Bake a 2-layer round 8-inch cake
Cool 10 minutes in the pans. Trim any hump off top of bottom layer while
still in pan.
<<<DO NOT TRIM TOP LAYER>>.
PUT BOTTOMS TOGETHER: To do, turn
out bottom layer onto serving tray. Let top layer cool completely. Flip
top layer out of pan, then flip it over again. Spread icing or fill for
between layers. Place top layer on bottom one.
NOTE: With bottoms of cakes together,
it allows for a slight mound for the top of your basket.
ICE CAKE: Spread icing thinly on sides and regular thickness on the top
ASSEMBLY:
LID: As in diagram, cut an 8-inch
cardboard cake circle exactly in half, as shown by the broken lines. Ice
one side of each half. The other side will be iced only when you have the
flowers and leaves on and are ready to put the lid in place permanently.
Lay the 2 half cardboard circles together on the iced cake and press an
indention firmly into the icing at the halfway point so that you will know
where to place the lid later. Lift the lid off and ice one side in the
same color as basket is done in.
NOTE: I’ve been making the lid out
of coating chocolate. I cut a 10” circle in half, placed under wax paper,
put melted chocolate ina dec. bag, start around outer edge working
into center. Let it set up. It works great and is edible too!
INSERT STRAWS: Insert one straw
into iced cake, about 1-inch from edge. Cut the straw to about 2 1/2-inches
above the cake. Cut another straw exactly the same height.
BASKET WEAVE THE SIDES. (Use larger tip for larger cake). Use a basket weave tip 48 for the horizontal weave. Use a star tip of matching size for the vertical lines.
BORDERS: Pipe tip 21 bottom rope
border and tip 18 top rope border.
FINISHED CAKE SHOWS LID, FLOWERS
AND BASKETWEAVE
Cake by Sandy Potter, Germantown,
Ohio
ADD FLOWERS NOW: With the creases you made in the iced cake top, you’ll know where the flowers should go. Don’t add large flowers in the back close to the crease or the lid won’t go down….use small ones here. TIP: Periodically set the lid on to make sure it will still rest on the straws. Place large flowers around the straws to hide them. Pipe tip 352 green leaves.
LID PLACEMENT: Ice the other side of the lid and set it in place. Basketweave on top of the lid, having the vertical lines of the basketweave pattern from center-out to end of circle. Pipe a tip 18 rope border all around the lid.
HANDLE: I’ve tried all kinds of edible handles. None worked perfectly. Royal icing is heavy and may break. So I cut a 1 1/2-inch strip of appropriate length from a cake box. Make a ‘V’ at bottom of both ends. Strip it between your fingers so that it bends evenly. With icing on your fingers, spread on both sides of handle. Set handle in place. Pipe icing at base of handle to help hold it.
Basket weave is shown step-by-step in the '97 Wilton Year Book page 100. I like to use a 'rope' border top and bottom. '97 Year Book page 98.
Pipe green grass on the top. Use small tip 233 for small cakes, or use tip 234, for large ones. Wilton's '97 Year Book has a basket weave cake on it's front cover.