Cake - Dorothy's Ruby Slippers

Name: Cake - Dorothy's Ruby Slippers
Prep time: 48 h
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 51 h 30 min
Yield: 1 cake
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 white; 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)

Submitted by Jodi Consoli

"Caution: Not for the timid or beginner baker. ***When I offered to make the cake for my friend's daughters Oz themed bday party, I thought for sure I could find a really fun ruby slipper cake online. But all I found were over the rainbow cakes or cakes using oz figurines - these were not creative enough for me. So I created Dorothy's Ruby Slipper Cake. I allowed myself 4 days of doing cake stuff before the party day because I didn't want to get over tired trying to do it all at once. But it can probably be done in two days - one day for baking and freezing and one day for building and frosting. Or I suppose one day if you woke up early enough. ***To make building the cake easier, you will need a long serrated bread knife, I wide spatula and a long narrow spatula - see pic 1. You will also need a 9x13" cake pan, two 8" loaf pans, an electric mixer, and a double boiler. ***The frosting recipe I use is Fluffy 7 Minute Frosting #22181 by Caryn. I have included it here. ***Good Luck and Enjoy!"

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photo by Jodi Consoli

Ready In:: 51hrs 30mins
Ingredients:: 22
Yields:: 1 cake

ingredients

Jello Cakes
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
Single Recipe Frosting
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
Half Recipe Frosting
³⁄₄ cup sugar
¹⁄₈ cup water
1 egg white
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)

directions

BAKE THE CAKES:
I baked the cakes on two different days; for each cake preheat the oven to 350*F.
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.
Mix on low with an electric mixer, when ingredients are moistened, mix on high for 3 minutes.
For the yellow cake, use a 9X13", greased pan for baking.
Bake at 350* for 40 minute.
Use caution, this type of cake can fall if it is disturbed early.
For the strawberry cake, divide the batter evenly between 2 8", greased, loaf pans.
I am unsure of the baking time for the loaf pans, I would carefully check them at 30 minutes and add time accordingly.
Doneness of the cakes can be tested with a toothpick poked in the center to see if it comes out dry or wet.
After cakes have cooled, remove from pans and freeze at least 3 hours for easy in cutting and shaping.
MAKE THE FROSTING:
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.
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).
Blend.
Place over simmering water.
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.
Remove from heat add the appropriate amount of vanilla and the appropriate food color for either a full recipe or a half recipe.
Frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
BUILD THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD:
After freezing yellow (green) cake for 3 hours or more, use a serrated bread knife to divide the cake in half horizontally.
Now carefully cut the top layer in half vertically.
Cut the top layer in half again, this time from the other side of the cake.
The top layer is now cut into four equal rectangles.
Carefully remove each rectangle using a wide spatula and set aside.
Frost the bottom layer with yellow frosting reserving enough to frost the top layer and the sides of the cake(see pic 2).
Replace the rectangles and frost top and sides with the remaining yellow frosting.
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.
CARVE AND FROST THE RUBY SLIPPERS:
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.
Cut out your pattern.
After freezing loaf cakes for at least 3 hours, remove 1 loaf from the freezer.
Use tooth picks to secure the pattern to the top of the loaf (see pic 3).
Begin to carve the loaf into the shoe shape.
Make a small indentation on each side at the bottom to resemble a heel.
Remove the pattern.
Cut away a little cake at a time to form the shape of the toe of the shoe.
Cut diagonally down for about two thirds of the length towards the toe to give the effect of high heels.
Round the edges.
Carve out a shallow indentation in the top 1/3 that is still level to create the mouth of the shoe.
If necessary, freeze again for an hour to make frosting easier.
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.
Place the long, narrow spatula on top of the baking dish.
Put the shoe cake on top of the spatula, the heel of the shoe should be near the handle (pic 4).
Frost with red frosting.
Sprinkle with red sugar.
Now the tricky part, with one hand begin to lift the shoe with the long spatula.
If necessary, use another spatula to help lift the other end.
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.
Repeat with second loaf cake (see pic 5).
Add wording or accent frosting if you choose (see pic 6).
Refrigerate if you do not plan on serving the cake for several hours - or days.
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.
P.S.
You will get your quota for sugar and food color when you eat this cake.