to make an icebox cake, the coolest (literally!) no-bake dessert]

Recipe notes: The cake will keep loosely covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen, after it has set up in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, for up to 1 month. Defrost the cake in the refrigerator overnight before you plan to serve it. Once you cut the cake, leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated, and are best within a day.

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Nonstick cooking spray or softened butter, for the pan

1 1/2 cups (340 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature

3 cups heavy cream

1 cup (200 grams) sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (225 grams) rainbow sprinkles, plus more for decorating (optional)

80 (560 grams) thin shortbread cookies, preferably Lorna Doone

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Step 1

Grease the sides of a round 9-inch springform pan that is 3 inches deep with cooking spray or softened butter. Line the sides with a strip of parchment.

Step 2

Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed, about 3 minutes, until smooth. Add the heavy cream, increase the speed to medium-high and continue to whisk until incorporated.

Step 3

Add the sugar and vanilla, and whisk the mixture, about 3 to 5 minutes, until it holds stiff peaks that stand upright when the whisk is raised. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the rainbow sprinkles and mix just to incorporate.

Step 4

Spread a thin layer of whipped cream (about 1 3/4 cups) on the bottom of the pan and cover with a layer of cookies, filling any gaps with broken cookies (breaking them yourself, if necessary.) The pieces should touch; the goal is a solid layer of cookies. Continue layering until you reach the top of the pan, ending with a layer of cream.

Cover the top of the cake with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight.

source:- https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2019/08/01/its-happy-birthday-to-everyone-with-this-rainbow-sprinkle-icebox-cake/

The gorgeous cake you need to have at your next party

Pared-down ‘naked cakes' that forego buttercream frosting to reveal beautiful flavours underneath are all the rage these days. Spotted recently at the weddings of Angelina Jolie and Queenie Singh, it has takers outside the bridal circuit as well. Here's the Vogue guide to choosing the right cake for the right occasion.

For a wedding: Play with Textures and Flavours Pass the classic fully-frosted cakes for this au naturel variety. “Because its exterior is so pure, playing with textures and flavours is the key to creating a glamorous cake fit for a wedding,” says Joonie Tan, head artist at Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts. The Bengaluru-based baking instructor believes naked cakes add a provincial charm at a farmhouse wedding. “Winter flavours such as strawberry, coconut, spiced vanilla, berries and cocoa work for this season,” she says. But play with textures to heighten the cake's epicurean value. “Layer with wispy foam, soft ganache, feuilletine and nuts to create contrasts and variations in every bite,” adds Tan.

For a birthday: Go for the classic chocolate cake decorated with fresh flowers “For a birthday party, choose crowd-pleasing flavours such as chocolate, vanilla, lemon and other classics,” says pâtissiere Pooja Dhingra of Le 15 Patisserie, Mumbai. She recommends a rainbow cake with vanilla frosting in between the layers or a chocolate cake with malt buttercream. Texturise with crushed macarons, milk crumbs and other contrasting elements. For garnish, Dhingra recommends fresh flowers. “Real flowers look more gorgeous than fondant,” she says. But colour contrasts are important: “For instance, a dark brown cake topped with white winter peonies, sunset ranunculus, lavender sprigs and dark red roses will look like a million bucks,” she adds.

For an anniversary or engagement brunch: Try vegetable or vegan combinations “An autumn/winter affair is the perfect backdrop for a vegetable or vegan-inspired naked cake,” says pastry chef Sanjana Patel of La Folie, Mumbai. Patel recommends playing with sponges flavoured with spiced pumpkin, kale, beetroot or matcha tea. “Pair these with soy cream, thyme jelly and compotes,” says Patel. “My aim is to create a balance between the sweetness of the herb or floral frosting, the acidity of the compote or marmalade and the bitterness of the sponge soaked in vegetable juices,” she says. For garnish, “baby green foliage and microgreens work best.”

For a casual affair: Order a homestyle one This one isn't cluttered with too many elements but has a medley of sharp flavours. “Try a mille crêpe cake with matcha pastry cream, dusted with matcha powder,” says pâtissiere Mandakini Gupta of Smitten Bakery & Patisserie. Practically speaking, homely cakes can be served in individual portions or layered in jars as well. Delhi-based Gupta insists you don't play with too many flavours but experiment with form instead. “For instance, layer two discs of pavlova with cream and a fruit filling instead of using regular sponge,” she says.

source:- https://www.vogue.in/content/the-gorgeous-cake-you-need-to-have-at-your-next-party