Christmas Wreath Cake

Ingredients:

Red Velvet Cakes

• 5 cups premium flour
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 cups buttermilk or kefir
• 1 tbsp red food coloring gel
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp. white vinegar
• Cooking spray with flour to dust the pans

Dark chocolate cakes

• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup of hot water
• 1 cup (220 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup buttermilk or kefir
• 3 cups premium flour
• Cooking spray with flour to dust the pans

Almond buttercream on Swiss meringue

• Whites of 12 large eggs
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 5 cups (1100 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tbsp almond extract

Green American Buttercream

• 1 cup (220 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• Milk or heavy cream to thin
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Green food coloring, as needed
• Neon green food coloring, as needed

Decorations

• 110 g yellow confectionery glaze (in disks or bars), melted
• 60 g red confectionery glaze, melted
• 30 g of prepared marzipan
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder + extra for sprinkling
• White sugar pearls, as needed
• White nonpareil, as needed
• Chocolate dragees in red glaze, as needed
• Sugar snowflakes, as needed

Special equipment

• Large open star nozzle
• Large closed star nozzle
• Round nozzle with a diameter of 1 cm.
• Small open star nozzle
• 6 disposable pastry bags
• Mold "Bow" size 8 cm.
• Mold "stars" size 1 cm.
• Gingerbread man cookie cutter
• Cake stand with a diameter of 20 cm.
• Two round cake pans, 20 cm in diameter.
• Bundt cake pan, diameter 22 cm.
• Biscuit string knife (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray two round cake pans and one 9-inch (22 cm) cake pan with flour-based cooking spray.

2. Red Velvet Cakes:

   
   In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Mix on low speed until smooth, then increase the speed to medium. Beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix with the mixer for 1 minute. Spoon the batter into each round cake pan (20 cm), filling them three-quarters full. Transfer the remaining batter to the muffin tin (it will be about a third full).
3. Bake the bundt cakes for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Bake the round cakes for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
4. Dark chocolate cakes: Spray two 8-inch cake pans with spray.
   
   Combine dark cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl until smooth and the cocoa is dissolved. Set aside.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the baking soda, salt, and baking powder to the beaten mixture. Mix briefly again.
   
   In a 4-cup or larger glass liquid measuring cup, combine the dissolved cocoa and buttermilk. Mix well.
   
   Add flour to a bowl in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk and cocoa mixture. Mix on low speed until smooth. Divide the batter among the prepared pans.
6. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Almond buttercream on Swiss meringuePlace a saucepan filled one-third full with water over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
   
   In a large heatproof stainless steel bowl, whisk the egg whites with the sugar and salt. Place the bowl over simmering water and whisk until the meringue is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved (to be sure, use a caramel thermometer; it should be between 120°F and 140°F).
   
   Transfer the meringue to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form. Continue beating at medium-high speed until the meringue is fluffy and cool to the touch (the bowl should be cool to the touch), 5–7 minutes.
8. Turn off the mixer and replace the whisk attachment with a paddle. Turn the mixer to medium-low speed and add the butter, a few cubes at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition, for 3-4 minutes. The volume of the cream will decrease significantly, which is normal; continue beating and adding the butter. Once all the butter has been added, beat until thick and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the almond extract.
9. Green American ButtercreamIn the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the butter and powdered sugar. Start mixing on low speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated, then increase to medium-high speed, gradually adding milk or cream to thin the cream. Add the vanilla extract and beat on high speed for 3 minutes.
   
   Divide the frosting into 2 bowls. Tint one portion with green food coloring and the other with neon green. Add the food coloring little by little, stirring constantly, to achieve bright green hues. Fit piping bags with tips. Divide the green frosting among the following piping bags: a large closed star, a 1 cm round tip, and a small open star. Fill the remaining piping bag, fitted with a large open star tip, with neon green frosting (you may have some extra frosting).
10. Assembly: Smooth out any raised cake layers using a serrated knife or string knife.
    
    Place the red round cake on a 20cm cake stand. Cover with a thin layer of almond buttercream.
    
    Place the dark chocolate cake layer on top and cover with almond buttercream. Alternate the round cake layers with the almond buttercream, finishing with a layer of dark chocolate cake layer on top. Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of almond buttercream. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes.
11. Cover the entire cake with a second layer of almond buttercream. Smooth the top and sides with a bench scraper. Refrigerate while you make the decorations.

12. Decoration options

    
    To make starsPlace the yellow icing in a disposable pastry bag and fill the cavities of a 1 cm star-shaped candy mold. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes. Invert the mold and remove the stars.
    
    For the bow Pour the red icing into a disposable pastry bag and fill the mold with an 8 cm cavity. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove the bow from the mold.
    
    For gingerbread men In a small bowl, mix the marzipan with cocoa powder. On a work surface dusted with cocoa powder, roll out the marzipan to a thickness of 0.3 cm. Using a cookie cutter, cut out three 5 cm shapes. Press sugar pearls onto them to create buttons and eyes. Set the shapes aside, but keep them handy.
    
    Place a shaped red cake layer with a hole in the center on top of the frosted cake. Next, use different bags of green frosting to pipe large and small swirls, stars, and droplets onto the cake, completely covering it. Fill any gaps with small dots of frosting. Immediately sprinkle the cake with white nonpareils (work quickly before the frosting begins to set).
    
    Place three red chocolate candies across the entire surface of the cake. Add sugar snowflakes and space gingerbread men evenly. Press yellow stars onto the cake. Attach a red bow to the bottom center of the wreath.
    
    Using a small piping bag fitted with an open star tip, pipe a border around the bottom of the cake and immediately sprinkle with white nonpareils. Attach sugar snowflakes randomly to the sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving.