Themed Recipe For The Week

For Dr. Who, it has to be:

The Erupting Volcano Cake!

There are a few links on the web for making one of these monsters, such as here and here and here.  I am giving the recipe found in the out-of-print (but easily obtainable) Special Effects Cookbook.  This book is useful for all sorts of futuristic weird party foods!  Though I'm following the recipe from the book, I've modified and, in some cases, simplified the instructions.

NEED:

Six 8" round Cakes (any flavor, or multiple flavors), from cake mixes or store bought

Brown and Green Frosting* (see below)

One fresh egg with the shell (gently) scrubbed clean 

One small fruit juice glass or 1 and 1/2 inch cookie cutter

2 to 3 drips red food coloring

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1/4 lb. dry ice (handle this stuff with care, despite that it called "ice" it burns the skin!)

One to Two oz HOT tap water

Make the cakes from mix(es) or purchase cakes from a bakery.  The dry ice is available from multiple sources, use the phone book to locate and bug a local ice cream shop to let you purchase some.  Be sure to keep it in the freezer.  Handle only with thick gloves!

Using the cookie cutter or juice glass, cut out a hole in the center of the top two layers of the cake (this is the well or crater of the volcano).  

To construct the cake, start with one layer of cake on the bottom at the full 8 inches.  From there, trim each cake to top it in smaller and smaller rounds, ending with the top two layers that have the holes in the center.  Place this on a surface that you don't mind getting messy!  Using the juice glass, wrap aluminum foil around to form a well liner for the interior of the cake.  Place the foil inside the cake

Now frost cake layers with chocolate frosting.  Then use the green frosting to decorate like there is vegetation around the "mountain." *Note if you can't find green frosting, buy some white vanilla frosting and add green food coloring to it.

When ready to wow, separate the egg (use yolk for something else), put egg white in mixing bowl with the sugar and the red food coloring.  Beat until the egg white starts to thicken (just foam, do not beat until stiff).

Place a couple chunks of the dry ice into the cake well.  Pour in the red egg white mixture.  Now add the hot tap water.  Add the water when you are ready for eruption.  

Variation:

If you can't find dry ice (or don't want to hassle with it), you can use a jello mixture to the eruption (there will not be any smoke).  

You'll need:

1 small juice glass (to place in the cake well)--3 inches tall

1 small box of jello

1 small bottle of lemon juice

1 tbsp. baking soda.

Make the jello according to package directions.  Let cool for 15 minutes.  When the jello has cooled to warm (it can't be hot), fill the glass in the cake 1/2 full of the jello, then add the lemon juice to almost fill the glass (make sure the glass is close to the top of the cake).  

When ready for eruption:  add the baking soda and stir for a couple of seconds.  

There is another variation on making one of these things fairly quickly from Angel Food Cakes, but I'll save that for another day.