“Totally Awesome!” (Avengers Birthday Cake and Super Hero Party)

“Totally Awesome!” – that was Oscar’s response when he saw his completed birthday cake.

Oscar's Super Hero Party

Oscar’s Super Hero Party

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even before his fourth birthday party Oscar had chosen the theme for this year’s party – Spider Man.  It only changed slightly in that time to “Super Heroes” when he discovered The Avengers on ABC 3.

Oscar chose everything himself this year.

  • The food:
  • The Cake: A mango flavoured Avengers cake.
  • Avengers party plates, serviettes and cups.
  • Gift bags: Boxes filled with party favours, super hero stickers and transfers,  and super hero bubble blowers.

 

Super Hero Party Table

Super Hero Party Table

Super Hero Gift Box

Super Hero Gift Box

Super Hero Gift Box

Super Hero Gift Box

 

 

 

 

 

 

My job was to chose the venue.  We had the party at  FitnessWorx in Mitcham where they have a variety of activity based parties.  We chose the Super Hero Training party and the kids all had a ball.  We can thoroughly recommend it!  The party went for 90 minutes, with 15 minutes for food.

I have to thank Rona at Domestic Diva for inspiring me to try this cake.  I love her cakes, they always look so beautiful and professional; but I’ve always thought it would be really difficult to do something similar.  After searching the internet for avengers cakes this one inspired me to try out the marshmallow fondant Rona always uses.  I practised the marshmallow fondant a couple of weeks before  the party (it can be prepared in advance) and discovered it was super easy- so easy even I could do it!  My second thank you goes to the Kerryn from the Failsafe Closed Group on Facebook who shared making black icing using charcoal capsules – how inspired and perfect for this cake!

So here it is – instructions to make a Totally Awesome Avengers Cake:

Totally Awesome Avengers Cake

Serves 16
Prep time 7 hours
Suitable for RPAH Elimination Diet - Low Chemical / Failsafe, RPAH Elimination Diet – Very High Chemical
Meal type Sweet Things
Misc Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion Birthday Party, Halloween
Surprisingly easy Avengers Cake with marshmallow fondant.

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 1 25cm diameter bundt tin
  • 1 Batch favourite cake recipe (Refer to note)
  • Butter
  • Flour

To decorate:

  • 1 Batch Marshmallow fondant (Refer to recipe)
  • 6 Charcoal capsules (Refer to note)
  • Hoppers Gold Crush 100s and 1000s
  • Avengers action figures
  • Happy Birthday decoration
  • Straw
  • Bamboo skewer
  • Pizza cutter
  • Butter knife
  • Palette knife
  • 1 Cake board
  • 1 Small cup (small enough to fit in the centre of the cake, but not protrude above it.)
  • Extra icing sugar

Butter Cream Icing:

  • 185g butter (room temperature)
  • 2 1/4 cups icing sugar (sifted)
  • 11/2 - 3 tablespoons milk
  • Hoppers Cherry Red Natural Food Colouring
  • 2 Charcoal capsules

Directions

To prepare the cake:
1. Preheat the oven as per your cake recipe. Lightly grease the bundt pan with butter then dust with flour, shaking out the excess.
2. Prepare the cake batter and spoon evenly into the prepared pan. Tap the bottom on the bench top to allow it to settle. Smooth out the top and raise it higher on the inside and outside edges.
3.
Bake the cake as per the recipe. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 - 15 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Making an Avengers Cake - Base Cake
4. Once the cake has cooled, wrap it tightly in cling wrap and place in the freezer for about 3 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare the butter cream icing:
5. Beat the butter until pale then add the icing sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons of milk. Beat until light and fluffy. Remove 1/3 of the icing and set aside.
6.
Add the contents of 2 charcoal tablets to the 2/3 icing and beat until the colour is well combined.
Making an Avengers Cake - Butter Cream Icing
7. Add the rest of the milk, as needed, to achieve a spreadable consistency. Set aside until ready to use.
Icing:
8. Remove the cake from the freezer and unwrap it. Using a bread knife, slice the bottom of the cake to create a flat surface for it to sit on. Place it on the cake board. Place a small cup or container inside the cake to create a platform for your super hero to stand on.
9.
Spread the butter cream icing over the cake using a palette knife and place in the fridge until ready to cover in the fondant. Set aside the remaining icing to use with the fondant.
Making an Avengers Cake - Spread Butter Cream Icing on Cake
Fondant:
10. Sprinkle some icing sugar onto a prepared work surface and your hands. Knead the fondant until it is smooth and no longer sticky; add a bit more icing sugar if necessary. If it gets too hard, 10 seconds in the microwave will soften it up.
11.
Divide the fondant into three sections and put two aside in an airtight container. Take the remaining section and make a well in the centre of it. Place the contents of two charcoal capsules into the centre and knead the fondant until the colour is mixed through. I stopped when I had a mottled grey colour, with no white. Use a little bit of oil on your hands if the fondant gets too sticky while kneading. Place the fondant into the airtight container and repeat with the remaining two pieces.
Marshmallow Fondant - Grey
12. Once all the fondant has been coloured it is time to roll it and start covering the cake.
Decorate:
13.
Use a little bit of of icing sugar on the work surface and rolling pin to stop it sticking. Roll the fondant out to about 5mm thick and use a pizza cutter or knife to cut it into irregular straight-sided shapes. Score the edges using a knife and create rivets along each side with the straw and flat end of the skewer. Work with small pieces of fondant, keeping the rest in the air tight container.
Making an Avengers Cake - Marshmallow Fondant
14.
Place the fondant pieces on the cake, making sure the sides are covered all the way to the bottom. Overlap the pieces by spreading a bit of the left over grey butter cream icing between the two pieces.
Making an Avengers Cake - Decorating with Marshmallow Fondant
15.
When the pieces reach the top, fold some back and tear the tops off others to give the appearance that the top has been blasted open.
Making an Avengers Cake - Decorating with Marshmallow Fondant
16. Take the uncoloured portion of the butter cream icing from step 5 and colour it with the red food colouring, to the desired shade. Scoop the icing into the centre of the cake and spread it up to where the fondant meets the cake.
17.
Place your super hero on top and secure with the icing. Sprinkle the top with the 100s and 1000s. Use the leftover grey butter cream icing to secure any other super heros onto the cake board around the sides of the cake. Place the Happy Birthday decoration on the front.
Making an Avengers Cake
18. Store the completed cake in a cake box, in a cool location.

Note

Low Amines, Low Glutamates, Low/High Salicylates.

I made this cake using a Mango Cake, but any moist, dense cake would work fine, such as my Vanilla Cake recipe.  The marshmallow fondant recipe can be found here.

The Hoppers natural food colouring and 100s and 1000s do contain high levels of salicylates from the natural ingredients used to make them; but the centre part of the cake where these ingredients are used doesn't get eaten.

The charcoal capsules are used to colour the icing grey.  Activated charcoal capsules can be purchased from chemists and are typically used to treat flatulence and in emergency departments to treat poisoning.    It prevents the body from absorbing chemicals - both good and bad kinds.  It's not something you would eat every day unless advised by a doctor, but for this application the small amount per piece of cake seemed OK to me.  Cut the capsules in half with a pair of kitchen scissors.

 

 

 

Marshmallow Fondant

Serves 1
Prep time 3 hours, 10 minutes
Allergy / Intolerance Amines, Artificial Addititives, Artificial Colours, Glutamates, Preservatives, Salicylates
Suitable for RPAH Elimination Diet - Low Chemical / Failsafe
Meal type Ingredient
Misc Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion Birthday Party, Formal Party, Special Occasions
Website Domestic Diva Unleashed
Easy marshmallow fondant for cake decorating.

Ingredients

  • 600g pure icing sugar (sifted)
  • 225g marshmallows (Pascall's white, or other suitable marshmallows)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon water
  • Extra pure icing sugar

Directions

To prepare:
1. Place the marshmallows and water into a microwave proof dish and cook on high for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl and stir well. If the marshmallows have not completely melted, cook them for another 30 seconds then stir again.
2. Add the icing sugar to the marshmallows and stir until well combined.
3. Line a small bowl with cling wrap and sprinkle with some extra icing sugar. Pour the fondant into the bowl and wrap tightly with the cling wrap, removing as much air as possible. Place into a zip lock bag or wrap in a second piece of cling wrap and place in the fridge. Allow to rest for at least a few hour before using.
4. The fondant can also be made up to several weeks in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use.
To use:
5. Allow the fondant to come up to room temperature once removed from the fridge.
6. Sprinkle some icing sugar onto a prepared work surface and your hands. Knead the fondant until it is smooth and no longer sticky; add a bit more icing sugar if necessary. If it gets too hard, 10 seconds in the microwave will soften it up.
7. Once it's smooth the fondant is ready to roll or shape.

Note

Low Chemical / Failsafe

 

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One Response to “Totally Awesome!” (Avengers Birthday Cake and Super Hero Party)

  1. Avengers cake has been famous today.