White Chocolate Ballerina Cake

Ingredients

• For the Cake:
• 3 8″ inch round chocolate cakes, baked and cooled. (I used the [Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake Recipe I https://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipe-details.aspx?id=184]
• Recipe for white chocolate buttercream frosting. (You will want to double it if piping), recipe follows
• Chefmaster all natural food dye in blue or [Chefmaster gel food dye in sky blue I http://www.countrykitchensa.com/shop/food-items/chefmaster-food-color-gel-sky-blue/46/535/1053/618317/] .
• [Piping bag I http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006FWVY/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=burapp-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B00006FWVY&adid=0M944TFVAE7KRQY9TQQE&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fburntapple.com%2Fshop-burnt-apple%2F]and star tip for decorating.
• For Ballerinas:
• 6 oz white chocolate, melted
• 1 [decorating squeeze bottle I http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006FWVY/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=burapp-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B00006FWVY&adid=0M944TFVAE7KRQY9TQQE&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fburntapple.com%2Fshop-burnt-apple%2F]
• Waxed paper
• Ballerina templates, printed and cut out (Do a quick Google search for “ballerina template” or “ballerina clip art.”)
• Edible glitter in white
• ¼ yard hot pink tulle

Instructions

To make the ballerinas:
1. Slide the ballerina templates (or clip art) right side up underneath the wax paper. You will want to make sure that you are able to closely space the ballerinas together without overlapping while you are working.
2. Open the bottle of white glitter and have it close to where you will be working with the chocolate.
3. Melt the white chocolate in 30 second increments in the microwave. Remove mixture from the microwave and stir. Continue to microwave in 15-30 second intervals until chocolate is completely melted. Once the chocolate has melted, pour it into the squeeze bottle.
4. With the squeeze bottle, trace the outline of the ballerina first. Fill in the ballerina with additional white chocolate, smoothing with a toothpick to remove any bubbles that may form. Sprinkle with edible glitter.
5. Allow the ballerinas to harden for one to two hours before placing on cake.
To Make the Cake:
6. Make the frosting according to the directions above. Scoop 1-1 ½ cups of frosting into three separate small bowls and use the gel colors to stir in desired tint. You will want to have one bowl with a lighter blue color, one with a medium blue color and one with a darker blue color.
7. Assemble the cake, spreading a generous amount of frosting in between each layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting around the exterior of the cake so the piping stars will easily adhere to the cake.
8. Scoop the dark layer of frosting into the piping bag. Beginning from the bottom of the cake, pipe a small star onto the cake. Continue to pipe a straight line of stars across the bottom of the cake. Continue up the cake, piping stars until frosting bag needs to be refilled.
9. Scoop the medium colored frosting into the piping bag and continue to pipe onto the cake. Continue piping up the cake until the medium colored frosting has run out. Scoop the light colored frosting into the piping bag and continue piping until the cake is completed.
10. Arrange the hot pink tulle around the bottom of the cake. Press the white chocolate ballerinas lightly into the top of the cake.
White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
11. [Adapted from The Royal Cook I http://theroyalcook.blogspot.com/]
12. ⅓ cup butter, softened
13. ½ cup shortening (I used Spectrum Organics)
14. 3 cups powdered sugar
15. ¼ tsp salt
16. 1 cup white chocolate chips, melted and cooled
17. 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
18. Beat the butter and shortening in a mixing bowl for several minutes until it becomes smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar, continuing to beat until mixture is combined. Add the salt, then add the white chocolate and vanilla until mixture is smooth and fluffy.