Gummy Bear Birthday Cake

My husband LOVES gummies.  For all holidays and birthdays people give him gummies. He got 16 bags from his students for Christmas. Last year for his birthday I got him the world's largest gummy bear.  My niece loves coming over because she knows that he will give her some.  It has become somewhat of a joke.

I was trying to figure out what to do for him this year and I decided to make him a cake.  A few weeks before his birthday I tried to be sneaky, I asked him what is his favorite kind of cake (I know that I should know this, but he's not a big cake person.)  He decided that what we had as our wedding cake was his favorite, white cake with raspberry filling.  I knew that I could do the white cake, but the filling would be something new.  I was trying to figure out how to decorate it, but was at a loss.  I thought about doing something for the San Francisco Giants, but I thought an orange and black cake would look a little too much like Halloween.  I finally decided that a simple white cake would be fine.  As I was making the cake (hours before my family was coming over for dinner), it was bothering me that I didn't have any fun ideas to decorate the cake.  Then it hit me...Gummies!  I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier.  I was a little nervous that it would end up looking a little weird and that I could submit it  to Cake Wrecks, but I think it turned out nicely.

I found the recipe for the cake and the raspberry filling at CakeBoss.  I think that they were both delicious and my family agreed.  I didn't use butter cream frosting like they suggested because I'm not a big fan.  Instead, I went with my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe from Glorious Treats.

White Velvet Wedding Cake
From Cake Boss
Makes 7 1/2 cups batter, enough for two full 8" rounds or one 9x13" sheet.
1 box Pillsbury or Betty Crocker White or Vanilla cake mix 
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup + 2 tbsp cake flour (NOT all-purpose flour)
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups water
3 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter (lightly salted)
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract or almond extract (optional)

 1. In a large bowl, put water, extract (if using), eggs, melted butter and sour cream.  Mix well with paddle attachment.

2. Add cake mix, sugar, cake flour, and salt.

3. Mix with paddle attachment at medium speed for approximately 2 minutes, or until most lumps are worked out.  It is not necessary to work out all the lumps.

Pour into prepared pans and bake at 325 until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out
clean, or with just a crumb or two clinging to it.

Seedless Raspberry Frosting
From: Cake Boss
12 oz frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch
2 tbsp raspberry liqueur such as Razzmatazz by DeKuyper (optional but highly recommended)

1. Thaw raspberries and strain juice from berries.  Add enough water to the juice to get 3/4 cup of liquid.

2. In a small saucepan, combine raspberry juice/water, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch.  Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture bubbles and thickens.  Remove from heat, set aside.

3. With a fine wire strainer, use a spoon to press the raspberries so that the seedless pulp falls into a bowl below.  Strain enough pulp to get between 1/3 - 1/2 cup of pulp.  *You can skip this step and just use the whole berries, but people at weddings and parties don't like to pick seeds out of their teeth.  I strained part of them and then put in the rest.

4. To the cooled mixture in the saucepan, add 2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur (I didn't use this and thought it tasted great) and the raspberry pulp.  Stir well and refrigerate a few hours or overnight.   Keeps in the refrigerator for at least a week. 

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
From Glorious Treats

½ cup (1 stick/8 Tablespoons) butter (set at room temp about 10 minutes, but should still be cool)
8 oz. cream cheese (directly from fridge)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered confectioners sugar
1 to 4 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk

1. Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend slightly. Add cream cheese and blend until combined, about 30 seconds.
2. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.
3. Slowly add the heavy cream, a little bit at a time until desired consistency is met. (Don't add too much if you want the frosting to stay in place when piped on cupcakes.)
4. Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
5. Use at once or keep refrigerated. (This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture.)

He was very surprised by the gummies and thought that it was delicious.  This recipe could become a birthday tradition.