Cake - Dorothy's Ruby Slippers

Total Time: 51 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 48 hrs Cook Time: 3 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) box cake mix (yellow or lemon)
• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) box cake mix (strawberry)
• 1 (3 ounce) box lime jell-o gelatin
• 1 (3 ounce) box strawberry jell-o gelatin dessert
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (divided)
• 1 1/2 cups water (divided)
• 8 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• yellow food coloring
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 cup water
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• red food coloring (it is nearly imposible to get a true red)
• colored sprinkles (red)

Recipe

• 1 bake the cakes:.
• 2 i baked the cakes on two different days; for each cake preheat the oven to 350*f.
• 3 add 1 box of cake mix, 1 box of jello (lime jello with the yellow cake, strawberry jello with the strawberry cake), 3/4 cup oil, 3/4 water, and 4 eggs in a large bowl.
• 4 mix on low with an electric mixer, when ingredients are moistened, mix on high for 3 minutes.
• 5 for the yellow cake, use a 9x13", greased pan for baking.
• 6 bake at 350* for 40 minute.
• 7 use caution, this type of cake can fall if it is disturbed early.
• 8 for the strawberry cake, divide the batter evenly between 2 8", greased, loaf pans.
• 9 i am unsure of the baking time for the loaf pans, i would carefully check them at 30 minutes and add time accordingly.
• 10 doneness of the cakes can be tested with a toothpick poked in the center to see if it comes out dry or wet.
• 11 after cakes have cooled, remove from pans and freeze at least 3 hours for easy in cutting and shaping.
• 12 make the frosting:.
• 13 using caryn's 7 minute frosting recipe, you will need at least one and half batches; you can make two full batches if you want, but i don’t think it is necessary.
• 14 for each batch of frosting, add the appropriate amount of sugar, water, egg whites, corn syrup and salt in the top of a double boiler (i use a heat proof glass mixing bowl on top of a sauce pan as i don't have a double boiler).
• 15 blend.
• 16 place over simmering water.
• 17 with an electric mixer, beat the mixture constantly at high speed for 7 minutes or until the mixture triples in volume and holds firm peaks.
• 18 remove from heat add the appropriate amount of vanilla and the appropriate food color for either a full recipe or a half recipe.
• 19 frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• 20 build the yellow brick road:.
• 21 after freezing yellow (green) cake for 3 hours or more, use a serrated bread knife to divide the cake in half horizontally.
• 22 now carefully cut the top layer in half vertically.
• 23 cut the top layer in half again, this time from the other side of the cake.
• 24 the top layer is now cut into four equal rectangles.
• 25 carefully remove each rectangle using a wide spatula and set aside.
• 26 frost the bottom layer with yellow frosting reserving enough to frost the top layer and the sides of the cake(see pic 2).
• 27 replace the rectangles and frost top and sides with the remaining yellow frosting.
• 28 if you like, use an accent color "draw" the lines of the bricks on top of the frosting - i did this, but i don't think it added to the over all affect.
• 29 carve and frost the ruby slippers:.
• 30 on a piece of paper about 8 1/2 inches long by 4 inches wide draw the rough shape of the sole of a shoe; this is your pattern, make sure your drawing is not bigger than the loaf, it should go to the edges of the loaf.
• 31 cut out your pattern.
• 32 after freezing loaf cakes for at least 3 hours, remove 1 loaf from the freezer.
• 33 use tooth picks to secure the pattern to the top of the loaf (see pic 3).
• 34 begin to carve the loaf into the shoe shape.
• 35 make a small indentation on each side at the bottom to resemble a heel.
• 36 remove the pattern.
• 37 cut away a little cake at a time to form the shape of the toe of the shoe.
• 38 cut diagonally down for about two thirds of the length towards the toe to give the effect of high heels.
• 39 round the edges.
• 40 carve out a shallow indentation in the top 1/3 that is still level to create the mouth of the shoe.
• 41 if necessary, freeze again for an hour to make frosting easier.
• 42 turn an 8x8" baking dish upside down; this is to get the shoe higher up so the edges can be more easily frosted and sugared.
• 43 place the long, narrow spatula on top of the baking dish.
• 44 put the shoe cake on top of the spatula, the heel of the shoe should be near the handle (pic 4).
• 45 frost with red frosting.
• 46 sprinkle with red sugar.
• 47 now the tricky part, with one hand begin to lift the shoe with the long spatula.
• 48 if necessary, use another spatula to help lift the other end.
• 49 slowly and carefully place the shoe on the yellow brick road so the toe and heel are going in the long (13") direction of the cake-you pretty much only have one shot at this.
• 50 repeat with second loaf cake (see pic 5).
• 51 add wording or accent frosting if you choose (see pic 6).
• 52 refrigerate if you do not plan on serving the cake for several hours - or days.
• 53 i suggest making this cake at the house where it will be served; i only had to drive 7 miles with the one i made, but it was uphill and winding; the shoes are just balanced on top, so it was a nerve racking drive! i don't think i breathed the whole way.
• 54 p.s.
• 55 you will get your quota for sugar and food color when you eat this cake.