Swimming Pool Theme Cake

Two weeks ago, there was a swimming meet at American British Academy. Where, my son clocked 56 sec in 100 m free style for the first time !. 56 in 100 was his (also mine) long time dream and I would say it’s a significant break thru.

To celebrate this and to surprise him, I thought of baking a theme cake. Usually, theme cakes are of a lengthy procedure also needs lot of patience and artistic mind. Though, I don’t have both, still made an attempt. 

I know, it’s not 100% perfect. But, good enough to impress my Son. (As usual not my husband!)

I split the procedure into five parts and here we go…… 

Basic Sponge Cake :

Ingredients :  1 cup of all purpose flour (take out 2tbsp of flour and add 2 tbsp corn flour)   ;  3 no’s of  Egg   ;     2/3 cup of Sugar    ;   10 gms of melted Butter    ;   10 gms of Oil     ;   20 ml of milk  (if needed you can add by 1tbsp)

In a double boiler, add eggs and sugar and whisk until the sugar dissolved (do not over heat). Remove the bowl from the double boiler.

Using the electric mixer, beat at high speed unit the stiff peaks formed may take about 5 – 7 minutes. 

Set the mixer speed to medium and beat further 5 minutes until the batter becomes foamy. Reduce speed to low, and whisk further 2-3 minutes more until shiny and smooth.

Now add the flour little by little and quick fold with and spatula so that it fully blended well. But, continue the folding even after the flour is no longer visible.

Now add all the rest of the ingredients (butter, oil and milk) in the double boiler so that the butter melts and all combine well. Add the mixture into the flour mixture and mix well with spatula.

Transfer the mixture into pre greased and floured rectangle pan for swimming pool cake. Bake for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C. Reduce the temperature to 160℃ and bake for another 8-10 minutes.

Transfer the cake to the wired rack and allow it to cool.

Butter Icing

Ingredients :  200gms of butter    ;      2 ½  cups of icing sugar       ;       1 tsp vanilla powder        ;     3 tbsp of heavy cream

Procedure : Beat the butter and add ½ cup of icing sugar and continue beating till it become pale. Again add ½ cup sugar and beat further till it blend well. Finally add all the remaining part of icing sugar, vanilla powder and cream and blend until fully cooperate.

Modeling chocolate ( for pool tiles)

Ingredients :  1/2 cup of white chocolate ;    1 ½ tbsp of corn syrup     ;   blue (food) color

Procedure : melt the chocolate in the microwave and add the corn syrup and mix well quickly otherwise chocolate may stiffen.

Transfer the chocolate to a sturdy plastic bag and keep it at room temperature for about 24 hrs. add add blue (food) color and knead it until it is soft enough to work with. (If, sticky add corn flour. If, dry add corn syrup)

Roll it and cut it small square (for pool tiles) 

Piping gel (for pool water)

Ingredients :   1cup of corn syrup    ;      1 tbsp of gelatin      ;            1tbsp of water ;        blue (food) color

Dissolve gelatin in the water for 2 minutes and microwave for 30 seconds and mix with hot corn syrup and Stir well, to combine. Add blue (food) color and allow it to cool.

Cake Assembly  : 1 cup of strawberry jam; some skittles used as a lane dividers.

Cut the cake into two halves and spread the jam on the one half and top of it spread the butter cream and place the other half and firmly press.

Cut the 0.5 cm depth (top layer) of the cake in order to fill the prepared piping gel as water.  

Cover the cake with butter icing cream and fix the modeling chocolate on the sides as pool tiles. Pour the piping gel to give water effect and then place the skittles as a divider / rope.