Bake a Peep Cake, a Cute Chick Cake

Spring is coming – such is the rumor, anyway. The weather is never to be trusted this time of year. One day it’s nice and sunny the next it could be snowing. Heck, the first summer we put in our garden we had 4″ of snow on June 10th!. Maybe if you bake a Peep cake might make the season feel a little closer. What could be cuter for Easter or any spring dessert than a cute little chick cake? I found the recipe at Food Network and made a few tweaks.

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Peep Cake – a Cute Chick Cake

2 yellow cake mixes
6 eggs
2/3 cups oil
2 cups water

For the Icing
3 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2/3 cup water
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
yellow food coloring
yellow sanding sugar
2 large chocolate discs or chips

Skewers – if you don’t have them spaghetti will work in a pinch
toothpicks

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13 x 9 x 2″ pan
1 quart and 1 1/2 quart glass bowls (pyrex ) that you can bake in the oven

Preheat oven to 350°
Butter and flour the 13 x 9 x2″ pan and the bowls. Set aside
Make the cake mixes as directed on the box.

One mix will go in the 13 x 9 x 2″ pan
The second mix is divided between the two bowls; 2/3rds in the larger bowl, 1/3rd in the other bowl.
Bake until a toothpick inserted comes clean; the 13 x 9 pan and the 1 quart bowl took about 30 minutes, the larger bowl took about 45.
Cool on a wire rack then carefully remove from the pan and bowls.
At this point you can wrap the cake and put it aside for up to two days.
Make the frosting:
Heat the sugar with the cream of tartar, salt and 2/3 cup water in a saucepan, stirring, until dissolved.
Beat the egg whites with a mixer until frothy.
Slowly beat in the hot sugar mixture, then increase the mixer speed and beat until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and the food coloring

Set aside while you build the bird.
Making the Chick

Cut the four corners off of the rectangular cake. Save three of them.

Level off the bowl cakes with a serrated knife.
Now we build the Peep!

Place the larger round on the rectangle and the smaller one on top of that.
The recipe calls for skewers to hold it together but I didn’t have skewers. I used spaghetti! It worked just fine. I snipped them off with my poultry shears.

Use two of the corners you set aside to make the tail, the third is the beak. Use toothpicks to attach them.

Frost the Peep and fill in artistically. Use a wet offset spatula to smooth the frosting.

Cover with sanding sugar
Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set.

Use two large chocolate discs or chips for the eyes

How Was the Peep Cake?

The cake is very cute – how could it not be, it’s a big Peep? When I made this I was pulled away from decorating by a small emergency so there was a delay between frosting and adding the sanding sugar. I wasn’t able to smooth it out so my chick looks a bit ruffled.

That is OK – this cake went in with the hubby for a meeting and it was devoured. I think I’m going to make it again but I’ll use a scratch cake recipe. I had forgotten how sweet box cakes are. The only reason I’d done it here was expediency.

Also – if you make this cake make sure the recipient is aware of the skewers/spaghetti inside holding it together. It’s really not that hard to make and I am sure that it would be a big hit at any spring dinner or party. If you prefer a more traditional spring cake for your party try a blueberry angel food cake or a pear struesel bundt cake with salted caramel and chocolate. That last one is a showstopper!